WACO – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's tennis team is back in action after two weeks off and is ready to meet a big challenge. 
 
UTRGV (5-12) returns to the road to play at #47 Baylor on Saturday at 11 a.m. before opening Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play at UT Arlington on Sunday at 10 a.m. 
 
"Those two weeks came at a good time and allowed us to look back on our previous matches and identify things we've done well and things we need to improve on," men's tennis head coach Nathan Robinson said. "We used that time to get over some of the wear and tear from the first three months of the season and we were able to really get ourselves ready mentally for this last push." 
 
The Vaqueros are winless in five tries against the Baylor Bears (12-11) in the last 20 years. The two teams last faced off in 2019. Saturday's match at the Hurd Tennis Center will be UTRGV's fourth against a Power Five opponent this spring, which is something the team has prioritized in the last two seasons. Measuring themselves against the best allows the Vaqueros to play freely and see where they stand. 
 
Sunday's conference opener will be played at the UTA Tennis Center. The UT Arlington Mavericks (9-6) are new to the WAC and are 14-0 against UTRGV. The two teams last faced off back in 2015 with UTA taking a slim 4-2 victory. 
 
"Getting Baylor on Saturday before UTA was big. While the time off was important, having that match to knock off some rust and get a look at another top program before conference play begins will help us fine-tune a couple of things," Robinson said. "For the UTA match, I'm expecting a high-energy, very competitive match at each spot. Arlington is a well-rounded team and we will need to be at our best." 
 
With conference play looming, junior Emilien Burnel leads UTRGV with a 9-8 singles record and 11-3 doubles record. He has solidified his spot at the top of the lineup with 16 total wins in the No. 1 flight – eight in singles, eight in doubles. Burnel and sophomore Borna Devald have combined to go 8-2 in doubles with five wins in the No. 1 flight. 
 
Senior Chris Lawrance and sophomore Karlo Krolo have six singles wins each, followed by Devald and sophomore Sam Whitehead with five each. Robinson feels confident in how the team stacks up in the lineup and in what he'll get from each student-athlete as they hold down their court. 
 
"The guys are excited to get conference started," Robinson said. "They feel confident that we can open some eyes in April. We have set big goals and have been working hard to reach them. We have progressed greatly individually and as a team over the last seven months and are in the best position we can be to make a push in the WAC." 

Support UTRGV Men's Tennis | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTube