Texans finally get chance to build on momentum with home opener Tuesday

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The spring season could have hardly begun better for the Tarleton tennis team. Several WAC awards, impressive wins and strong play were put on pause over the past two weeks by things out of the Texans’ control.

Weather and extenuating circumstances have canceled or postponed four straight Tarleton matches right at the peak of their play, so the Texans haven’t played different competition since Jan. 29. That delay ends Tuesday, with Tarleton set to play their home opener at the Postishman-Lard Tennis Courts against Southwestern at 5 p.m. CT.

The Texans (3-2) and Pirates (0-2) meet on Tuesday, beginning a four-match homestand for Tarleton, all to be played this week. The Texans have won two straight and three of their last four. Their only losses on the season have been to top-20 ranked Power Five programs on the road.  With a win Tuesday, they’d have their best start to a season through six games since 2016-17, a season the Texans started 5-1.

In two of the first three weeks of WAC play, Tarleton won four of the six combined weekly awards – two WAC Singles Athlete of the Week honors and two WAC Doubles Team of the Week recognitions.

Celia Vaudia won the first WAC singles award of the season, and currently owns the best singles record on the team at 3-1. She’s played all four matches in the No. 5 position, including the match clincher at Belmont to boost Tarleton to a 4-3 victory. Tarleton’s No. 1 position player, Deniza Marcinkevica, won the other WAC Singles Athlete of the Week award more recently. The first-year Texan junior has won two straight matches and sits at 3-2 on the year.

Two other Texans own winning singles records entering Tuesday’s match, with Martha Makantasi and Elsa Boisson each 3-2, Makantasi at No. 3, Boisson at No. 4.

In doubles, Marcinkevica and Jemi Aguilar are undefeated and have won two WAC Doubles Team of the Week honors. They are 3-0, all in the No. 1 position, with two matches unfinished against Texas A&M and Oklahoma. Individually in doubles, Makantasi and Boisson are each 2-3, 2-2 as a team, a split record in the No. 2 spot and a split record in the No. 3 spot.

Eight players on the nine-woman Tarleton roster have contributed in match play this spring. After Tuesday, the Texans play a doubleheader on Friday against Montana State at 1 p.m. CT and UTPB at 4 p.m. CT. On Sunday, Tarleton will take on UTRGV at 10 a.m. CT. Admission to all four matches is free for fans and students.

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