April 7, 2015
By Hannah Altheide | UTAMavs.com
ARLINGTON, Texas -- UT Arlington Tennis is well represented in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings released Tuesday morning. The men's team is ranked No. 60 in the nation, with doubles pairing Johnathan Gonzalez and Mario Muniesa ranked 73rd. The women's doubles team of Angeles de los Rios and Elizabeth Thoms comes in at No. 63.
Gonzalez and Muniesa are 2-2 when they pair up in the No. 1 slot and are 2-1 against ranked teams. One of their most recent wins was over No. 18 TCU when they defeated No. 29 Nick Chappel and Will Stein 6-2.
"This is a very big deal for us," UTA coach Diego Benitez said. "I am very proud of both teams for their accomplishments. It's great to see hard work pay off, especially as we come towards the end of season going into the conference championship."
The women also received ITA ranking recognition thanks to de los Rios and Thoms being undefeated every time they pair up (5-0). The dynamic duo recently defeated Arkansas State's Tamara Slijepcevic and Sabrina Jeresic 8-3 to help the Mavs clinch the doubles match point.
"The rankings are a testament to the dedication our men and women have had throughout the season," Benitez said. "Our coaches have done a great job of keeping them focused and teaching them to take one match at a time. This gives us confidence going into New Orleans and I couldn't be prouder."
The women take on No. 19 TCU tomorrow in Fort Worth. The Mavericks are 0-1 when playing against a national-ranked team, losing to Missouri in the very first match of the season.
