Sept. 12, 2012

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Mountain West men's and women's tennis programs have combined to place six singles players and four doubles teams in the 2012-13 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Preseason Rankings.

Lucia Batta, the 2012 MW Women's Tennis Player of the Year, will begin her junior season at UNLV ranked No. 43 in singles. Batta advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2012 where she nearly upset 14th-ranked Zoe Scandalis of USC in the first round. Classmate Aleksandra Josifoska comes into the season ranked No. 89 in singles and at No. 26 in doubles with Lady Rebel senior Nives Pavlovic. San Diego State senior Julia Wais will begin singles action ranked No. 90, while Wyoming junior Veronica Popovici enters the year at No. 123. Popovici and Cowgirl senior Simona Synkova start the season ranked No. 21 in doubles, while Fresno State's Aishwarya Agrawal, a sophomore, and Bianca Modoc, a senior, come in at No. 46. Batta, Josifoska, Popovici and Wais are all two-time all-Mountain West singles honorees. Synkova has earned all-MW doubles honors for three consecutive seasons, twice with Popovici, while Josifoska and Pavlovic have teamed up to earn the honor twice.

Leading the men's rankings is Fresno State's Francis Alcantara at No. 22 singles. Alcantara, a junior, competed in the 2012 NCAA championships in singles and doubles, contributing to the Bulldogs' No. 14 national ranking. New Mexico senior Jadon Phillips made both rankings, coming in at No. 117 in singles and No. 58 in doubles with classmate Conor Berg. Phillips is a three-time all-Mountain West singles and doubles honoree, while Berg has earned all-MW doubles honors twice.

2012-13 ITA Preseason Individual Rankings
Men's Singles
No. 22 - Francis Alcantara, Jr., Fresno State
No. 117 - Jadon Phillips, Sr., New Mexico

Men's Doubles
No. 58 - Jadon Phillips/Conor Berg, Sr./Sr., New Mexico

Women's Doubles
No. 21 - Simona Synkova/Veronica Popovici, Sr./Jr., Wyoming
No. 26 - Aleksandra Josifoska/Nives Pavlovic, Jr./Sr., UNLV
No. 46 - Aishwarya Agrawal/Bianca Modoc, So./Sr., Fresno State