Leonardo Guajardo/Vaquero Radio
In the Vaqueros’ second conference game March 3, the UTRGV Women’s Tennis Team conquered the court against Mcneese State University.
The Vaqueros took off with a strong start, dominating their doubles matches to secure the first point against the opposing team.
On court one, freshman Mariia Bakhtina and sophomore Rhea Makesar won their match against their Mcneese counterparts with a final score of 6-4.
The duo of senior Kristal Dule and sophomore Yaiza Vazquez dominated on court two, ending their match 6-2.
With a one-point lead, the Vaqueros’ confidence increased as they transitioned over to singles matches.
On court three, Dule continued to dominate, defeating McNeese sophomore Ana Hollweg 6-2 in the first set and 6-0 in the second. This placed the Vaqueros up by two points.
On court six, Bakhtina swept McNeese freshman Toffee Ghorab 6-0 in the first set and finished strong with a 6-2 victory in the second, securing the team a third point over Mcneese.
On court four, UTRGV sophomore Madeleine Joffe fought a difficult first set against McNeese senior Ariane Monlleo-Sanch, ending with a final score of 7-5 in favor of the Vaqueros.
In the second set, Joffe picked up momentum and secured a 6-2 victory, earning the team its fourth and final point.
Ultimately, the Vaqueros triumphed over McNeese with a final overall score of 4-3.
Head coach West Nott expressed his enthusiasm and highlighted the game as a much-needed confidence booster.
“It was a great win for us,” Nott said. “I thought we needed a win like this for the season. We haven’t had a big win so this is a huge confidence booster. I really believe [McNeese] is a top four team in the conference and to knock them off was just magnificent today.”
He praised standout player Dule for her impressive performance.
“Krystal, our senior, did a great job,” Nott said. “She got on top early and then she finished strong. I think once you get some momentum and close it out, that’s huge for the rest of the team ’cause it really fires everyone up that there’s hope at the end of the tunnel.”
Dule shared her hopes for the team and emphasized the importance of applying maximum effort to every game.
“I hope that everyone enjoys playing and that we all have fun as a team together,” she said. “Obviously, I hope we all win the conference, but if we just put our maximum effort in the court, then good results are going to happen.”
As of Friday, the Vaqueros held a 4-3 overall record and were 2-0 in conference play.
The UTRGV Women’s Tennis Team is set to hit the road to play against Stephen F Austin University at 10 a.m. Monday in Nacogdoches, Texas.
This is Leonardo Guajardo for Vaquero Radio.
