COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M women's tennis team has been picked to finish fourth in the Southeastern Conference this season, according to a preseason poll of the league's head coaches and announced today by the conference office.
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Texas A&M first-year head coach Mark Weaver returns all seven letterwinners from last year's team that went 11-2 in SEC play to tie Georgia and eventual NCAA champion Vanderbilt for second place in the conference standings despite being picked to finish fifth in the coaches' preseason poll. The Aggies, who went 17-6 overall in 2015 and were No. 10 in the final national rankings after reaching the NCAA Championship round of 16, enter the 2016 season ranked 10th in the Oracle/ITA preseason rankings released earlier this month.
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Reigning SEC regular-season champion Florida, currently ranked third in the ITA rankings, is favored to defend its title, according to the preseason poll which is based on a 14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 vote. The Commodores, who won the 2015 SEC Tournament and are No. 1 in the ITA rankings, are picked to finish second in the SEC, followed by Georgia, which is fourth in the ITA rankings.
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Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina, LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss round out the predicted top 10 finishers in the SEC, which leads the nation with eight women's teams listed in the ITA top 25 and is tied with the Pac-12 Conference for most teams in the Top 10 with four.
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The complete SEC preseason poll is below.
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Team (ITA national ranking)Â Â Â Â Â Â Points
1.   Florida (3)                                      191
2.   Vanderbilt (1)                              179
3.   Georgia (T-4)                               165
4.   Texas A&M (10)                          148
5.   Alabama (15)                               135
6.   Kentucky (24)                              119
7.   South Carolina (28)                    114
8.   LSU (21)                                         112
9.   Mississippi State (29)                103
10. Ole Miss (25)                                  89
11. Tennessee (61)                             69
12. Auburn (42)                                    65
13. Arkansas (36)                                 44
14. Missouri                                           32
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The Aggies open the spring season Jan. 23-24 as they play host to South Alabama, Wichita State and Minnesota in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center. The winner of the tournament advances to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, Feb. 5-8, in Madison, Wis.
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Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN or on Facebook at: Facebook.com/AggieWomensTennis.
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Texas A&M first-year head coach Mark Weaver returns all seven letterwinners from last year's team that went 11-2 in SEC play to tie Georgia and eventual NCAA champion Vanderbilt for second place in the conference standings despite being picked to finish fifth in the coaches' preseason poll. The Aggies, who went 17-6 overall in 2015 and were No. 10 in the final national rankings after reaching the NCAA Championship round of 16, enter the 2016 season ranked 10th in the Oracle/ITA preseason rankings released earlier this month.
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Reigning SEC regular-season champion Florida, currently ranked third in the ITA rankings, is favored to defend its title, according to the preseason poll which is based on a 14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 vote. The Commodores, who won the 2015 SEC Tournament and are No. 1 in the ITA rankings, are picked to finish second in the SEC, followed by Georgia, which is fourth in the ITA rankings.
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Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina, LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss round out the predicted top 10 finishers in the SEC, which leads the nation with eight women's teams listed in the ITA top 25 and is tied with the Pac-12 Conference for most teams in the Top 10 with four.
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The complete SEC preseason poll is below.
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Team (ITA national ranking)Â Â Â Â Â Â Points
1.   Florida (3)                                      191
2.   Vanderbilt (1)                              179
3.   Georgia (T-4)                               165
4.   Texas A&M (10)                          148
5.   Alabama (15)                               135
6.   Kentucky (24)                              119
7.   South Carolina (28)                    114
8.   LSU (21)                                         112
9.   Mississippi State (29)                103
10. Ole Miss (25)                                  89
11. Tennessee (61)                             69
12. Auburn (42)                                    65
13. Arkansas (36)                                 44
14. Missouri                                           32
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The Aggies open the spring season Jan. 23-24 as they play host to South Alabama, Wichita State and Minnesota in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center. The winner of the tournament advances to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, Feb. 5-8, in Madison, Wis.
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Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN or on Facebook at: Facebook.com/AggieWomensTennis.
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