Jan. 5, 2011

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--Sophomore Courtney Collins will open the 2011 season as the ninth-ranked singles player in the Ohio Valley region, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings released on Tuesday. Her No. 9 regional ranking is the highest in women's tennis history at the U of M.

Collins, a native of Fulton, Miss., adds this achievement to a long list of firsts she has obtained for the Lady Tigers. In the fall of 2010, she became the first to receive a bid to the ITA All-American Championships. She is also one of just nine Division I netters slated to represent Team USA at World University Games in August of this year.

Last year, her first as a collegiate tennis player, Collins finished with a 17-9 record at the No. 2 singles slot and earned second team All-Conference USA honors.

Collins and the rest of the Lady Tigers kick off the 2011 campaign when they host BYU, Ole Miss, and Missouri Jan. 13-16 in the Memphis Winter Invitational at The Racquet Club of Memphis.