Wake Forest's Recruiting Class Tabbed No. 17 Nationally
5/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeWTennis)
MARIETTA, Ga. – TennisRecruiting.net released its Spring Rankings of the Top 25 Women's Recruiting Classes for the Class of 2016 on Monday. Wake Forest checked in at No. 17 on the list with highly-touted recruits Lexi Franco and Chandler Carter signed to National Letters of Intent.
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.
This marks the fifth-consecutive year the Demon Deacons have landed in the top 25 after being slotted seventh in 2015, 22nd in 2014, eighth in 2013 and 25th in 2012. Nine ACC teams were included on the list.
"Lexi and Chandler are going to be fantastic additions to the team in the fall," said Demon Deacon head coach Jeff Wyshner. "Both have had outstanding junior tennis careers which is reflected in this type of recognition for their potential impact on our program."
"Even more importantly, Lexi and Chandler are both wonderful people and students who will bring a lot of positive energy to the team and to the University every day," Wyshner added.
Franco and Carter will come to Winston-Salem 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 nationally while maintaining a top-five ranking for Girls 18s in the state of Texas.
"On next year's team, we'll have four classes that have averaged being a top 15 recruiting class in the country and that is a recipe for building a top 15 team," said Wyshner. "We took a huge and very memorable step from outside the top 75 to the top 30 this year and with seven returning players, including our top six singles players, along with the addition of Chandler and Lexi, I am excited to see how much further we can go next year."
After finishing unranked in 2015 and entering 2016 at No. 71, the Deacs ended the season at No. 29 for their highest final ranking in nine years. Wake Forest's 19 wins were its most since 2002 and its seventh-place ACC finish was its best since 2007. The team also appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009.