CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's tennis program is hitting the road for the first round of the South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC).
 
Last Time Out
 
Last weekend, UTRGV traveled to Houston for a pair of matches against the New Mexico (UNM) Lobos and the University of Houston (UH) Cougars.
 
In their first match, the Vaqueros went the distance with the Lobos, ultimately falling 4-3, but saw strong performances at the top of the lineup.
 
Senior Barbara Martinez and junior Hitakamaya Narwal shined, earning a quick 6-2 victory at the No. 1 court. The pair parlayed that success into wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles courts, respectively.
 
Martinez downed UNM's Bente Vandeputte in straight-sets, dominating 6-1, 6-3, to earn the first point for UTRGV. Meanwhile, Narwal battled in a marathon match, winning 6-2, 6-7 (7:3), 6-4.
 
Sophomore Luna Buijtenhuijs earned a win for the Vaqueros with her performance on court five where she defeated Lea Malazdra 7-5, 6-3.
 
The Vaqueros showed fight but fell in a 7-0 sweep to Houston to round out the weekend.
 
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – Feb. 11, 2 p.m. – Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center – Corpus Christi, Texas
 
The Vaqueros will face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the first edition of the South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union, is scheduled for Wednesday at 2 p.m. UTRGV is 3-40 all-time against TAMUCC with its last win coming in 2018.
 
Last season, these two teams squared off twice, with TAMUCC winning the first matchup in Edinburg, 5-2, and winning the second matchup in Corpus Christi, 6-1.
 
TAMUCC, a fellow member of the Southland Conference, is 7-0 on the season, with their marquee wins coming via two 7-0 sweeps against Alcorn State.
 
This match will go down as a non-conference matchup with the second round, hosted by UTRGV, scheduled to take place during conference season on March 21.
 
The South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union
 
The South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union, is an annual rivalry between UTRGV and TAMUCC that spans across 14 sports for the right to hoist the championship trophy.
 
UTRGV is looking for its first victory in the showdown since the 2022-23 athletic year. The Vaqueros currently lead 16-12 with six points up for grabs on Wednesday, three for the men's tennis match and three for the women's tennis match that will follow shortly after.
 
With 60 allotted points for the showdown, the men's and women's tennis programs account for 12 total points, six for each program across their two respective matches.

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