Anna 
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women’s tennis team delivered a strong performance on Monday, defeating the Nicholls Colonels 6-1 in a Southland Conference (SLC) match at the Thibodaux Regional Sports Complex.
Strong Start in Doubles
UTRGV (7-6, 4-2 SLC) set the tone early by securing the doubles point. Nicholls (2-9, 0-4 SLC) won the first match on Court 3, but the Vaqueros quickly responded. Senior Kristal Dule and junior Yaiza Vazquez claimed a 6-4 victory in the No. 1 doubles match. Shortly after, sophomore Rhea Makesar and freshman Mariia Bakhtina sealed the 1-0 lead with a 6-4 win on Court 2.
Singles Play Seals the Win
Vazquez extended UTRGV’s lead to 2-0 with a strong performance in the third singles flight, winning 7-5, 6-1. Nicholls cut the deficit with a win in the sixth flight, but the Vaqueros quickly responded.
On Court 5, sophomore Hitakamya Narwal dominated from start to finish, securing a 6-1, 6-2 victory. Makesar followed with a 6-3, 6-4 win in the first flight, clinching the match for UTRGV with a 4-1 lead.
Hard-Fought Battles to Close Out
Sophomore Madeleine Joffe endured an up-and-down match on Court 4. She cruised through the first set before Nicholls’ Julia Bordiginon took control of the second. Joffe regrouped in the third to earn a 6-1, 0-6, 6-2 win.
Dule capped off the match with an impressive comeback in the second flight. After losing a tight first set, she bounced back to dominate the second and claimed victory in a tiebreaker, winning 6-7 (3:7), 6-0, 1-0 (10:5). The victory improved her conference record to 5-1.
Next Match and Senior Day Celebration
The Vaqueros will return to action on April 5 at 1 p.m. when they host Lamar at the Orville Cox Tennis Center. The match will also feature a Senior Day celebration for UTRGV’s graduating players.
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