Polson’s Rochin signs with MSU-Billings
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
2 of 3 free articles.
POLSON – After finishing a successful career as a Polson Pirate, 18-year-old Kendyall Rochin made a last minute decision to continue playing tennis at the college level, signing with Montana State University-Billings.
“It was time to make a decision and I went for it,” Rochin said. “For now I’m going to just play a year and see how it goes.”
According to Rochin, she really wanted to go to school out of state, to be far enough away from home to be independent. She added that she wasn’t considering tennis during the two month window between finishing her final season at state and the signing date, but changed her mind at the last minute.
“If I end up liking (tennis) in college I will definitely continue playing,” Rochin said. “I just want to do the best I can and start studying nursing.”
Rochin says her decision to sign with Montana State University-Billings was made easy after visiting the campus, noting it also helped that her two older sisters attended the school in the past.
“It was a comfortable situation,” Rochin said. “They offered me money to play tennis so everything all worked out.”
Polson tennis coach Bob Hislop is happy for Rochin after she fought through a rough performance at state back in May, where she finished sixth in singles. Despite the hard loss, Rochin left her mark at Polson High School, as she became the first girl in school history to be awarded the all-state tennis title three times.
“I still believe she is the best player in the state,” Hislop said. “She’s a phenomenal kid to coach, she’s incredibly athletic. It was a good experience working with her.”
In addition to playing tennis all four years at PHS, Rochin also played volleyball and basketball for three years, while playing tennis all four years. She credits the tremendous support from both coaches and family who stuck with her through her ups and downs for making her the person and athlete she is today.
