DETROIT (11/28/2012) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's tennis head coach Grant Asher has announced that a pair of signees will join the Titans after signing National Letters of Intent.
 
UDM will add Rafael Orantes (Jardines De La Sabana 1, El Salvador/Instituto Nacional de Antiguo Cuscattan) in the spring of 2013 and Chance Conley (Portland, Mich./Portland) in the fall of 2013.
 
Orantes has been ranked by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as high as 306 and currently holds a rank of 588.  He won the III Arabe Internacional Cup in 2011 and made the quarterfinals in both the Panama Bowl (2012) and the Goombay Splash Bowl (2011).  Rafael will join fellow El Salvador native Cesar Escobar Serrano on the Titans' squad.
 
“Rafael will help our team make a run for the championship,” said Asher.  “He is a great competitor and holds an exceptional ranking in the ITF.”
 
Conley hails from Portland, Mich. where he will graduate from Portland High School in the spring of 2013.  He played four years of varsity tennis for the Raiders, all at the number one singles position, accumulating a career mark of 124-21. He captured an individual State Title in 2011 and had a runner-up finish in 2012 in Division 4.  He was named All-Conference first team, All-State first team, and garnered team MVP honors for all four years of his high school career.
 
“I am excited to have Chance come aboard,” said Asher.  “He is a Michigan boy who has a ton of talent and is very strong.  He hits a hard ball and will be a great fit for our program.”

The Titans will begin dual-match play in January with the the full schedule set to be released in December.