MELBOURNE, Fla. – Barry University has been selected No. 1 in the Sunshine State Conference Preseason Women's Tennis Coaches' Poll. The three-time defending national champions received 78 total points and seven first-place votes in the 2020 edition of the poll.
Lynn University is the favorite to challenge the Buccaneers in 2020. The Fighting Knights finished second in the poll with 74 points and garnered two first-place votes from conference coaches. Nova Southeastern University follows in third place with 65 points and the final first-place vote. Saint Leo University holds fourth place with 59 points, and Florida Southern College sits in fifth with 49 points. Rounding out the preseason ranking are the University of Tampa (35 points), Rollins College (34 points), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (27 points), Palm Beach Atlantic University (20 points), and Eckerd College (9 points).
Lynn went 10-0 in SSC play to win its first regular-season title since the conference began recognition of the accomplishment in 2014. The Fighting Knights went on to win the program's 11th SSC tournament championship and earn an automatic bid into the NCAA postseason. Lynn was joined in regional play by Barry, Florida Southern, Nova Southeastern, and Saint Leo.
The Fighting Knights and Buccaneers won their regional tournaments and advanced to the NCAA finals site in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Lynn and Barry advanced through the round of 16, national quarterfinals, and national semifinals with ease to meet in the national championship final for the second time in three years. Lynn started hot with the point from doubles play, but Barry fired back, winning four of the next five points to claim their third straight national title.
Barry and Lynn account for eight of the SSC's nine women's tennis national championships. Including last year, the Buccaneers have won the most recent titles (2011, 2014, & 2017-19), while the Fighting Knights won the previous three (1997, 1998, & 2001). The remaining championship belongs to the University of North Florida (1994).
Florida Southern will host the 2020 SSC men's and women's tennis championships April 17th - 19th at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Winners of each tournament will receive automatic qualification to the 2020 NCAA Division II Championships. The first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament will be played at non-predetermined sites between May 2nd and May 5th. Finals for both men and women will take place May 13th through May 16th at the Lindenwood/Dwight Davis Memorial Tennis Center in St. Charles, Missouri. The NCAA will announce championship selections and seeding on April 28th,
here.
Below are the full results of the 2020 SSC preseason coaches' poll. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their teams (points: 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).
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| 2020 SSC Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll |
| Rank |
School (FPV) |
Total Points |
| 1 |
Barry (7) |
78 |
| 2 |
Lynn (2) |
74 |
| 3 |
Nova Southeastern (1) |
65 |
| 4 |
Saint Leo |
59 |
| 5 |
Florida Southern |
49 |
| 6 |
Tampa |
35 |
| 7 |
Rollins |
34 |
| 8 |
Embry-Riddle |
27 |
| 9 |
Palm Beach Atlantic |
20 |
| 10 |
Eckerd |
9 |
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SSC Women's Tennis History: National Champions |
Conference Champions | All-SSC Teams | All-Americans
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Previous SSC Women's Tennis Polls
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| Year |
Predicted Winner
(Actual Finish) |
Regular Season Champ
(Preseason Prediction) |
Tournament Champ
(Preseason Prediction) |
| 2019 |
Barry (2nd) |
Lynn (2nd) |
Lynn (2nd) |
| 2018 |
Lynn (2nd) |
Barry (2nd) |
Barry (2nd) |
| 2017 |
Lynn (2nd) |
Barry (2nd) |
Barry (2nd) |
| 2016 |
Barry (T2nd) |
Saint Leo (2nd) |
Lynn (3rd) |
| 2015 |
Barry (1st) |
Barry (1st) |
Barry (1st) |
| 2014 |
Barry (1st) |
Barry (1st) |
Barry (1st) |