NEWARK, Del. - - A record-breaking season concludes with multiple regional and national rankings for the Wilmington University women's tennis team, as the International Tennis Association (ITA) produced their final rankings of the 2021-22 season.
The Wildcats went 17-4 overall, including a perfect 6-0 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play in route to winning the 2021 CACC Tournament Championship. They also hosted their first-ever NCAA Regional Tournament as the No. 1 seed, defeating Le Moyne, 4-0, to advance to their first-ever NCAA Division II National Tournament and become one of the final 16 teams left standing in the country.
After being one of two teams from the East Region to advance to the National Championships, the Wildcats were ranked first in the East Region by the ITA. Franklin Pierce finished the season No. 2 followed by St. Thomas Aquinas, Queens, and the District of Columbia.
Individually, the two student-athletes that saw time at No. 1 singles earned a spot on the organization's Top 20 singles list for the region, as Jess Purdy led the team by showing at No. 7. CACC Player of the Year Neus Ramos Moreno came in at No. 9 on the list. The duo also found themselves on the doubles list, as the England/Spain combination went on to take the No. 1 spot in the East doubles rankings.
Nationally, the Wildcats finished ranked No. 46 in all of NCAA Division II. The combination of Moreno and Purdy also appeared on the national lists, ranking No. 47 as a doubles pair to end the season. Both Neus Ramos Moreno and Jess Purdy will return to the Wildcats in 2022.
The Wildcats will look to defend their CACC Tournament Championship when they return to action starting in September.