GREENSBORO, N.C. ? UNC Greensboro senior Alejandra Guerra is ranked No. 40 among 125 players in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s national preseason singles rankings, released Tuesday.

Guerra, a native of Tampico, Mexico, had an 18-match winning streak earlier this season. The 2008 Southern Conference Player of the Year in women’s tennis was the first Spartan to earn a women’s tennis preseason ranking since the program went to the Division I level in 1991 when she entered at No. 114 this past fall. She is the highest-ranked Division I player to ever wear a Spartan uniform.

Playing a very competitive fall slate, Guerra went 11-5 in singles action, including a 4-1 mark against players ranked higher than her in the ITA’s preseason rankings. Guerra finished last season 27-5 overall, including

18-2 in the spring season. A perfect 9-0 against SoCon opponents last year, she didn’t lose a set in the first 17 matches of her winning streak that lasted into this past fall.

Two other Southern Conference players are in the rankings as well with Furman’s Laura Gioia sitting at No. 9 and fellow Lady Paladin Monica Arguello is sitting at No. 37. Guerra topped Gioia 6-2, 6-4 on March 29 last season in their only meeting of the year.

UNCG will open the spring dual match season on January 24 at North Carolina. Guerra could face the Tar Heels’ Sanaz Marand on that day, who is No. 47 in Tuesday’s computer rankings.

The next set of computer rankings are slated for February 19.