RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's tennis team got a chance this fall to compete and put in the hard work they believed that would help them be ready for the spring.
 
"I thought we had a good fall," UTRGV Head Coach Nathan Robinson said. "We were able to get matches in, work on our mindsets in practice, and take the steps necessary to be a competitive team in the WAC."
 
Coach Robinson entered his first season as the head coach of the Vaqueros this fall and has hit the ground running. He spent the fall season watching his team and learning about them. 
 
The biggest thing he learned about his squad is that they are just as motivated as he is.
 
"The biggest thing I learned was that we have a hungry team," Robinson said. "One that has high goals and aspirations. Anything I have asked of them they have been willing to put in the effort and do 100 percent. That's the key to building a strong culture, understanding that everything is done with a purpose to help us as a team and you as an individual."
 
The Vaqueros competed in three tournaments this fall starting at the Contender CrossFit Islander Open where senior Carlo Izurieta and junior Misha Kvantaliani won the Flight A Doubles Championship. 
 
They then competed at the UTSA Roadrunner Invite before closing out the season at the ITA Regionals in College Station. From the beginning of the fall until the end, the Vaqueros made progress that could be seen on the court. 
 
"Sadly, we weren't completely healthy, so that was a bit of a bummer to not get everyone out there for the full fall," Robinson said. "For our guys who could compete though, it was a very productive fall. We could watch the guys progress weekly in practice, but also watch them progress through the tournaments and play an opponent again and find a way to beat them."
 
Coach Robinson saw his team put in hard work all throughout the fall. Coming in as a new coach, coach Robinson didn't know what to expect but he now knows that he has a good group on his hands.
 
"As a new coach coming in, you are never sure what kind of reception you will get from the players," Robinson said. "The biggest thing I took is that we have hungry players who are ready to do what is necessary and have the talent to be a good team."
 
On the opposite end, the squad that featured five returners and three newcomers didn't know what to expect from coach Robinson. 
 
Gaining the team's trust was key for coach Robinson this fall, and it seems like the squad has bought in to his ideas and mindset. That alone has helped push the program forward. 
 
"My biggest goal was to gain the trust of the guys," Robinson said. "I feel that we have grown as a program and are in a much stronger place than four months ago. The guys have done a great job of asking the right questions, giving good effort, and attempting new ideas and concepts I have asked them to do."
 
The Vaqueros gained some momentum this fall and definitely want to carry that into the spring but they know they have to continue to work throughout the winter break. 
 
Coach Robinson believes taking advantage of this time will be beneficial as the Vaquros head into the spring.
 
"Another great thing the guys have been doing is getting in tournaments over the break." Robinson said. "We've had multiple guys into the semifinals of tournaments, won two doubles tournaments, and three singles tournaments in the past month. For us, this is valuable time and a chance to work hard when maybe not everyone else is. That is how you catch up to and pass an opponent. You just got to outwork them and work when they aren't. I am excited to see what we can accomplish as we move into the spring."
 
If the Vaqueros can build on that momentum then the spring will be a lot more fun. 
 
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