Skillman, N.J. - Senior Philippe Tsangarides of the Coastal Carolina University men's tennis team was selected 77th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's preseason ranking of the Division I Top 125 men's singles players, the governing body of collegiate tennis announced this week.

Tsangarides is the first Chanticleer men's tennis player to receive a preseason ranking by the ITA. He is also the only Big South player selected in the 2014-15 ITA preseason rankings.

"Philippe is excited to start his senior season," said Chanticleer head coach Chris Powers. "He was kind of banged up for a lot of last year and he is really working hard off the court to get stronger for this year. He certainly has the ability to do something special if he puts in the extra work this fall. This is the program's first preseason ranking and it will be interesting to see Philippe handle the challenge of being ranked this fall."

Tsangarides, who transferred to Coastal Carolina from the University of Alabama prior to the start of the 2013-14 season, made an immediate impact in his first season as a Chanticleer.

Last February, the Cyprus native became the first Coastal men's tennis player to achieve a national ranking in the ITA's Top 125, breaking into the rankings at No. 109. Tsangarides' national ranking peaked at No. 67 after he defeated then-No. 13 Joran Vliegen of East Carolina, the highest-ranked opponent ever beaten by a Coastal player.

Tsangarides finished the 2014 regular season at No. 109 and once again made school history as the first Chanticleer to represent Coastal as an individual at the NCAA Men's Tennis Singles Championship in Athens, Ga.

Tsangarides and the Chants begin their 2014 fall schedule this Friday when they travel to Greenville, N.C. to take part in the three-day East Carolina Invitational. Also part of Coastal's fall schedule is the Elon Invitational (Sept. 26-28) and Charlotte Hidden Duals (Oct. 10-12). The Chants close out their fall schedule with the ITA Carolina Regional, which will be held in Cary, N.C., Oct. 16-19.