DALLAS – For the second straight Saturday, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's tennis team will be playing a doubleheader to wrap up a whirlwind first week of the season featuring six matches in seven days. 
 
The Vaqueros (2-2) are set to face off with the UT Tyler Patriots (0-0) at 9 a.m. Saturday followed by the SMU Mustangs (3-1) at 1 p.m. Both matches will be played at SMU's Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex. 
 
"We've definitely had a quick start to the season. It's a great opportunity for us to mature quicker and get our rhythm going. Physically, it's a great challenge for us as well and will help us prepare for the stresses later in the season. We are enjoying this process and the guys are gaining confidence daily," men's tennis head coach Nathan Robinson said.
 
Saturday's match will be the first between UTRGV and UT Tyler. It will also be the first match of the spring season for the Patriots, who boast the No. 6 ranked doubles team and a top-50 singles player in NCAA Division II according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). 
 
UTRGV is 0-9 against SMU in NCAA Division I competition, but the two programs haven't faced off since 2016. In the fall season, freshman McAllen Memorial alum Agustin Salazar earned a 7-6, 6-2 victory over SMU's Eli Susser at the UTSA Roadrunner Invitational and other Vaqueros battled well against SMU doubles teams. 
 
Robinson and Co. encourage fans to watch the match against SMU via the Mustangs' live stream and to go cheer on the Vaqueros if you're in the Dallas area. 
 
"UT Tyler will be a tough match where we must come ready to compete hard. They are talented and will put up a great fight," Robinson said. "SMU is a talented team who is coming off a great season last year. They are well coached and we know, going to their place, we will need to be at our best. It will be a valuable weekend for us to continue preparing for our conference season." 
 
The Vaqueros are heading into Saturday riding a two-match win streak after topping Oral Roberts (4-3) and St. Mary's (6-1). Robinson has already mixed around the lineup a bit in the first week as the Vaqueros grow into their playing styles and find what works best. UTRGV is aiming to keep improving and generating momentum for the rest of the season through this next challenging weekend. 
 
"We are focused on building on our last two matches. As a team, we are happy with our wins but not happy with our level just yet. We're just starting to scratch the surface of our true ability and the guys know that," Robinson said. "We will be very focused and ready to keep growing." 

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