RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's tennis program is headed to Louisiana for their final matches of the Southland Conference (SLC) regular season with visits to Southeastern (SLU) and McNeese this weekend.
 
Last Time Out
 
UTRGV went 2-0 last weekend, in its final homestand, with 5-2 wins over New Orleans (UNO) and Nicholls (NU).
 
Against UNO, UTRGV swept the doubles session, earning a 6-4 win on courts one and two, and a 6-0 win on court three to take a 1-0 lead.
 
In singles play, UTRGV won four of the six matches to secure the critical win over UNO, jumping to seventh in the SLC standings and taking the head-to-head tiebreaker over the ninth-place team.
 
Against Nicholls, UTRGV rallied back during the doubles session to steal the doubles point with a 6-2 win on court two and a 6-3 win on court three.
 
Then, the Vaqueros won the first four singles matches to clinch the match and take a 5-0 lead. Nicholls won the final two matches on courts two and six to make the final score 5-2.
 
Shining for the Vaqueros was sophomore Luna Buijtenhuijs who went 4-0 on the weekend. Buijtenhuijs and her partner, senior Valentina Urraco, won both doubles matches at court three. Meanwhile, Buijtenhuijs picked up a 6-0, 7-5 win over UNO's Nouray Khaled and a 6-0, 6-3 win over NU's Blanca Losada.
 
Also going 4-0 on the weekend were juniors and doubles partners Rhea Makesar and Hitakamya Narwal. In doubles, Makesar and Narwal picked up two wins on court two. In singles, Narwal held down the number four spot with a big 6-2, 6-4 win over UNO's Danique Vermue and a dominant 6-0, 6-1 win over NU's Julia Bordiginon.
 
Meanwhile, Makesar fought hard in her 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 win over UNO's Naila Krifa and then dominated NU's Amalie Andersen, 6-1, 6-1 on court five.
 
UTRGV officially clinched its spot in the SLC Women's Tennis Tournament with its wins over New Orleans and Nicholls. With seeding still up for grabs, the Vaqueros currently sit in sixth with matches against seventh-place SLU and first-place McNeese.
 
The Vaqueros enter the weekend with strong performances in conference play from Buijtenhuijs and Makesar. Buijtenhuijs has accumulated a 6-1 record this season with a 2-0 record at court three, 3-1 record on court four, and a 1-0 record at the number five spot.
 
Meanwhile, Makesar has put together a 5-2 campaign with a 4-1 record at court five, 1-0 record on court four, and one loss at court three.
 
In doubles play, the Vaqueros have combined for winning records on courts two and three. With a combined 5-2 record at court two and 6-1 record on court three, the Vaqueros have won the doubles point in five of their seven conference matches this season.
 
Southeastern – April 6, 1 p.m. – Southeastern Tennis Complex – Hammond, La.
 
UTRGV will visit the SLU on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Southeastern Tennis Complex. The Vaqueros are 4-4 all-time against the Lions, but won the most recent matchup, a dominant 6-1 victory in Edinburg last season. Prior to that match, these two teams had not competed against each other since 2008.
 
In their last matchup, UTRGV rallied to take the doubles point, and proceeded to win at courts one through five in singles play.
 
SLU is 13-8 overall and has a 3-5 record in SLC play this season. The Lions are coming off a three-match win streak, earning wins over Loyola New Orleans, Jackson State, and Mississippi Valley State.
 
The Lions are led by Paige Duncan, who has accumulated a team-best record 6-2 on court five this season. Meanwhile, Adriana Tirado has a 5-3 record on court six. Two Lions have also combined for a 5-3 record on court four.
 
McNeese – April 13, 11 a.m. – Nancy Hank Tennis Center – Lake Charles, La.
 
UTRGV will take on the McNeese Cowgirls in its final regular season match Monday at 1 p.m. at Nancy Hank Tennis Center. The Vaqueros are 4-9 all-time against the Cowgirls but won the most recent matchup, a 4-3 match in Edinburg, last season.
 
In their most recent matchup, UTRGV earned the doubles point with wins at court one and two with the third court going unfinished in a tiebreaker. Then, in singles, The Vaqueros picked up wins at courts three, four, and six to secure the tight 4-3 victory.
 
McNeese enters the weekend on a 14-match win streak which has contributed to a 19-1 overall record and a perfect 7-0 record in SLC play. The Cowgirls only loss of the season came at Tarleton, a 4-1 loss in Stephenville.
 
Three Cowgirls have a team-high six wins in conference play. Ana Hollweg has a 6-1 record on court four, Erica Hagi has a 6-1 record on court five, and Elena Morales has a perfect 6-0 record at court six.
 
McNeese also boast a 5-2 record at court two and a 7-0 record at court three in doubles and have won the doubles point in five of its seven SLC matches this season.
 
McNeese will take on second-place Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday prior to their match against UTRGV.
 
Fans can follow along through live stats.

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