TEMPE, Ariz. --- The Tusculum University men's tennis team dropped to 43rd in this week's Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division II National Team Rankings, the ITA has announced.

The Pioneers (8-6, 5-2 South Atlantic Conference) went 1-2 since being ranked 33rd in last week's survey, with the losses coming to fifth-ranked North Georgia and 31st-ranked Queens University of Charlotte by identical 4-3 scores. Tusculum's lone win was a 7-0 shutout of Coker on Tuesday afternoon.

In singles, senior Frank Bonacia has gained 10 spots in the Division II rankings and is now ranked 50th. Bonacia went 2-1 in singles last week, including a three-set win against North Georgia, and is 14-7 overall this season and 4-3 in conference play.

Also ranked from the SAC are Lenoir-Rhyne (25th), Carson-Newman (27th), Queens (31st), Wingate (38th) and Anderson (47th). In addition to North Georgia, Tusculum non-conference ranked opponents include Charleston (17th), Lee (20th) and Belmont Abbey (23rd). The Pioneers are 1-6 against currently ranked opponents, with matches against Lenoir-Rhyne and Carson-Newman scheduled for next week.

The top four teams in the men's National Team Rankings are unchanged, with Columbus State, Barry, Saint Leo and Hawaii Pacific joined by North Georgia in the top five.

The ITA Rankings Algorithm is based on an accumulation of win points and loss points, accounting for a win-loss record, the strength of schedule, and the depth/significance of wins and losses. As the season progresses, the value of each win and loss adjusts to reflect the most recent ranking of the opponent.

Tusculum hosts Catawba in a SAC match on Saturday at the Nichols Tennis Complex. Start time for the match has been adjusted to 1 p.m.