Wake Forest Athletics
Deacs' Recruiting Class Ranked No. 13 Nationally
2/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Tennis Recruiting Networks's Top 25 Women's Recruiting Classes (Winter 2016)
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeWTennis)
MARIETTA, Ga. -- TennisRecruiting.net unveiled its Winter Rankings of the Top 25 Women's Recruiting Classes for the Class of 2016 on Monday. With Lexi Franco and Chandler Carter signed to National Letters of Intent, Wake Forest checked in at No. 13 on the list.
This marks the fifth-consecutive year the Demon Deacons have landed in the top 25.
"Chandler and Lexi are going to be great additions to the team next year and as this recognition demonstrates, they will undoubtedly help us to continue to build a top national program," said Deacon head coach Jeff Wyshner. "Right now, we are seeing the improvement in this year's team that comes from having four-consecutive years of top-25 recruiting classes and even though we will be graduating an outstanding class this spring, with Lexi and Chandler being two of the top players in the country, we will be in position to sustain our success in the years to come."
The website compiled votes from junior tennis experts from around the country to choose the top classes. Panelists did not consider incoming transfer students in their voting and also did not consider players that started college in January.
Franco and Carter are set to join Wake Forest next season, coming from Largo, Fla. and Dallas, Texas, respectively. The Tennis Recruiting Network lists both as five-star recruits. Franco has been ranked as high as No. 22 in her class by the site and checks in at No. 6 in the state of Florida and No. 11 in the Southeast region. Carter has been slotted as high as No. 37 in her class while holding a top-five ranking for Girls 18s in the state of Texas.
As a sophomore, Largo High School's Franco won district and regional singles titles while advancing to the finals of the Class 3A Individual Tournament. Franco also reached the state championship match in doubles while winning district and regional titles in her second year.
A senior at Highland Park High School, Carter has won team state championships in each of her first three years while claiming individual state titles in singles as a sophomore and in doubles as a freshman and junior. Away from Highland Park, Carter has won the Girls 16s Texas Grand Slam sectional doubles title in 2013 and 2014, also winning the singles title in 2014. In addition, Carter was named to the 2014 Texas Inter-Sectional Team and the 2015 Texas Fed Cup Team. She was previously ranked No. 1 in the state for Girls 16s.
Last year, Wake Forest had its highest-ranked recruiting class in program history at No. 7 with Emma Davis and Anna Ulyashchenko. The Deacs later added Joanna Zalewski to the fold. TennisRecruiting.net has been ranking the recruiting classes since the class of 2006.
After starting the spring season 5-0 for the seventh time in program history, the Deacons will begin a five-match road trip this weekend with a contest at VCU and William & Mary.
