SPOKANE, Wash. - For the first time ever as members of the National Collegiate Athletics Association, the Whitworth tennis teams made their debut in the ITA NCAA Division III regional rankings, on the same week.

The Pirate women are ranked 13th in the NCAA Division III west region, while the men are 15th. Neither squad had ever been regionally ranked as an NCAA Division III participant.

Whitworth's women are 8-2 overall and 8-1 (second place) in the Northwest Conference. Click here for the women's west region rankings. The men are 8-6 and 8-4. Click here for the men's west region rankings.

Both teams will put their ratings to the test during a spring break trip to California. The women will play at La Verne (15th in west region) on March 25th, at Chapman (4th in west region, 17th nationally) on March 26th and at Cal Lutheran on March 27th.

The Whitworth men will play at Cal Lutheran (9th west region) on March 25th, at Whittier on March 26th, against Wisconsin-Oshkosh and at Chapman (11th in west region) on March 27th.