DENVER - Missouri-Kansas City's Airam Castellano and Seattle U's Michelle Lui have been named Western Athletic Conference Tennis Players of the Month, respectively, for October. This is Lui's second honor this fall.
Castellano, a sophomore from Gran Canaria, Spain (IES Perez Galdos) won the singles bracket at the Omaha Intercollegiate in the A Flight on October 2-3, before advancing to the round of 32 at the ITA Central Regionals on Oct. 15-16. He defeated players from Omaha, North Dakota and Creighton in Omaha. Castellano then defeated players from SIU Edwardsville and Iowa in the ITA singles bracket, before falling to regionally No. 6 ranked Lucas Gerch of Oklahoma State. In doubles play, along with partner Mike Psarros, the pair defeated a good Drake team, before rolling past a squad from Southern Illinois. They eventually fell in the round of 16 to Arkansas duo Robles and Herndon in a tiebreaker. It matched the furthest a doubles team has ever advanced at the ITA Regionals for UMKC.
Lui, a sophomore from Bellebue, Wash. (Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart) earned a victory in open singles at ITA Regional's, also taking one of the nation's best players (Stanford's Kimberly Yee) to three sets. Also earned a victory in the team's first dual of the year vs. PLU to open the month of October. With Woodman, defeated Pac-12 foe Washington State's Matejevic & Monahan.
Other men's nominees: NM State's Christofer Goncalves won the Cherry flight in singles at the Balloon Fiesta Invite for NM State, reeling off three-straight victories to claim one of four flight championships for the Aggies. He also took a seven-match winning streak into the USTA/ITA Mountain Regional Championships before falling to Utah's Matt Cowley in a three-set thriller 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. Matt Anderson from Seattle U earned five straight doubles victories at the Dar Walters Classic to win the consolation doubles title. One of just two Redhawks to earn singles victories in the main draw at ITA Regionals against some of the region's best competition. UT Rio Grande Valley's Juan Cruz Soria went 3-2 in singles and 3-1 in doubles in the month of October. He recorded a pair of his wins at the Ron Wesbrooks Invitational after beating Lamar's Benny Schweizer and Jeandre Hoogenboezem in Flight One and then recorded a win in the opening round at the ITA Regional over SMU's Alex Reinke. In doubles, Soria teamed with Elliot Johnstone at the Ron Wesbrooks Invitational where they won three straight matches to win the Flight One doubles championship.
Other women's nominees: UT Rio Grande Valley's Dominique Ibarra went 2-2 in singles and 1-1 in doubles last month. She recorded a 5-7, 6-1, 10-3 victory over Texas State's Joy Chia Ming Ming at the Texas State Play Date. Ibarra then opened the ITA Regional with a 6-3, 6-4 win in the first round over Sam Houston State's Carrie Casey. In doubles, she teamed with Dominique Esparza to pick up an 8-1 victory over Prairie View A&M's Trinity Randolph and Shaddae Findley.