KINGSVILLE, Texas – Following a break of more than a week thanks in large part to the weather, the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's tennis team will try to shake off any rust on Saturday, the date the No. 12 Midwestern State Mustangs come to Kingsville, Texas for a 2 p.m. match at the Javelina Tennis Courts.
Autumn Williams and her team were supposed to play Dallas Baptist on Tuesday in Austin, but rain washed that match away and it will now be played on a date to be decided.
Despite facing tough competition in each of their last three matches, the Hoggies played well each time and have brushed off what was a difficult start to their spring campaign. The Javelinas have been especially proficient in doubles matches of late, with the most productive tandem being that of Phonephathep Philavong and Viviana Ortiz. They've collected wins of 8-6, 8-4 and 8-1 in Kingsville's last three competitions. The teams of Stephanie Baerman and Laura Montalvo and Victoria Romanovskaia and Valerie Ruiz have each bested their opponents twice over the last three weeks.
On the singles side, Montalvo has won three straight. Her last two times out, the freshman's match has gone to a decisive third set, but she's been up to the challenge in each instance. In the Javelinas' most recent win, which came against Division I Prairie View A&M, it was her defeat of Constanza Aranguiz that clinched the final in TAMUK's favor. Romanovskaia, Ruiz, and Julia Rauer have all contributed points to the cause during Kingsville's last three competitions.
The Mustangs have played three times in the spring, but the one that counted was a 7-2 loss against No. 7 St. Mary's with the other two only serving as exhibitions. MSU entered the 2018 season looking to defend the conference championship they captured by going undefeated in the Lone Star Conference in 2017. That, combined with a 23-5 record earned MSU a spot in the NCAA Tournament, where they fought all the way to the national quarterfinals. Their list of postseason accolades included Bianca Duff being chosen as the LSC's Freshman of the Year and Scott Linn earning the title of Coach of the Year.
At the conclusion of Saturday's match, Javelinaathletics.com will have a complete recap of the event. The best way to keep up with Texas A&M-Kingsville tennis all season long is by visiting Javelinaathletics.com, following @JavelinaTennis on Twitter and Instagram, liking the official Facebook page of Javelina Athletics (/JavelinaSports), and subscribing to the JavelinaAthletics YouTube channel.
