SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University's women's tennis team received a best-ever No. 23 spot in the recently-released Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division II national rankings.

The ranking was 10 spots higher than SRU's preseason ranking one year ago and seven spots higher than the Green and White's ranking in the final poll of the 2009-10 season.

SRU returns five student athletes from its 2009-10 team, which compiled a 22-6 dual-match record and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA national tournament for the first time in school history. Along the way, The Rock, which had advanced to the national Round of 16 for the third time in school history, claimed a regional championship and a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference runner-up finish.

One of the student athletes returning from last year's team, senior Sarah Lynch is ranked 46th nationally in singles by the ITA. She is coming off a 2009-10 season in which she was 18-2 in singles matches. Lynch is 4-0 in 2010-11 as The Rock takes a hiatus between fall and spring matches.