TEMPE, Ariz. --- The Tusculum University men's tennis team finished 28th in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division II National Team Rankings for the 2023 season.
The Pioneers went 17-7 overall and placed second in the South Atlantic Conference during the 2023 campaign, falling to Wingate in the SAC Tournament finals but earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Tusculum was eliminated by eventual NCAA quaterfinalist Flagler in the opening round.
Tusculum was eighth in the final ITA Division II Southeast Region rankings of the season, with junior Nemanja Subanovic (Subotica, Serbia) and sophomore Marco Jalalian (Hannover, Germany) ranked ninth in the region in doubles. The duo went 13-8 this season and 8-2 in SAC competition, and received first-team All-SAC honors while playing at number-one doubles for the Pioneers.
The Pioneers entered the ITA National Rankings at the beginning of March at 30th, and climbed as high as 25th in mid-April. Tusculum was ranked 30th or better in each of its final 16 matches, a stretch that saw the Pioneers compile a 4-4 record against ranked opponents.
Overall, Tusculum had a 5-7 record against teams included in the final ITA National Team Rankings, including two victories over 36th-ranked Carson-Newman. Tusculum also had wins over Charleston (33rd), Anderson (44th) and Limestone (50th). Five of the Pioneers' seven losses came to teams in the top 15 in the final rankings, including a pair of setbacks to both Flagler (7th) and Wingate (11th) along with a loss to Lee (13th).
Tusculum has been ranked 31st or better in the final ITA Division II rankings in four of the last five completed seasons (excluding 2020), including each of the last three years.
