BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech men’s tennis team received a No. 34 national ranking in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association preseason poll. Tech’s Luka Somen and Lucas Oliveira earned singles rankings while Somen and partner Corrado Degl’ Incerti Tocci were recognized in doubles.
Somen is No. 58 in the ITA preseason standings. During the fall season, Somen tallied a singles record of 11-5 in tournament play. Last season, the senior from Karlovac, Croatia advanced to the round of 32 after receiving an At-Large bid to the NCAA Singles Championships. He posted a 17-8 record playing in the No. 1.
Tech’s junior Oliveira is No. 71 in the singles rankings. This fall Oliveira was 6-5 in tournament, including 2-1 against players ranked in the preseason. During the 2011 dual season, the Sao Paulo, Brazil native was 10-6, playing in the No. 4, 5 and 6.
The Hokies' doubles tandem of Somen and Tocci are No. 51 in the national preseason rankings. During the fall, the pair went 9-4 overall and were 3-3 against ranked doubles pairs. The pair had a 10-6 record in duals last season, playing in the No. 2.
Virginia Tech returns seven players from last year’s team that finished with a 15-12 dual record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Hokies claimed eight wins over ranked opponents.
The preseason poll includes 11 of the 12 ACC teams: No. 2 Virginia, No. 10 Duke, No. 15 Georgia Tech, No. 20 North Carolina, No. 31 Miami, No. 38 Maryland, No. 41 Wake Forest, No. 44 Florida State, No. 59 NC State and No. 66 Clemson.
Tech will open the season Jan. 20-22, hosting the Larsen-Bowker Invitational at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center.
For updates on Virginia Tech men's tennis, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_MTennis).