BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings tennis teams have prepared all winter with anticipation for their first tournament of the spring season, the Grand Canyon Invitational held in Phoenix, Ariz.
 
The Yellowjacket men, who ended the fall campaign ranked third in the Central Region rankings, will have a tough road ahead of them as they are taking the saying, “To be the best, you have to play the best” to heart.
 
Two of the Yellowjacket men's first four opponents are currently nationally-ranked. BYU-Hawaii is currently 25^th in NCAA Division II men's tennis while tournament-host Grand Canyon is currently 21^st.
 
The men will begin play on Wednesday, Feb. 8 against an opponent still to be named. They will then turn around and play Sonoma State on Thursday and No. 25 BYU-Hawaii on Friday. The Yellowjacket men will then face host Grand Canyon on Saturday before closing out their time in the invitational with a match against the University of Hawaii – Hilo on Sunday, Feb. 12.
 
The women will start a day later as their first match of the spring season is slated to be against Dixie State College on Thursday, Feb. 9. They will then face off against Notre Dame de Namur on Friday, BYU – Hawaii on Saturday and will close out their time in Phoenix on Sunday against Dominican University of California.
 
MSUB's men have been tabbed to finish the season fourth in the RMAC led by senior Alonso Leon who was tabbed to the preseason All-Conference team. The women were chosen fifth in the league's preseason poll as voted on by the league's coaches.