Penn State Enters ITA Rankings at No. 49Penn State Enters ITA Rankings at No. 49
Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics

Penn State Enters ITA Rankings at No. 49

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.-- Penn State women's tennis earned its first ranking of the year at No. 49 in the Oracle/ITA Division I Women's Rankings. The Nittany Lions own a 9-3 overall record and are 1-0 in the Big Ten to start the season.

Four of the Nittany Lion's wins have come in shutout fashion, while two of the losses were by a 4-3 margin. The only other loss of the season was at the hands of then-No. 42 Columbia, 4-2.

"Obviously, we are happy to be in the top 50 in rankings," said head coach Chris Cagle. "The ranking is a by-product of the team controlling the things they have control over in the off season and the spring season so far. I know this team wants more so I look forward to pushing each day to continue to get better!"

This ranking comes on the heels of Penn State defeating then-No. 48 VCU, 4-3, in the USTA National Campus Collegiate Series down in Orlando, Fla. The Nittany Lions last defeated a ranked opponent on April 17, 2015 when the team dispatched No. 50 Michigan State, 4-3.

Penn State was last in the top 50 rankings on Jan. 20, 2016, clocking in at No. 49.

Full ITA rankings are available here.

Up next, Cagle's top-50 squad will take on No. 13 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday, March 17 at 12 p.m. in a Big Ten showdown.