Billings, Mont. – Montana State Billings men's and women's tennis teams start their 2013 season in Phoenix, Ariz. at the Grand Canyon Invitational. Head Coach Lew Kosich and assistant Catherine Germic have assembled very talented groups that are poised to make an impact in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

The Yellowjackets' men's team will face five opponents: Scottsdale Community College (Feb. 5), Grand Canyon University (Feb. 6), Fresno Pacific University (Feb. 7), Azusa Pacific University (Feb. 8) and Sonoma State University (Feb. 9). In the Nov. 16, 2012 International Tennis Association (ITA) national Preseason Rankings, Grand Canyon is ranked No. 10, and Sonoma State is ranked 41^st .

MSUB's women's team will face seven opponents: Scottsdale Community College (Feb. 5), Grand Canyon University (Feb. 6), Fresno Pacific University (Feb. 7), Azusa Pacific University (Feb. 8), Sonoma State University (Feb. 8), Academy of Art (Feb. 9) and Tarleton State University (Feb. 9). Grand Canyon women's team is ranked No. 14 nationally in the Nov. 16, 2012 ITA Preseason Poll. Tarleton State is ranked No. 28 and Academy of Art is No. 37.

In ITA national men's singles rankings, Azusa Pacific's Joechem Hoefnagels is ranked No. 6, Jan Meyer is ranked No. 20 and Freddy Wilkins is No. 31. In doubles rankings, Fresno Pacific's Kirill Sinitsyn / Amarit Sanchez hold the No. 20 ranking, Azusa Pacific's Frederik Wilkens /Gary Yam are ranked No. 24 and Jochem Hoefnagels/Jan Meyer are ranked No. 25.

The Yellowjackets' senior Navin Marimuthu and newcomer Christian Fischer were selected to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Team.

For women's national singles rankings; Fresno Pacific's Marie Boura is ranked No. 16 and Erika Januskova is ranked No. 22, Azusa Pacific's Emily Harris is ranked No. 17, and Grand Canyon's Priscilla Annuola ranks No. 26.

In women's doubles ITA national rankings; Azusa Pacific's Emily Harris/Danae Ingwaldson rank No. 10, and Grand Canyon's Katharina Mittag/Frederique Van de Velde are ranked No. 16.

“Men's and women's tennis teams have one of the most challenging competitive seasons in Yellowjacket history,” stated head coach Lew Kosich. “We will play 11 matches against tough teams, with some being nationally ranked as high as No. 10. These matches will provide us the opportunity to prove ourselves capable of competing at that level, and will prepare us to be a contender in the RMAC.”