The Lewis-Clark State College men’s tennis team is ranked No. 18, while the women’s team is No. 24 in the NAIA Tennis Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 polls, which were released this week.

 

The Warrior men, who finished No. 19 in the poll last year, drew 157 points to hold down the the No. 18 spot, while the women’s squad had 125 points. The Warrior women were ranked No. 22 at the end of last season.

 

Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., was the top-ranked team in both polls. AUM drew all 14 first-place votes in the men’s poll and all 15 in the women’s poll.

 

LCSC was the only region team to draw votes in the poll. The Warrior men are looking to make their 19th trip to the national tournament in May, while the women are trying for their 16th trip. The women have qualified for nationals 12 straight years, while the men’s streak is at nine.

 

Both teams play extremely tough schedules this season. Along with playing area NCAA schools, the Warrior schedule features a spring break trip to California where the women will face No. 3-ranked Vanguard, No. 4-ranked Azusa Pacific, and No. 8-ranked Point Loma Nazarene. The men face the same California schedule with the Azusa men being ranked No. 3 in the NAIA preseason poll, Vanguard at No. 6, Point Loma at No. 12 and Hope International at No. 20.