BEAUMONT, Texas – The No. 2 seed University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's tennis program is prepped and ready to take on No. 3 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the semifinals of the Southland Conference (SLC) Men's Tennis Championships Monday at Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center.
 
Last Time Out
 
The Vaqueros battled hard in a 4-0 loss at No. 11 Baylor. The Vaqueros showed fight and tons of heart in singles play as they matched up with their highest-ranked opponent of the season.
 
Sophomore Michael Chan took the first set against Drew Hedgecoe, winning 6-3. With Chan leading 4-3, Hedgecoe hit a kick serve wide, but the lefty Chan hit a crushing forehand down the line to take a 5-3 lead. Chan served out the set at deuce point in the next game. The match was abandoned at 3-3.
 
On court two, junior Ivo Isqueiro dropped a quick first set to Alexandru Chirita, falling 6-1. However, in the second set, Isqueiro took a 1-0 lead before winning nine straight points to extend it to 3-0. Chirita bounced back and looked to close the gap with his serve, but Isqueiro had another idea as he broke Chirita's serve to take a 5-3 lead. The two showed great returns throughout the set as it was abandoned with Isqueiro leading 5-4 with double set point.
 
Junior Will Roberts battled hard on court five after going down early in the first set. Roberts was broken to open the first set and, both he and his opponent, Arman Zamani, did not drop a service game for the rest of the match. Zamani took the first 6-4 and the second set was abandoned at 4-4 in the second set.
 
Graduate student Sam Whitehead pushed his opponent, Devin Badenhorst, the seventh-ranked singles player in the country. Whitehead showcased an exceptional array of volleys and clutch in the first set. With the set knotted at 1-1 and 2-2, Whitehead won at deuce to stay in the match. Eventually broken at 3-3, Whitehead dropped the first set 6-4. Badenhorst carried the momentum into the second set, winning 6-2 to clinch the match for the Bears.
 
The Vaqueros also learned on Friday that they received five all-conference honors, the second-most for any team in the Southland Conference.
 
Representing the Vaqueros on the first team are Chan at No. 6 singles, Whitehead and sophomore Loic Young Kriegel at No. 1 doubles, and Isqueiro and junior Santiago Serrano at No. 2 doubles. Whitehead and Isqueiro also earned second team honors at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively.
 
#3 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – April 20, 10 a.m. – Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center
 
The Vaqueros will host the TAMUCC Islanders Monday at 10 a.m. UTRGV split the South Texas Showdown earlier this season, falling 4-2, in Corpus Christi, and winning, 4-3, to open conference play in Edinburg.
 
At Corpus Christi, Young defeated Matthieu Coignet on court five, 6-2, 6-3, to pick up the first point for UTRGV. Then, Chan earned his first win against the Islanders, defeating Filip Vacula 6-2, 7-6 (8-6).
 
In Edinburg, the Vaqueros got revenge, swept the doubles point to take an early 1-0 lead. Then, UTRGV went up 2-1 when Whitehead downed Nicholas Niox Chateau on court one, 6-2, 6-4. With UTRGV trailing 3-2, Isqueiro rallied to beat Omar Suarez 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 on court two to knot the match at 3-3.
 
Then, Chan outlasted Mikel Garmendia 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 to clinch the match for the Vaqueros and the department's third-ever South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union.
 
TAMUCC earned the No. 3 seed at the SLC Championships after finishing the year with a 15-4 overall record, 3-2 in SLC play. The Islanders only losses this season came at UTRGV, 4-3, and at regular season champion UIW, 4-3.
 
The Islanders are led by all-conference first teamers, Etienne Marty at No. 3 singles, Ethan Dasset at No. 4 singles, and Dasset and Josef Zapletal at No. 3 doubles. Coignet and Garmendia received all-conference second team honors at No. 1 doubles. Dasset was also named the SLC Newcomer of the Year.
 
All matches at the SLC Championships are held at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center and are free and open to the public.

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