RIO GRANDE VALLEY – There was a lot of new within The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's (UTRGV) women's tennis program as the 2025 spring season began. 
 
Five of the nine Vaqueros on the roster were set to play their first spring at UTRGV. The squad was taking on its first season in the Southland Conference, setting the Vaqueros up against opponents they hadn't seen in many years. 
 
There were ups and downs, and the Vaqueros handled anything that came their way in a season that showed what they can be. UTRGV went 9-8 overall and 6-3 in SLC play while boasting a 7-1 record at home. They earned the fifth seed for the SLC Tournament, making a good impression in their debut season by proving they can compete at the top of the conference. 
 
"I was really proud of the team and how they handled adversity throughout the season," head coach West Nott said. "They found a way to improve as the season went along and establish themselves in the top half of the conference. All the players saw a lot of growth and gained valuable experience that gave us a chance down the stretch to do something special." 
 
The Vaqueros had a bit of a rocky start to the non-conference season as they worked through doubles pairs and setting the lineup with so many new faces. After a 2-3 start, the Vaqueros opened the SLC campaign with a pair of statement wins over Southeastern and McNeese, two of the conference's top teams in the last few seasons. UTRGV battled well through a tough and lengthy conference schedule and showed a lot of potential. 
 
"Beating McNeese was a great win for our team. For us to do that after a few hard losses early in the year was extra special. That win gave us a little momentum moving into the conference season," Nott said. 
 
Nott credits a lot of the 2025 success to the lone senior, Kristal Dule, setting the tone. Dule led the team with a 9-7 mark and was 6-3 in SLC action. She started the conference season 4-0 in the No. 3 flight and was consistent throughout her final year, quietly but confidently leading by example.
 
"We always talk about the formula of having our seniors have their best college season be their last and the rest of the team overachieve. If we can do that, special things will happen. Kristal had the best record on the team and for her to do that after sitting out the fall with an injury was massive," Nott said. 
 
But a big key to UTRGV's success was the production of four newcomers in sophomores Rhea Makesar, Madeleine Joffe, Hitakamya Narwal and freshman Mariia Bakhtina. They made immediate and significant impacts, quickly buying into the team culture and making UTRGV their home.

Makesar stepped up to hold down the No. 1 singles flight and was 8-9 on the season. She teamed with Bakhtina to go 12-3 in doubles action, including a 6-3 mark in conference play to earn All-Conference Second Team honors at No. 2 doubles after going 5-0 in the flight. Joffe and Narwal were solid in the fourth and fifth flights, respectively, with winning records in conference action. Makesar, Joffe and Narwal all contributed important wins in singles, including back-to-back match-clinching victories from Narwal. Makesar was electric with her play and brought a lot of energy to the courts, particularly in doubles when rolling with Bakhtina. 
 
"All our newcomers were just perfect. They have the right attitude towards wanting to work and help the team. They are all super proud to be Vaqueros and having that pride in team spirit is very powerful to keep pushing us forward," Nott said. "I was really surprised by the success of Rhea and Mariia in doubles and how consistent and dominant they were. They were extremely fun to watch together, complementing each other well on the court." 
 
When the season concluded with a tight 4-2 loss to NJIT at the conference tournament, Nott said the team chose to stick around and watch their opponents "do what we want to do." He felt they left motivated and believing they are capable of competing for a championship in the SLC. 
 
UTRGV strung together four conference victories late in the season as the players found their groove. The team's chemistry and performance improved consistently and put the squad in a good spot going into next year.
 
"Individually, every player had certain things they needed to struggle through to get to a better place. Each one of them found a way to fight to the end. I was really proud of that extra effort each one of them made and it bodes well for our future," Nott said. 

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