WACO, Texas - Baylor's women's tennis team is ranked No. 15 in the first set of Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings of 2015 that were released on Tuesday.

"We are not the type of operation that is focusing on rankings," head coach Joey Scrivano said. "Right now, we're trying to embrace the process and block out this type of stuff."

Last season, Baylor finished ranked No. 14 in the country, after compiling a 26-7 record and making the NCAA Round of 16 for the ninth time in the last 10 years. BU earned a top-20 ranking for a 10th-straight season.

Baylor will be looking to capture its 10th Big 12 regular season title in the last 11 years and the eighth league tournament crown in the last 10 years.

Individually, the Lady Bears have four ranked singles players led by sophomore Blair Shankle, who is ranked 49th. After Shankle, Ema Burgic (No. 72) and Kelley Anderson (No. 73) are back-to-back in the rankings, while Rachael James-Baker sits at No. 101.

Shankle, ranked No. 78 entering the fall season, beat 99th-ranked Anna Mamalat of Texas A&M to open the year and then upset No. 13 Breaunna Addison to advance to the quarterfinals of the USTA/ITA Regional Championships. That performance netted her an at-large selection to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships. In 2014, Shankle ended the season at No. 109, after going 24-5 overall and 24-2 in dual-match play. Shankle won her last six decisions of the 2014 spring season.

As the team's lone senior, Burgic, was ranked No. 55 to start the fall and produced a 2-1 mark in collegiate action. Burgic shined in three pro tournaments as she won her way through qualifying and into the main draw at both the Red Rock Open (ITF $50,000 Pro Circuit) and the Rock Hill Rocks Open (ITF $25,000 Pro Circuit). All told, Burgic was 7-3 in pro events. Last season as Burgic returned from injury, she carded All-Big 12 singles honors, while posting a 17-9 mark on the season and a 16-8 dual-match record. She was 14-6 at the No. 2 spot in the singles lineup and was 5-5 vs. ranked players.

In her first semester of play for Baylor, Anderson lost her first match and then rolled to five straight victories. The final three wins in that streak pushed, the Roanoke, Texas, product through to the round of 16 of the USTA/ITA Texas Regional.

Transfer James-Baker had a very successful fall season as she went 5-1 in singles action. Ranked at No. 117 to start the fall James-Baker's biggest win of the season was a straight-set upset of No. 15 Zoe Scandalis of USC.

Baylor is one of just 10 schools nationally to have both its men's team and women's squad ranked in the top 50. The Bears are ranked No. 6 nationally.

The Lady Bears will start the 2015 season by hosting No. 5 Georgia on Jan. 18 at 1 p.m.

For more information on the Baylor women's tennis team, follow the team's official twitter account: BaylorWTennis.