MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee's doubles tandem of Manon Kruse and Carien Venter have moved to 7th in the ITA poll released today. The ranking is the highest in the history of Lady Raider tennis. If the duo can hold onto the top eight ranking, they are assured a seed in the NCAA Doubles Tournament and All-American status. Kruse and Venter are riding a 16-match winning streak and are 17-1 in the spring and 22-3 overall. Prior to the No. 7 ranking, Kruse and former partner Stacy Varnell held the distinction of the highest rated players in Middle Tennessee women's tennis history with a No. 10 ranking in the fall of 2002.
Kruse also moved up 16 spots in singles and is now ranked 39th in the ITA. She is 16-2 at No. 1 singles this spring and has an overall record of 22-4. If she maintains the top 40 ranking through the Sun Belt Tournament Championships, Kruse is assured her third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament in singles and doubles.
Middle Tennessee continues to hold onto a team ranking, as the team fell to 64th in the ITA. In an earlier poll, the Lady Raiders received their highest ranking in three years when the team garnered a 59.
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