Texas Border Business
PRAIRIE VIEW –The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men’s tennis team earned a 6-1 victory over the Prairie View A&M (PVAMU) Panthers in a non-conference season finale on Saturday at the PVAMU Tennis Center.
UTRGV (6-16, 2-4 Western Athletic Conference) secured the 1-0 advantage by sweeping the doubles court. Junior Misha Kvantaliani and freshman Sam Whitehead paired up for the first time this season and fought out a 7-6 (7-4) win at No. 1.
The Vaqueros were solid in singles play, only dropping one match due to retirement. The bottom of the lineup had a strong outing, capturing the team victory with wins at Nos. 5, 4 and 6.
Junior Sharyland High alum Michael Davis secured the team victory at 4-0 with his first win of the season, 6-4, 6-3, in the sixth flight. Junior Te Kani Williams didn’t drop a game in his 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 5.
UTRGV opens the WAC Tournament on Friday as the No. 5 seed facing No. 4 Grand Canyon at 9 a.m. at Lamar University in Beaumont.
Complete Results
Singles (2, 3, 1)
1. Jorge Juarez (PVAMU) def. Misha Kvantaliani (UTRGV) 7-6, 3-1 retired
2. Carlo Izurieta (UTRGV) def. Diego Hatem Arias (PVAMU) 6-2, 6-2
3. Alberto Mello (UTRGV) def. Juan Malham (PVAMU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Sam Whitehead UTRGV) def. Adrien Blackwell (PVAMU) 6-1, 6-0
5. Te Kani Williams (UTRGV) def. Jaydn Boone (PVAMU) 6-0, 6-0
6. Michael Davis (UTRGV) def. Joseph Gonzales (PVAMU) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles (5, 4, 6, 1, 2, 3)
1. Misha Kvantaliani/Sam Whitehead (UTRGV) def. Jorge Juarez/Diego Hatem Arias (PVAMU) 7-6 (7-4)
2. Carlo Izurieta/Alberto Mello (UTRGV) def. Jaydn Boone/Adrien Blackwell (PVAMU) 6-2
3. Chris Lawrance/Michael Davis (UTRGV) def. Juan Malham/Joseph Gonzales (PVAMU) 6-3
