ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Missouri Western State University interim director of athletics Theresa Grosbach has announced the hiring of Alejandro de la Torre as head tennis coach.
De la Torre comes to St. Joseph after two seasons at NCAA Division II St. Mary's University in Texas, where he served as graduate assistant coach in 2020 before being elevated to full-time assistant coach in 2021. During his time there, De La Torre helped lead the women's team to a top 15 ITA ranking and an NCAA Elite Eight Tournament appearance, while assisting the men in achieving their top 25 ITA ranking as an NCAA South Central Regionals finalist in 2021. The native of Madrid, Spain played collegiate tennis at Division II North Greenville University in South Carolina, serving as a two-time captain and playing in the number one spot for the Crusaders. He also serves as a coach for the prestigious Sanchez-Casal Academy in Florida and the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain.
"We are thrilled to welcome Coach de la Torre to our Griffon family to lead our tennis program," Grosbach said. "His experience as a student-athlete and coach, along with his enthusiasm and drive make him the perfect fit at the perfect time for a team that is on an upward trajectory of success in all facets of our three C's – classroom, community, and competition."
De La Torre replaces Olaya Garrido-Rivas, who departed MWSU last November to become head coach at NCAA Division 1 New Jersey Institute of Technology. The Griffons posted a 12-6 record in 2021 and just missed an NCAA Regional Tournament berth. MWSU has not made a regional appearance since the 1990's. The tennis team enters 2022 with expectations at an all-time high, including a team GPA of 3.94 and four student-athletes appearing in the ITA Central Region rankings.
De La Torre accepted the position in late November, and recently received final approval of his Visa in order to officially take the reins of the program.
"I am really excited to join the Griffon family," De la Torre said. "Our young women show tremendous potential to do great things in the MIAA and the region. Olaya did a fantastic job guiding the team in the right direction and I look forward to continuing that direction and building upon that legacy."
Griffon tennis opens the season on February 25th.
