DENVER – Idaho’s Jose Bendeck and Victoria Lozano have been named the Western Athletic Conference men’s and women’s Tennis Athletes of the Month, respectively, for the month of October.
Bendeck, a senior from Barranquilla, Colombia, went 8-1 in singles play and 7-0 in doubles play on the month, winning the ITA Mountain Regional doubles draw to earn a berth in the National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, a 20-team doubles draw. He and Cristobal Ramos Salazar won five doubles matches at the regional tournament, with 8-1 and 8-2 victories in the semifinals and finals, capping three wins on the final day to win the title. Bendeck and Ramos Salazar also won their first two matches at the Dar Walters Tennis Classic hosted by Boise State, earning an spot in the finals, which went unplayed. In singles action, Bendeck won the main draw at the BSU event with five singles wins, including a tough three-set victory over Ramos Salazar. Bendeck reached the round of 16 at the ITA Regional in the 128-player singles draw before falling in a three-setter to New Mexico’s Victor Ouvrard. Bendeck went a combined 15-1 (.938) in singles and doubles during the month of October.
Lozano, senior from Guadalajara, Mexico, went 5-2 in singles and 7-1 in doubles during the month of October, winning the round-robin doubles draw at the WSU Invite by going 5-0 with partner Almudena Sanz. Lozano and Sanz teamed up to reach the round of 16 in doubles at the ITA Mountain Regional Tournament before a narrow 8-6 defeat. In singles play, Lozano took third place at the WSU Invite by going 2-1 at the tournament. She then won her first three singles matches at the ITA Regional Tournament to reach the round of 16, where she lost to the tournament’s eventual champion, Lucia Batta of UNLV. Lozano went a combined 12-3 (.800) during October.
Other Men’s Nominees: Ahmad Saleem, Grand Canyon ... Liam Goldberg, New Mexico State … Ian Clare, Seattle U … Alejandro Sanoja.
Other Women’s Nominees: Hannah Pangestu, Chicago State … Alexandra Petrzalkova, Grand Canyon ... Denise Van Der Ben, New Mexico State University … Dayna Bennett, Seattle U … Mariana Ranzahuer, Texas-Pan American.