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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas \u2013\u00a0The new-look men’s tennis team for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros is set to make their debut this weekend at the Jake Frederick Memorial Islander Open, hosted by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC), at Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center. “It’s a special tournament for our guys to compete in and get to really show out against the best in the country, not just the region,” Robinson said. “It’s a great opportunity for those guys to earn points in the rankings and make a sectional tournament. That’s what we want out of the tournament for our top end guys.”
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\nExperience Takes Center Court
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\nAlthough the Vaqueros are bringing in four newcomers to their 11-person roster this season, nine student-athletes on the squad are in their third year of collegiate tennis or later.
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\nSpearheading the experienced squad is fifth-year captain Ivo Isqueiro<\/a>. Isqueiro is expected to assume the number one spot on the lineup after playing behind five-year veteran, former team captain, and 2024 Southland Conference (SLC) Player of the Year Sam Whitehead<\/a>.
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\n“Every year, Ivo matures a little bit more and takes a little more on for the team,” head men’s tennis coach Nathan Robinson<\/a> said. “We really started to see it last year towards the end of the year when he started positioning himself to be a captain. He’s really being a guy that our team can lean on and then he shows up, works hard, and helps everyone out.”
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\nIn the Vaqueros two years in the SLC, Isqueiro has earned two First Team All-Conference nods and two Second Team All-Conference honors. In conference play, he has accumulated a combined 7-2 singles record and an 8-2 doubles record.
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\nJoining Isqueiro are veteran seniors Paolo Bonaguro<\/a> and Santiago Serrano<\/a> and juniors Michael Chan, Francisco Gamez<\/a>, Eduardo Menezes<\/a>, and Loic Young Kriegel<\/a>. The seven returners, including four who were consistently in the lineup during the Vaqueros’ runner-up regular-season finish last season, give UTRGV an experienced foundation entering 2026-27.
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\nBonaguro and Serrano bring determination, experience, and grit to the squad, helping to instill the culture that Robinson has set forth since he started his tenure five years ago. Meanwhile, the juniors, all having spent at least one season with the program, look to expand on their efforts and continue improving their game.
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\nNewcomers Shine During Fall Practice
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\nThe Vaqueros bring in two NCAA DI transfers in juniors Camille Chantron<\/a> from Montana State and Aleksander Hudjec<\/a> from Campbell.
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\nChantron has accumulated 12 singles wins and seven doubles wins in his young career. He was excited to join UTRGV in search of more tennis, looking for the opportunity to really grow his game and give more to the sport that he loves.
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\n“I really think Camille is ready to take the next step in his career,” Robinson said. “He’s the guy who asked for more, that’s what he said he wanted. He told me, ‘I want more coach.’ We’re going to give that to him, and we’ve really seen him take off during the first couple weeks of practice.”
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\nHudjec found himself in a similar situation at Campbell, ending his sophomore season with a 10-10 record in dual competition and finishing 6-3 in doubles. The Serbian fits right in with the squad, showcasing his ability on the court and expressing his desire for more.
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\n“His goal is very, very high, and we’re going to hold him to that standard.” Robinson said. “We’re seeing a really, really good player who is a special guy, mentally.”
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\nFlashing tons of potential are the only underclassmen on the team, freshmen Miguel Pinheiro Bellorio and Eoghan Samyn<\/a>. Bellorio has shown effortless power and exceptional skill on the court while also displaying a calm, serious demeanor off the court. He is also one of the most accomplished junior players this team has seen.
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\n“Miguel’s already got some great wins under his belt,” Robinson said. “He has a really good record at the junior level and earned a win over a guy who made the French Open Junior Semifinals in 2026.”
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\nMeanwhile, Samyn possesses a lot of raw talent with a tall frame. Robinson can’t wait to see how he develops during his time with UTRGV.
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\n“Eoghan’s a big athlete who may be a little raw, but you can see what’s underneath,” Robinson said. “I’m very excited about what their ceilings look like, and fans will want to pay attention to them because they’re going to do special things.”
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\nLooking Ahead to the Fall
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\nUTRGV’s roster is set, the goal is set, and now they are ready to take on student-athletes from other universities across the country. The tournaments that this team always has circled are the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Texas Regional and the SLC Fall Championships.
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\nLast season, the Vaqueros sent three into the singles main draw, the most since 2017-18, and they look to expand on that number this season.<\/p>\n
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\nThe Vaqueros have their minds set on one thing this season: rings. That journey will start at the SLC Fall Championships. Although the Vaqueros don’t know who will be competing at the championships just yet, fans can trust that they will give it their all to be the final team standing.
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\n“Anytime our guys are in a tournament with the name Southland Conference attached to it, they want to be in control of it,” Robinson said. “We’ve been young the last couple of years and now we’re finally gaining ourselves into a spot where we’re ready to take that next step.”
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\nBefore UTRGV reaches that portion of the fall schedule, it will have to battle some SLC teams and talented mid-major programs across the state at the Jake Frederick Memorial Islander Open.
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\nUTRGV will face off against student-athletes from Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, TAMUCC, and UTSA in their opening tournament. This tournament will be a good introduction to tennis in Texas for the newcomers and gauge how the Vaqueros will stack up against some of the best in the SLC.
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\n“What’s our goal? We want every final to be a Vaqueros final, that’s what we want to see,” Robinson said. “But the biggest thing is to just compete. We want to play our style, let us see what you’re doing well, where we get exposed, and how we can improve in the following weeks.”
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\nFans can follow along through the tournament page<\/a> on the ITA website.
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\nUTRGV Singles Flights
\nBlue
\nIvo Isqueiro<\/a>
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\nRed
\nSantiago Serrano<\/a>
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\nGreen
\nCamille Chantron<\/a>
\nAleksander Hudjec<\/a>
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\nPurple
\nMiguel Pinheiro Bellorio
\nMichael Chan
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\nOrange
\nLoic Young Kriegel<\/a>
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\nYellow
\nPaolo Bonaguro<\/a>
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\nGold
\nEoghan Samyn<\/a>
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\nUTRGV Doubles Flights
\nFlight A
\nIvo Isqueiro<\/a>\/Santiago Serrano<\/a>
\nPaolo Bonaguro<\/a>\/Loic Young Kriegel<\/a>
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\nFlight B
\nMiguel Pinheiro Bellorio\/Camille Chantron<\/a>
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\nFlight C
\nAleksander Hudjec<\/a>\/Eoghan Samyn<\/a>
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