KINGSVILLE, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women's tennis team earned their first win of the spring season in a 6-1 road win over the Texas A&M-Kingsville (TAMUK) Javelinas Sunday at Javelina Tennis Courts.
 
The Vaqueros dominated, opening the afternoon with the doubles point after earning 6-3 wins on all three courts. The pairs of sophomore Mariia Bakhtina and junior Rhea Makesar on court one, juniors Madeleine Joffe and Hitakamya Narwal on court two, and sophomore Luna Buijtenhuijs and senior Valentina Urraco never let off the gas pedal to secure the first point of the match.
 
In singles action, it was junior and McAllen High alum Giuliana Castelain who pushed the Vaqueros lead to 2-0. Filling in after doubles, Castelain shot out the gate with an early break which translated to a 6-2 first set win. Castelain kept the momentum and pressure on in the second set, earning a 6-1 win.
 
In a matter of minutes, TAMUK earned the win on court one. Then, on court four, Joffe concluded her match, a 6-1, 6-3 dismantling to lift the Vaqueros to a 3-1 lead. Shortly after, Bakhtina wrapped up her unorthodox match, a 6-0 win in the first before taking a back-and-forth second that ended in a 6-4 win and officially clinched the match for the Vaqueros.
 
The Vaqueros continued to pour it on as Buijtenhuijs secured a 6-2, 6-3 win on court three. Buijtenhuijs traded breaks with Andrea Landaeta before winning three straight games at 3-2 to secure the first set. Buijtenhuijs carried that momentum into the second to win the match.
 
Meanwhile, on court five, Urraco battled in the closest match of the afternoon. Urraco and Emma Halvarsson traded blows to open the match, but Urraco, returning into the wind, broke Halvarsson's serve to take a 4-2 advantage in the opening set. Urraco never looked back, earning a 6-4 win. In the second, Urraco and Halvarsson traded blows but Urraco, leading 6-5, served out the match, to secure the 6-1 win for UTRGV.
 
The Vaqueros will head to Houston for a two-match swing, starting Friday, as they take on the New Mexico Lobos at the Barbara Wallace Winston Tennis Facility.
 
Results
Doubles (3, 2, 1)
1. Mariia Bakhtina/Rhea Makesar (UTRGV) def. Maya Donkor/Guadalupe Tocci (TAMUK), 6-3
2. Madeleine Joffe/Hitakamya Narwal (UTRGV) def. Emma Halvarsson/Andrea Landaeta (TAMUK), 6-3
3. Luna Buijtenhuijs/Valentina Urraco (UTRGV) def. Annika Andersson Gomez/Kaitlin Blount (TAMUK), 6-3
 
Singles (6, 1, 4, 2, 3, 5)
1. Guadalupe Tocci (TAMUK) def. Rhea Makesar (UTRGV), 6-2, 6-2
2. Mariia Bakhtina (UTRGV) def. Maya Donkor (TAMUK), 6-0, 6-4
3. Luna Buijtenhuijs (UTRGV) def. Andrea Landaeta (TAMUK), 6-2, 6-3
4. Madeleine Joffe (UTRGV) def. Annika Andersson Gomez (TAMUK), 6-1, 6-3
5. Valentina Urraco (UTRGV) vs. Emma Halvarsson (TAMUK), 6-4, 7-5
6. Giuliana Castelain (UTRGV) def. Kaitlin Blount (TAMUK), 6-2, 6-1

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