WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis men's and women's tennis teams were both ranked No. 24 in the country in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll. It is the first time that both teams have been ranked since May, 2011.

"It's exciting with such a young squad," head coach Ben Lamanna said. It validates the hard work that we've put in. But at the same time, we're only half way through the season. We're still hungry for more.

The women's team has been ranked both No. 24 nationally and ninth in the region since the first preseason poll was released in October. But the Judges' top singles and doubles players were ranked this week for the first time this season. The Brandeis women's team is 3-5 on the season, with all five losses coming to Division I or nationally-ranked teams. The Judges enter this weekend's matchups on a two-match winning streak, having defeated No. 30 Wellesley and UAA-rival NYU two weeks ago.

Junior Carley Cooke (San Diego, Calif./Point Loma) is ninth in the region in singles, posting a 3-3 record this season. She has earned All-American honors each of the past two seasons, and finished last season ranked No. 9 in the region as well. Cooke will have the opportunity to move up in the rankings this weekend, as she's scheduled to face both the seventh- and eighth-ranked players. The Judges host No. 8 Melita Ferjanic's Trinity Bantams on Saturday and No. 7 Tiffany Cheng's Bowdoin Polar Bears on Sunday.

Cooke and classmate Simone Vandroff (Moss Beach, Calif./Half Moon Bay) are ranked No. 6 in doubles, the first ranking for the pair. The juniors are have won their last two matches after starting the season 0-5.

The men's team was recognized for the first time since June, 2011. In addition to their national ranking, the Judges jumped from No. 15 to No. 6 in the northeast. Overall, Brandeis is 5-3 on the season. The Judges defeated the United States Coast Guard Academy, 7-2, last Saturday. They'll host Bowdoin on Saturday and play at Babson on Sunday.

The No. 1 doubles team was also recognized in the latest poll. Rookie Michael Arguello (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood) and sophomore Danny Lubarsky (Cleveland, Ohio/Hawkland School) are No. 10 in doubles in the region, the first time that either has been ranked in their careers. Arguello and Lubarsky are 7-3 this season.