JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (September 5, 2008) -Junior women's tennis player Yevgeniya Stupak (Kyiv, Ukarine) earned the highest preseason ranking of any singles player in the Atlantic Sun Conference and ETSU school history, by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), Friday.

Stupak, who finished the 2007 season with 23 victories, will start the preseason ranked No. 63rd among all Division I women's tennis players, which sits 61 spots ahead of the nearest A-Sun player USC Upstate's Anno Novo. Just a year ago the two-time A-Sun First Team member became the first-ever ETSU and conference women's tennis player to be selected for the NCAA singles championship.

Recently, Stupak became the first ETSU women's tennis player, in school history, to qualify for the prestigious Riveria All-American tournament, held September 30th through October 5th, in Los Angeles, Calif.

"I'm very proud of her," said head coach Steve Brooks. "To be a junior and reach this level of play is incrediable. All the hard work she has done this offseason has really paid dividends. Heading into this season our entire team has worked hard and has a new focus about them. This team, day in and day out gives a lot of effort in whatever they do, and everyone has continued to step-up and help our team achieve the dream that has eluded us the past two seasons." 

For more information on the women's tennis team please visit the official athletic website www.ETSUBUCS.com.