KINGSVILLE, Texas – A week after handing 12th-ranked Midwestern State their first conference loss in two years, the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's tennis team will take their show on the road, first stopping in Arlington, Texas to take on Arkansas-Fort Smith at 10 a.m. and then traveling to Austin for a clash with the St. Edwards Hilltoppers at 1 p.m.
Excellent play on the singles side propelled the Javelinas over the Mustangs. Wins by Laura Montalvo, Valerie Ruiz and Stephanie Baerman, combined with the clincher, which was supplied by Phonephathep Philavong allowed TAMUK to erase a 2-1 deficit and earn its third win of the season.
Montavlo's singles victory makes five straight for the freshman, a streak that dates back to Kingville's match against Northeastern State on February 3rd. Montalvo has also combined with Baerman to collect victories in the doubles bracket in consecutive matches.
The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith started their season with three consecutive victories, but since then things have trended in the wrong direction for the Lions who've lost two straight. St. Edward also started their season on the right foot, but they've continued piling up wins and now own a record of 13-0. That record has earned the Hilltoppers the top spot in the South Central region. This season, they've knocked off three ranked teams, taking down No. 20 Laredo, No. 16 Trinity and, a week later, the new No. 16 team Sonoma State.
The Hilltoppers have compiled a record of 119-41 in singles play, led by junior Valentina Martinez, who owns a mark of 19-4. Fellow junior Elise Guillen has also put together a record of 17-3 for SEU. On the doubles side, Martinez and Beth Hayward have won nine times and only lost once. Laura Galvan and Isabela Young have compiled a perfect 5-0 record so far in 2018.
Once each match concludes, you can visit Javelinaathletics.com for a full recap. Receive content for Texas A&M-Kingsville tennis by following @JavelinaTennis on Twitter and Instagram, liking the official Facebook page of Javelina Athletics (/JavelinaSports), and subscribing to the JavelinaAthletics YouTube channel.
