TEMPE, Ariz. – Sun Devil men's tennis reclaimed a spot in the Oracle/ITA Division I Men's Tennis rankings, taking the No. 35 spot. One individual and two doubles tandems also found themselves on the updated list released by the ITA Tuesday morning.
"It's validation of the hard work they've been putting in both behind the scenes and in front of everyone when it really counts," coach
Matt Hill said. "It's good for their confidence and to keep adding fuel to the fire to keep doing the things it takes us to be where we want to be."
ASU had been listed at No. 24 in the first edition of the poll on January 9, but had since dropped out after a slow start to the season. The Sun Devils have picked up the pace as of late, handing No. 13 Michigan a 4-2 loss last Friday to register their first top-25 win since being reinstated in 2018.
"We're just getting started, really," Hill said. "We knew we were going to be a late bloomer this year with the way our health situation was, and we're getting our arms around that and look forward to the weeks ahead like this weekend."
The squad capped off a successful weekend in Indian Wells at the Oracle Collegiate Challenge with a nail-biting 4-3 win over No. 31 Cal.
"The win was huge, but every win is huge right now for us because we've had some tough losses," Hill said. "Any time we can get over those humps in the huge pressure moments when it comes down to one guy is big for us."
Dominik Kellovsky spearheaded the valiant comeback effort, fighting to a third-set tiebreak to keep the Sun Devils alive while down 3-1. Kellovsky pulled out a win and
Nathan Ponwith followed on court one, setting the table for
Tim Ruehl's victory on court four to clinch the match for ASU.
Ponwith was awarded for his efforts with a No. 55 ranking, up 19 spots from the last poll. The Scottsdale-native was crucial in ASU's upset of No. 13 Michigan, as the match game down to him on court one. After dropping his first set 7-6, Ponwith rebounded to easily take his second set 6-1 and then his third set 6-4 to clinch the win, his first match-clinching point as a Sun Devil.
"It's great for him because he's been putting a ton of work in with extra details and it's showing," Hill said. "It's giving him a chance to potentially play in the NCAA tournament as a singles player which obviously isn't the main goal, but it's an added benefit."
He and doubles partner Kellovsky also experienced a hefty rise, as the pair moved up 31 spots from No. 49 right into the top-20 at No. 18. The No. 18 ranking is the highest for a Sun Devil pair in the last two seasons.
"Nate and Dom play really well together because their strengths and weaknesses offset each other," Hill said. "They work together well and compete really hard, so we have a ton of trust in them and the results show."
Rounding out the Sun Devils in the rankings,
Tim Ruehl/
Andrea Bolla found themselves on the list for the 11
th-straight week at No. 56. The pair have anchored themselves in the number three spot in doubles play, playing together in eight of ASU's 14 matches so far this season.
"Andrea and Tim are a really good pair who had some great results in the fall and even in the spring as well," Hill said. "Having the depth we do at doubles is what makes us so dangerous as it relates to the first point."
The Sun Devils return to action this weekend in the Lone Star state. ASU takes on No. 6 Baylor at 4 p.m. MST on Friday and then travels an hour north to Fort Worth to take on No. 10 TCU at 11 a.m. MST Sunday. Fans can keep up with the action all season long by following @SunDevilMTennis on Twitter.