Greenville, S.C. ? Furman senior men's tennis duo Andy Juc and Bo Ladyman were ranked No. 9 nationally in the latest 2008-09 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Rankings released today by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). The men's tennis team was ranked No. 69, the only Southern Conference team to earn a spot in the national standings.  Ladyman also earned a spot in the singles rankings, listed at No. 105.

Juc and Ladyman, the highest-ranked SoCon pair, finished second in the ITA Mideast Regional Doubles Championship this past fall. The seniors won five straight matches, including wins over pairs from Virginia Tech, Virginia and N.C. State, before falling in the championship contest to Virginia's Houston Barrick and Sanam Singh, 8-6.

"The rankings are encouraging as they are evidence that our players gained increased attention and respect after their fall performances," commented head coach Paul Scarpa, "While we are pleased with the team ranking of 69th, we feel we have the potential to better that as we start playing. I am very happy for both Bo and Andy. Bo has worked extremely hard and earned credibility with his strong fall performances. Andy is an equally strong player, having been ranked as high as 45th during his career."

Juc, the reigning SoCon Player of the Year, and Ladyman, the 2007-08 SoCon Sportsmanship Award winner, have had stellar Paladin careers thus far. To help earn his current national ranking, Ladyman advanced to the Round of

16 in singles at the ITA Mideast Regional, besting Zach Watson of Duke and then Tobias Fanslow of Old Dominion, both in straight sets.

No. 69 Furman heads into the 2009 season looking to defend its Southern Conference crown. The Paladins open the season on the road against No. 11 Florida on January 23 at 3 p.m.