Yellowjacket Tennis Gets Wins to Start RMAC Season

BILLINGS, Mont. - The Montana State Billings men's and women's tennis teams returned from Colorado this past weekend with productive results. Both teams combined to go 5-4 this weekend and opened up Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play with identical 1-2 records.

The women's team was led by freshman Beth Ann Baker who completed weekend play with a 4-1 record in singles play and teamed with Megin Madruga to go 2-2 in doubles play. The Idaho Falls native won due to default in her match against New Mexico Military Institute, then won matches agaisnt Colorado College (6-0, 7-5), Metro State (7-5, 6-1) and Mesa State (6-2, 6-3).

Lena Macomson also turned in a 4-1 record in singles play over the weekend. Her only loss came in the Mesa State match (6-3, 6-4), while she went just 1-4 in doubles play with reigning RMAC Player of the Week, Ana Juarez.

As a team, the Yellowjackets defeated New Mexico Military Institute (6-3), Colorado College (6-3) and Metro State (6-3), before dropping back-to-back matches to Mesa State (5-4) and Western New Mexico (5-4). The Yellowjackets are 8-11 on the season and are 1-2 to start RMAC play as the defending champions.

On the men's side, MSUB went 2-2 on the weekend with wins over Colorado College (7-2) and Metro State (7-2) to up their record to 4-15 on the season. The Yellowjackets had losses to Mesa State (5-3) and Western New Mexico (9-0) as they opened RMAC play with a 1-2 record.

The men were led by sophomore Franco Valdez who finished the weekend with a 3-1 record in singles play and teamed with Luis Olivera to go 3-1 in doubles. Valdez had a straight-set victory in his win over Colorado College, then battled in a pair of three-set thrillers over Metro State (6-4, 4-6, 6-2) and Mesa State (6-3, 2-6, 6-4).

Both the men's and women's teams will return to the courts next weekend to finish the RMAC regular season against Colorado Christian, CSU-Pueblo and Nebraska-Kearney in Kearney, Neb. The Yellowjackets end the regular season with a match against non-conference foe, Hastings College.