STEPHENVILLE – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women's tennis team has been playing exceptionally well as of late, and the Vaqueros will look to keep their status rising while taking on a three-match weekend. 
 
UTRGV (10-4, 2-0 Western Athletic Conference Southwest Div.) returns to Tarleton's Potishman-Lard Tennis Courts for a 2 p.m. match Friday against the New Mexico State Aggies (2-11, 0-0 WAC West) and a 10 a.m. match Saturday against the University of Texas El Paso Miners (5-8).  
 
On Sunday, the Vaqueros will take on the No. 34 Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-7, 1-3 Big 12) in Lubbock at the McLeod Tennis Center. 
 
"Both matches, New Mexico State and UTEP, are going to be really tough, but also exciting because we're playing really good," UTRGV junior Kristyna Mamicova said. "We played them last year and it was really hard, but I think with the lineup we have now, all the energy, we can definitely make it happen. It's so exciting to play such a good team like Texas Tech. We're going with the mindset that we have nothing to lose and we're going to just go for it and have fun." 
 
The Vaqueros are 3-9 all-time against NMSU and 2-9 against UTEP. They will be chasing their first win against the Miners since 2008. UTRGV is 0-5 all-time against the Red Raiders, but the programs haven't played each other since 2011. 
 
Riding a four-match win streak and coming off two huge conference wins that have the Vaqueros sitting atop the division standings with Tarleton, UTRGV head coach West Nott believes his team is in a great place mentally and capable of doing big things. 
 
"Those were massive wins for us mentally. I think it was important for each player to prove to themselves that they were capable of playing up to their potential under pressure," Nott said. "They are improving their skill level and they are thriving under pressure. Each win is a building block to improve their confidence and we are starting to feel the momentum build." 
 
Energy is a major factor in the way UTRGV plays, and the positive energy the Vaqueros generate whether they're in the lineup or not helps each student-athlete play their best. Freshman Marjorie Souza in the No. 2 flight, freshman Barbara Martinez at No. 4 and sophomore Stefanie Wilske at No. 5 each started WAC play 2-0 in singles with the help from their teammates. 
 
The Vaqueros have a lot of confidence and are enjoying growing through this season together, and they'll keep riding that energy and momentum looking for more success. 
 
"The energy, the passion we all had last weekend helped us get really big wins," Martinez said. "I just feel like everyone did their job, cheering and playing, and everything was just amazing. The team we have, we're all so close and it makes things work. I have so much confidence in this team." 

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