RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's tennis team has a big weekend ahead, featuring a pair of marquee matches against the BYU Cougars and the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) Islanders, both at the Orville Cox Tennis Center. 
 
On Friday at 1 p.m., the Vaqueros (4-8) will battle BYU for the first time in 15 years. UTRGV plays a South Texas Showdown presented by Rally Community Credit Union rematch against rival TAMUCC (7-4) on Sunday at approximately 3 p.m. following the conclusion of the showdown between the school's women's teams. 
 
"Two very different challenges," UTRGV men's tennis head coach Nathan Robinson said of the weekend lineup. "It's super exciting when you get to play a new team like BYU and have them down here, playing their first outdoor match. It'll be a lot of fun. We turn around and play Corpus on Sunday. It's a rematch from eight days prior. It'll be a good chance for us to right a couple of wrongs and see if we can't turn the page there and flip it a little bit on our courts." 
 
Friday's match will be the first outdoor contest of the year for the Cougars (3-4, 1-0 West Coast Conference) and the first dual match BYU has played in Texas since 2013. BYU defeated UTRGV 4-0 in the only match between the programs, which was a neutral site contest in 2007. The Vaqueros hope the weather conditions they are used to, but BYU is not, will be an advantage and help them capture the win this time around. 
 
"That's a team we've never played before, so it's exciting. They're going into the Big XII next year, so it's a good opportunity to play them and feel how our game compares to them," senior captain Te Kani Williams said. "They haven't played an outdoor match yet so I think the conditions and the weather should be in our favor going into this match. I know the guys are pumped and we're ready to go. The guys are improving every day. We're working very hard, things are starting to come together so I'm very positive going into this weekend." 
 
In the first match of the home-and-home South Texas Showdown on Feb. 25, the Islanders defended their home courts with a 6-1 victory over UTRGV. The Vaqueros are 2-30 all-time against TAMUCC and haven't won in the rivalry since March 2010. The team is very aware of the history between the two schools, and the student-athletes are preparing extremely hard to end the losing skid. 
 
"The guys are improving every day. We're working very hard, things are starting to come together so I'm very positive going into this weekend," Williams said. "It's my last time getting to play Corpus so I'd really like a win. Confidence, trusting in ourselves and trusting in our games will be the big thing." 
 
Friday's match will also be special for UTRGV as members of the 1975-78 men's tennis teams will be present. The former Broncs will be inducted into the UTRGV Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, but first they'll be in the stands instead of on the courts at the Orville Cox Tennis Center to cheer the Vaqueros to victory. 
 
The first 100 students in attendance of Friday's match will receive free pizza starting at 12:45 p.m. 
 
"Anyone that's willing, anyone that's free and able, please come along and support us. It'll be a really fun time," Williams said. "Our team is very exciting to watch. We're very energetic, very positive, so come out, have some pizza and some fun." 

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