TEMPE, Ariz. --- For the first time this season, the Tusculum University women's tennis team has entered the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division II national team rankings, as the Pioneers are 39th in the latest rankings released Wednesday by the ITA.

Tusculum (10-4, 6-0 SAC) entered the top 50 after winning five straight matches, including three South Atlantic Conference victories last week against 41st-ranked Lincoln Memorial (7-0), Limestone (4-3) and UVA Wise (7-0).

Joining Tusculum in this week's rankings from the SAC are Newberry (12th), Anderson (21st), Wingate (26th) and Catawba (34th). The Pioneers will play each of those four teams in a 10-day span from April 4-13 to close the regular season.

Non-conference Pioneer opponents ranked this week are Flagler (5th), North Georgia (8th), Charleston (20th) and Lee (36th).

Tusculum, which shares the lead in the SAC standings with Wingate, will visit Lenoir-Rhyne for its only match of the week on Friday at 2 p.m. The Bears are 8-8 overall and in sixth place in the SAC with a 4-3 record.