Feb. 15, 2005

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV men's tennis team, buoyed by a six-match winning streak, earned a national ranking from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for the first time in nearly a year Tuesday.

The Rebels, who stand 72nd on the 75-team list, were last ranked for two weeks of last season (70th on April 6 and 74th on April 13) after a 15-month dry spell under the former coaching staff.

Second-year UNLV men's head coach Owen Hambrook's squad, which won its own invitational this past Sunday with a 4-0 upset of then-No. 72 Denver, hosts No. 41 Oklahoma on Friday beginning at 1:30 p.m., weather permitting, at the Fertitta Tennis Complex. Admission is free of charge.

On the women's side, UNLV (1-0) dropped a spot to No. 46 despite having not played since shutting out UNR 7-0 on January 30. The Lady Rebels get back on the courts by hosting their annual eight-team Lady Rebel Classic on February 25-27.

No individual rankings were released this week.