TEMPE, Ariz. – Decorated Gonzaga women's tennis player Sophie Whittle added to her legacy, earning the No. 1 ranking in today's release of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association individual rankings, announced by the ITA.
 
Whittle, who was previously ranked No. 5, made the jump after a great start to the dual-match season combined with a record-breaking fall tournament season. In the fall, Whittle became Gonzaga's first-ever ITA National Champion, when she won the singles event at the ITA Riviera All-American.

"It's an amazing accomplishment for Sophie, we are so proud of the work she has put in," head coach D.J. Gurule said. "She's one of the hardest working players we've ever had in this program. And I think she'll take this and work even harder from here." 
 
Whittle, a native of Nipomo, Calif., is 15-4 on the year with a 7-1 record against ranked players. In two matches thus far, she defeated Idaho's top player Marianna Petrei, and then was leading Duke's top player then-No. 8 Maria Mateas 7-5 after one set when the team match was clinched by Duke.
 
In addition to Whittle, fellow senior Domonique Garley stayed in the national rankings, checking in at No. 111. Garley is 6-3 overall on the year, and had a standout fall season where she went 6-1.
 
Gonzaga will be back on the court at home on Feb. 15-16 against Eastern Washington and Wyoming. The Zags and Eagles are at 5 p.m. on Friday, followed by a 1 p.m. match against the Cowgirls on Saturday. Check GoZags.com for links to live coverage.