The University of Akron Athletics
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Tennis Represented in Final ITA Rankings
June 23 | Women's Tennis
AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron tennis program was listed eighth in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's end-of-season Midwest region rankings, released earlier this month. Additionally, Zips sophomore Zara Harutyunyan was ranked ninth in the region and 111th nationally, while freshman Angelina Jogasuria was listed 19th regionally. Harutyunyan, the Mid-American Conference's player of the year each of the last two seasons, was the first-ever Zip to earn a spot in the ITA's final national rankings.
"The recognition of our players and of our team in the end-of-year rankings is another great sign of where we are as a nationally and regionally prominent program," fourth-year Akron head coach Jeffrey Wyshner said. "You know we are in great shape the next couple years, since Zara is a rising junior and Angelina a rising sophomore. Congratulations to them and to the entire team for bringing the program to national prominence this season. With everyone on the roster returning and one new freshman joining us, it is now up to this team to work hard enough to do even better things next year."
Harutyunyan, also a member of the All-MAC First Team each of the last two years, was one of 19 automatic qualifiers selected to participate in the NCAA Championships singles competition in May. She was the first-ever Akron player chosen to the 64-person field and is one of just four MAC student-athletes to ever qualify, and the first since 2007. She lost in the opening round of the NCAA event to Southern California's Danielle Lao, who was then-ranked 37th nationally. At the time of the competition, Harutyunyan was listed 98th in the country.
Jogasuria was selected as the league's freshman of the year and also earned a spot on the All-MAC First Team. She was the first-ever Akron player to be named MAC Freshman of the Year. In October, she was one of three Zips to qualify for the singles main draw of the Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional in Evanston, Ill. (joining Harutyunyan and her identical twin Angelika Jogasuria).
UA's recognition in the ITA final rankings closed out what was arguably the most successful season in program history. The Zips clinched a bye out of the league championship's first-round for the second-consecutive year, after achieving their highest-ever finish in the conference standings. Second-seeded Akron was edged 4-3 by third-seeded Western Michigan in the semifinal round of the MAC Championship - advancing farther into the league tournament than any other squad in program history.
UA closed out the year with a program single-season record for
league wins (7-1) and tallied the most overall victories (19-3)
since the 1990-91 squad posted a 26-6 mark. UA also spent the
majority of the dual-match season ranked in the ITA's top 75, being
recognized by the governing body of collegiate tennis each week
from Feb. 23-April 20 and peaking at No. 63 in both the March 30
and April 6 polls.
