ABILENE – It's going to be a busy weekend for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's (UTRGV) men's tennis team, which is set to play four matches in three days, but the Vaqueros are excited for the challenge. 
 
UTRGV (0-3) opens the busy stretch with a 12 p.m. match Thursday at former Western Athletic Conference (WAC) foe Abilene Christian (2-4). The Vaqueros will head to Lubbock for the next three matches starting with a battle at Texas Tech (2-2) at 11 a.m. The week wraps up Saturday as UTRGV plays New Mexico State (2-6), another former WAC opponent, at 10 a.m. before taking on Lubbock Christian (2-1) at 4 p.m. 
 
"It's a lot of opportunities for us. It'll also be a chance for us to maybe see some younger guys in the lineup as we take on four matches in three days," head coach Nathan Robinson said. "Just a great opportunity for us to compete, get out there and learn more about ourselves. We feel ready." 
 
The Vaqueros are 5-11 all-time against Abilene Christian and will be looking for their first win against the Wildcats since 2015. ACU took a 5-3 win when these teams faced off last season. UTRGV played a doubleheader at Texas Tech last season, dropping the first match 4-0 and the second 6-1. The Red Raiders hold a 10-20 series lead. UTRGV has won two consecutive matches over New Mexico State, including last year's contest, 5-2, and is 5-13 all-time against the Aggies. Saturday's match will be the first between the Vaqueros and Lubbock Christian. 
 
UTRGV has tested itself through the first two weeks of the season and learned a lot about the playing styles and levels of its student-athletes. Robinson said he's still working through doubles combinations because of the high level of potential, and the busy weekend could give the Vaqueros a chance to mix things up. They're hopeful to compete well and put a couple of notches in the win column as they close out the road stretch to start the season. 
 
"We've not had an easy schedule, so we know a lot about ourselves right now. We've had chances to go back to the practice courts and work on the things we got exposed in and reinforce things that are working for us as well," Robinson said. "We're continuing to grind and enjoy the process of getting better. But we also know that we're getting into that spot in the season where it's time to win. Our guys are really focused on making this a very good weekend for us and I think it's going to be a lot of fun." 

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