\n
\n Story Links
\n
<\/p>\n
RIO GRANDE VALLEY \u2013\u00a0The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women’s tennis program is set to host the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) Falcons Thursday at Orville Cox Tennis Center. Support UTRGV Women’s Tennis<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Become a Fan on Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Follow us on Twitter<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Follow us on Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Follow us on YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0
\nLast Time Out
\n\u00a0
\nUTRGV dropped its first two matches of Southland Conference play, 4-3, to Northwestern State (NSU) and Stephen F. Austin (SFA).
\n\u00a0
\nAgainst NSU, the Vaqueros claimed the doubles point with wins on courts two and three. On court three, junior\u00a0Hitakamya Narwal<\/a> and sophomore\u00a0Mariia Bakhtina<\/a>\u00a0clinched the point in a decisive tiebreaker 7-6 (7-4). Meanwhile, on court two, sophomore\u00a0Luna Buijtenhuijs<\/a>\u00a0and senior\u00a0Valentina Urraco<\/a> delivered a dominant performance on court two, defeating\u00a0Pika Doberlet\u00a0and\u00a0Maria Farina, 6-1.
\n\u00a0
\nIn singles play, UTRGV picked up wins on courts two and four as Narwal secured the first win for the Vaqueros on court two, a 6-2, 6-3 win over Athina Grigoriadou. On court four, Buijtenhuijs defeated Pika Doberlet in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
\n\u00a0
\nAgainst Stephen F. Austin, UTRGV once again claimed the doubles point with wins on court two and three. Bakhtina and Narwal cruised to a 6-2 victory while Buijtenhuijs and Urraco pulled out a hard-fought 6-4 win.
\n\u00a0
\nIn singles play, senior Barbara Martinez<\/a> evened the match at 1-1 as she earned a solid win in the No. 1 flight, earning a 7-5, 6-1 win.\u00a0Junior Rhea Makesar<\/a> picked up a tough 7-6 (7:3), 6-1 win on court four.
\n\u00a0
\nBuijtenhuijs jumped out to a 3-1 lead in her second set in the fifth flight, and Urraco held a 3-2 lead in a must-win second on Court 6. Despite a lack of rhythm in the set due to frequent protests from SFA, Buijtenhuijs stayed focused and maintained her momentum to earn a 7-6 (7:2), 6-4 win, knotting the match at 3-3.
\n\u00a0
\nSFA clinched the match with the win on court six.
\n\u00a0
\nScouting the Falcons
\n\u00a0
\nThe Vaqueros will take on the Falcons at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Orville Cox Tennis Center. UTRGV is 2-0 all-time against UTPB, which includes a 6-1 win in 2025.
\n\u00a0
\nUTPB, an NCAA Div. II institution and member of the Lone Star Conference, is 2-7 on the season with wins over Southwest Baptist University and Colorado State University-Pueblo.
\n\u00a0
\nTwo Falcons have a team-high four wins in singles play this season. Fanny Bergstrom is 4-2, with a 3-1 record at No. 3 singles and one win at No. 2. Meanwhile, Mattea Bowe is 4-3 on the season with a 4-2 record on court four.
\n\u00a0
\nAll matches at Orville Cox Tennis Center are free and open to the public.<\/p>\n