Photo Courtesy UTRGV Athletics.
The Women’s Tennis Team is gearing up to take on spring competition, with standout players such as Yaiza Vazquez, whose skills and dedication build a strong foundation for the team.
Originally from Madrid, Spain, Vazquez found her passion for tennis at the age of 5, marking it as her first sport.
She explored other sports, such as swimming, horseback riding and soccer, but she ultimately found herself enjoying the thrill of tennis and began her competitive career at just 8 years old.
Her athletic journey has now brought her to UTRGV, ready to hit the court alongside her teammates.
Vazquez highlighted the challenge of transitioning from her first language to English.
“This is my third year here, so it’s been a long time, but when I arrived as a freshman, the culture and everything was different,” she said. “Also, my first language is Spanish, so I had to learn other ways to express myself with this new language, but I feel like this place is pretty comfortable.”
Although tennis is primarily an individual sport, the team’s chemistry makes each match feel like a team effort.
Vazquez shared how her teammates help keep her spirit up, not just when playing doubles, but singles as well.
“We play an individual sport, but now in college, every single match feels like you’re playing for a team,” she said. “I always enjoy it a lot, the doubles and then after the doubles, when you’re done for your individual match, you have all your teammates around you like you’re caring for each other. You encourage each other. So, it feels like you’re playing as a team.”
The junior tennis player said the collective spirit the tennis team shares among themselves allows it to bypass pressure on and off the court, making each win even more potent.
“During the drills and the exercises, we are cheering for each other,” Vazquez said. “Even in practice, we’re like saying, ‘Yes, let’s go,’ ‘You’re doing great’ or we’re doing our cheers then we’re going to do for the matches.”
As one of the few upperclassmen in the team, she said she understands the challenges that come with joining a new environment.
Vazquez makes it her goal to welcome each member with open arms to create a friendly environment and guide them to success.
“This year, I’m one of the oldest from the team, so I wanted to take [part] and help everyone because we have a completely new team,” she said. “When you’re transferring or you arrive as a freshman, you love to have someone you can ask for help … so I was super happy to do that. The girls know, like, anything they need, like, if they need a ride or they even need help with classes. I’m always helping with simple math and those classes ’cause I like the numbers and they know they can ask me with no problem.”
The UTRGV Women’s Tennis Team will begin playing its first matches of 2025 against Texas A&M University-Kingsville at noon Saturday in Edinburg.
This is Leonardo Guajardo for Vaquero Radio.
