AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas climbed from No. 7 to No. 5 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) team rankings Wednesday on the strength of victories over then-No. 6 USC and No. 10 Alabama at the recent ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
Texas (8-1) had been ranked No. 7 since the initial release of the team rankings on Jan. 8.The Longhorns made their first appearance in the top five since ending the 2006 season at No. 3 after reaching the semifinals at the NCAA Championship.
Leading the way for Texas in the ITA singles rankings is freshman Kellen Damico (Parker, Colo.), who ranks 18th after racing out to a 22-6 singles mark in his first season of college tennis.Damico has won his last seven matches, highlighted by a victory over Georgia's eighth-ranked Nate Schnugg at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship on Feb. 16.
Following closely behind at No. 24 is freshman Ed Corrie (Harpendon, England), who boasts a 17-5 singles mark and wins over two top-20 opponents.Sophomore Dimitar Kutrovsky (Sofia, Bulgaria) ranks 54th with a 15-6 singles mark, and senior Luis Diaz Barriga (Cordoba, Mexico) ranks 88th with a 14-3 singles record. Diaz Barriga defeated USC's 48th-ranked Gary Sacks in the Longhorns' 4-1 defeat of the Trojans on Feb. 17.
Damico and Diaz Barriga hold a No. 8 doubles ranking after winning the ITA South Central Regional Championship last fall.
Texas resumes play on Sunday, Feb. 24 at No. 24 Rice.
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