HUNTSVILLE – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's tennis team battled in doubles action to open the Bearkat Invite Friday at Sam Houston's Chuck & Wanda Beckner Tennis Center. 
 
The Vaqueros faced teams from Sam Houston and Lamar. The duo of freshman Luna Buijtenhuijs and sophomore Madeleine Joffe was defeated 6-3 in matches against Nayuma Subba/Sara Sadadinovic (SHSU) and Megan Do/Asta Miettinen (LU). 
 
Junior Valentina Urraco and freshman Mariia Bakhtina lost 6-4 in a pair of matches to Aaliyah Hohmann/Jacqueline Scnabel (SHSU) and Luana Paiva/Martina Alcaino (LU). 
 
Sophomore McAllen High alum Giuliana Castelain paired up with Katherine Robinson from UTSA in doubles action. The duo dropped their first match, 6-1, to Christine Jevicky/Adithi Venkata Krishnan (SHSU). They bounced back well to earn a 6-3 victory over Lamar's Emma Palus/Savannah Bijlsma. 
 
Action continues Saturday with doubles starting at 8:30 a.m. pitting the Vaqueros against UTSA. In singles action, the Vaqueros will face Sam Houston at 9:30 a.m. and Lamar at 3 p.m.
 
UTRGV Friday Results
Doubles
Nayuma Subba/Sara Sadadinovic (SHSU) def. Luna Buijtenhuijs/Madeleine Joffe (UTRGV) 6-3
Aaliyah Hohmann/Jacqueline Scnabel (SHSU) def. Mariia Bakhtina/Valentina Urraco (UTRGV) 6-4 
Christine Jevicky/Adithi Venkata Krishnan (SHSU) def. Giuliana Castelain (UTRGV)/Katherine Robinson (UTSA) 6-1 
 
Megan Do/Asta Miettinen (LU) def. Luna Buijtenhuijs/Madeleine Joffe (UTRGV) 6-3
Luana Paiva/Martina Alcaino (LU) def. Mariia Bakhtina/Valentina Urraco (UTRGV) 6-4
Giuliana Castelain (UTRGV)/Katherine Robinson (UTSA) def. Emma Palus/Savannah Bijlsma (LU) 6-3
 
Saturday Schedule 
Doubles
Luna Buijtenhuijs/Madeleine Joffe (UTRGV) vs. Aoka Nagasawa/Valeria Sanchez (UTSA), 8:30 a.m. 
Mariia Bakhtina/Valentina Urraco (UTRGV) vs. Natalia Guerrero/Vittoria Baccino (UTSA), 8:30 a.m. 
 
Singles
Madeleine Joffe (UTRGV) vs. Nayma Subba (SHSU), 9:30 a.m. 
Valentina Urraco (UTRGV) vs. Christine Jevicky (SHSU), 9:30 a.m.
Luna Buijtenhuijs (UTRGV) vs. Jacqueline Scnabel (SHSU), 9:30 a.m.
Mariia Bakhtina (UTRGV) vs. Adithi Venkata Krishnan (SHSU), 9:30 a.m.
Giuliana Castelain (UTRGV) vs. Aaliyah Hohmann (SHSU), 9:30 a.m.
 
Madeleine Joffe (UTRGV) vs. Luana Paiva (LU), 3 p.m. 
Valentina Urraco (UTRGV) vs. Megan Do (LU), 3 p.m.
Luna Buijtenhuijs (UTRGV) vs. Asta Miettinen (LU), 3 p.m.
Mariia Bakhtina (UTRGV) vs. Martina Alcaino (LU), 3 p.m.
Giuliana Castelain (UTRGV) vs. Savannah Bijlsma (LU), 3 p.m.