BATON ROUGE — LSU men’s tennis players Dan Kiernan and Bryan Fisher were each ranked among the nation’s elite in singles play on Tuesday, as the NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis rankings were released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
“This is a great accomplishment for our players,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “Dan remained in the top 50 after the fall season, which is a great achievement for him because he is usually stronger in the team competition, and for him to start the dual season ranked this high is a good sign. We always knew that Brian had the potential to be ranked among the top-100 players in the nation, and it’s good to see him get there in only his second season.”
Kiernan, LSU’s senior from Newcastle, England, came in as the 42nd-ranked singles player in the nation on Tuesday, after finishing the 2001 fall season with a 6-5 record. He recorded vital wins over No. 52 Paco Antelo of South Florida and Louisiana-Lafayette’s 98th-ranked Jason Pieters on his way to the championship match of the LSU Showcase in November.
The Tigers’ Fisher earned the No. 85 singles ranking in Tuesday’s NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis rankings. With the achievement, the sophomore from Nashville, Tenn., became ranked for the first time in his collegiate career and nearly matched his ranking during high school.
“I think that this is huge for Brian,” Brown said. “After his junior season in high school, he was the 80th-ranked singles player in the nation, and now after only one full season in college, he is No. 85. That is a big accomplishment.”
Fisher, who played primarily the No. 6 position for LSU last season, accumulated an impressive 9-7 record during the 2001 fall season. During a stretch in which he faced six-straight, top-ranked opponents, Fisher notched three wins and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Region III Championships.
In the ITA Division I Men’s Tennis doubles rankings, the Tigers’ tandem of Kiernan and Sebastian Rutka were given the No. 46 ranking in the nation.
The combination of Kiernan and Rutka earned the achievement after finishing the fall season with a 2-2 overall record.
The LSU men’s tennis team will begin its spring schedule on January 17, as the Tigers head to Lexington, Ky., for the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships.