COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Landing on the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men's tennis preseason all-conference team, Montana State University Billings sophomore
Santiago de la Rosa Mora earned the early honor announced by the conference office Thursday.
"I am very proud and impressed with how hard Santiago works on and off the court," said MSUB head coach
Becky King. "He shows up every day ready to work and it is paying off."
The native of Gijon, Spain, transferred to MSUB after spending one season at fellow RMAC school Colorado Christian University. As a freshman for the Cougars, de la Rosa Mora posted a record of 5-9 in singles action and helped CCU to a pair of wins in doubles play.
Prior to his year at CCU, de la Rosa Mora attended Instituto de Educacion Secundaria les Jovellanos in Spain, where he participated in tennis under head coach Juan Antonio Rodriquez. The 6-foot sophomore is expected to provide depth and valuable conference experience to a youthful MSUB roster this spring.
The MSUB men were ranked No. 5 in the RMAC preseason coaches' poll, which was also released by the conference Thursday. The Yellowjackets received nine points in the poll, one more than the MSUB women which were ranked No. 5 on the women's side with eight points.
Jordan Lyden of Colorado Mesa was selected as the RMAC male preseason Player of the Year, and Western New Mexico's Ganna Tiurina garnered that honor on the women's side.
Topping the men's preseason poll was Western New Mexico which collected four out of six first-place votes. The Colorado Mesa women's team was nearly a unanimous selection in the women's poll, collected 25 points and five out of six first-place votes.
The MSUB women begin their 2015 spring season this Saturday with a home match against Montana State University. The teams will face off at the Elks Tennis Center in Billings beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The Yellowjacket men get started in mid-February, with a road matchup against Montana State scheduled for Feb. 21 at the Bobcat Tennis Center in Bozeman, Mont.
"I am anticipating that Santiago will have a good season, especially in our conference play," King said. "He has been a great addition to our men's team and represents the Yellowjackets very well."
