RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women's tennis team holds an unbeaten record at the Orville Cox Tennis Center in this young spring season, and it'll lean on that home court advantage when the next challenge comes to town. 
 
The Vaqueros (2-1) are set to play the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (AMCC) Islanders (9-1) in the first of two South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union, matches on Thursday at 10 a.m. The first 100 fans at the match will receive a free Beat Corpus t-shirt. The match kicks off a Showdown doubleheader as the men's teams from both universities are scheduled to play at 1:30 p.m. 
 
UTRGV is 3-40 all-time against the Islanders in a series dating back to 2000. These teams have battled twice per season for 12 consecutive years. The Vaqueros are looking to snap a 13-match losing skid to AMCC and capture the first win in the rivalry series since Feb. 2018, a 4-3 win at home. 
 
Last season, the Islanders picked up a 6-1 win when these teams played in Edinburg before winning the rematch, 4-0, in Corpus. But head coach West Nott said both lineups this year will look different from last, creating a sense of equal opportunity for either team. The Vaqueros and Islanders sort their lineups with a similar approach, adding to the anticipation and competitiveness of the matchup. 
 
Senior Kristal Dule earned UTRGV's only point in last year's matches with a grueling three-set win at No. 5 singles. She'll hold down one of the top flights this go-round. The Vaqueros and Islanders got a sneak-peek at each other during the fall tournament season, where sophomore Hitakamya Narwal captured a win and other matches were played tight. 
 
Thursday's match should be competitive and high-energy between the rivals. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend. 

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