STEPHENVILLE - For the 10th straight season, Tarleton's women's tennis team enters the 2013 spring semester ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's NCAA Division II rankings top 50.

The TexAnns, coached by 13-year veteran coach Lance Drake, enter the season ranked No. 28 by the ITA.

"For those who concern themselves with rankings, I guess it is a good starting point," said Drake. "It does serve to give your program and university some good recognition. The first rankings of the year are basically irrelevant. Our goal is to compete to the best of our ability, play sound tennis and evolve into a great team over the next couple of months.

"We have a demanding schedule this year which will require our team to be ready every time they step onto the court," he continued. "Really, the final ranking of the year is the only ranking that will be important."

Tarleton is one of five Lone Star Conference schools in the ITA top 50 with defending national champion, Armstrong Atlantic, earning the No. 1 spot.

The Tarleton women's tennis program is rated the #4 team in the South Central region. Additionally, 3 singles and 1 doubles team were ranked by the association.

Junior Alicia Perez earned a No. 38 national ranking in singles and is rated the No. 6 player in the South Central region. Perez and her senior doubles partner Karla Martinez are also ranked at No. 8 in the region.

Martinez is ranked No. 8 singles in the South Central region. Junior Melanie Barnes also cracked the regional singles rankings coming in at No. 20.

The ITA ratings are calculated on past team performances and results from fall tournaments. The TexAnn's will host Lamar University in their season opener at the Tarleton Tennis Complex, Friday, February 1.