RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The excitement and expectations have been building throughout summer and preseason workouts, and now The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's basketball team finally gets to put it all together on the court. 
 
The Vaqueros are cautiously optimistic heading into the 2025-26 season. They have one of the toughest non-conference schedules among fellow Southland Conference (SLC) teams, featuring three games against Power 4 programs and two ranked opponents in #4 Texas and #17 TCU. They'll use those contests to get the eight newcomers used to the game style and build on-court chemistry ahead of Year 2 in the SLC. 
 
For the first time since 2019, UTRGV will open the season at home. The Vaqueros host St. Mary's in the season opener on Monday and will face Arlington Baptist on Friday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse, giving them a chance to show off the brand-new atrium and improved game day experience to fans. 
 
"It's about time. We're ready to play. Al the summer preparation, all the fall practices, we're just ready to get on the court and represent UTRGV," head coach Lane Lord said. "It's going to be special. It's going to be fun getting off to a great start at home. Hopefully we can play well, get some confidence going into the first road trip the next week. It'll be fun for our players." 
 
UTRGV has some clear-cut goals to accomplish in each phase of the season, starting with the opening week at home all the way through to the conference slate. Early on, Lord wants to see what the newcomers have to offer. When the puzzle pieces start fitting together, they'll challenge themselves with big competition to expose weaknesses and find what needs to be tuned-up before attacking the Southland schedule. 
 
The Vaqueros have more athleticism on the 2025-26 roster than they have in a few years, and Lord is looking forward to putting that to the test. He expects this squad to play fast, move the ball well and shoot the lights out. UTRGV is aiming to score 75 points each game, limit turnovers, and use its speed and size to pressure opponents on the defensive end. 
 
"We're going to try to play a little bit differently this year. We've always been kind of a half-court team, but we feel like we have more speed and we can really score the ball much better this year," Lord said. "Our point guard play has really improved, so hopefully in these first couple of games we can show a different tempo, especially on the defensive end, and maybe create more offense with our defense.
 
"We have a really tough non-conference schedule. It's going to really challenge us and that's what we want," he added. "Sometimes you have players who are really good in practice, but are they really a gamer? That's what you get to find out with those tests – who's going to be willing to step up when there's adversity in the game? That's what you find out in the early games, how mentally tough are your new players and can they handle the situations." 
 
The depth on the roster is rivaled by the determination the Vaqueros have already shown. The coaching staff has raved about the work ethic the squad full of "gym rats" possesses – they willingly put in extra hours in the gym, taking shots on their own or doing one-on-one workouts with coaches. Before their first closed scrimmage at UTSA, the Vaqueros got their warmups started long before the coaches went to get them going, showing the initiative and desire that has the staff feeling confident about the season.  
 
And of course, there's the connection. Lord, his staff and the student-athletes themselves have all consistently echoed one key development about this year's team: how much they truly enjoy being around each other. The team bond not only pushes each player to be their best for their teammates, but for the community which is brimming with Vaqueros pride. 
 
With all these things coming together, this season is setting up to be a fun and successful run for UTRGV. 
 
"We've got great team chemistry, led by Charlotte O'Keefe and Madison Huhn, our two captains and most experienced players. They've done a great job leading the bunch," Lord said. "Everyone gets along great. They're fun to be around every day. It's a good group and it's a good vibe right now. I'm excited for this team and this season. The community is fired up and everybody is supporting UTRGV. The vibe is exactly where we want it to be and we have to make them proud, that's our goal." 

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