WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University men's and women's tennis teams have earned their highest-ever preseason rankings from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). The Brandeis men check in at #8 in Division III, while the women are #10.
"It's an honor to be ranked within the top 10 in the country, and is a testament to the hard work that all the players have put in," said first-year head coach Pauri Pandian. "We're excited to be ranked in this spot, but hungry to continue to rise in our pursuit of a UAA and NCAA title."
The Brandeis men return five of their six singles starters and five of six doubles players from the squad that went 16-4 last season. The Judges finished as runners-up at the 2019 University Athletic Association championships and produced the UAA Rookie of the Year. Sophomore Adam Tzeng of Eagle, Idaho, who played #3 singles and #2 doubles, posted a 28-10 combined record last year. Senior David Aizenberg of Highland Park, Illinois, and junior Anupreeth Coramutla of Monroe Township, New Jersey, were first-team All-UAA at #1 doubles for the second year in a row, while Aizenberg was a first-team All-Association selection at #1 singles as well.
On the women's side, the Judges are coming off a season that saw them post a 14-8 record, placing fourth in the UAA and making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament. The Judges reached the Regional Finals of the tournament, falling to eventual national champions Wesleyan. Brandeis returns three of their top six singles and doubles players from a year ago, paced by #1 player Diana Dehterevich of Minsk, Belarus, who earned second-team All-UAA honors. Junior Lauren Bertsch of Middletown, Rhode Island, was a first-team All-Association selection at #1 doubles, while sophomore Ana Hatfield of Rockford, Illinois, was an honorable mention at #3 doubles.
The highlight of the Judges 2020 early spring seasons are trips to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. The men will meet ninth-ranked UAA foes Washington University in St. Louis in the opening round on February 21st at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, while the women face third-ranked Emory University, also a conference rival, on February 28th at Centre College in Kentucky. Brandeis will be playing its first spring season under head coach Pandian, a former ITA National Division III Assistant Coach of the Year for the Judges who spent the previous four years as head coach at Wheaton (Mass.) College.
Click here for full Top 40 Men's Rankings
Click here for full Top 40 Women's Rankings