TYLER, TEXAS – The UT Tyler men's and women's programs got off to a solid start over their first weekend of LSC play, and they will look to keep it going in the right direction as they host Western New Mexico on Friday at 10 a.m. and then host UT Permian Basin on Saturday at 10 a.m.
 
A SOLID START
 
For the Patriots men, they began their LSC title defense in fine form, going 2-0 against #25 Cameron and UAFS last weekend. The men edged out a victory over the ranked Aggies, taking the doubles point and then finding three late singles wins to complete a big comeback victory. Against the Lions, it was all UT Tyler as they lost just one match on the day and finished off the weekend with a 6-1 win.
 
On the ladies side, the Patriots battled closely with #5 Cameron for the entire match, never trailing by more than one point, and forcing the match to come down to the final set where the Aggies prevailed. Against the Lions, the Patriots came out with a dominant performance in doubles and carried that over to singles where they eventually won by a score of 5-2.
 
SERIES HISTORY
 
Against the Mustangs, both Patriots programs are 1-0 all time, with the only match coming on April 10, 2021. That match took place in Silver City, New Mexico, and both teams came away with dominant 6-1 victories on the day.
 
Both programs have faced off against the Falcons four times in their series history. On the men's side, the Patriots hold a 3-1 all-time record. The most recent meeting came on April 8, 2021, in which UT Tyler came away with a dominant 6-1 win.
 
For the ladies against the Falcons, they are 2-2 all time and most recently came away with a huge 7-0 victory on April 8, 2021.
 
Both programs will be hosting UT Permian Basin for the third time ever, and the first time in LSC play. This will also be the first time that Western New Mexico comes to compete in Tyler.
 
THE SCOUTING REPORT
 
Western New Mexico's men's program comes into the matchup with UT Tyler at 9-5 overall and 1-1 in LSC play. They also got their LSC schedule started last weekend and came away with a 6-1 loss to Midwestern State and a 5-2 victory over DBU.
 
Patricio Larrea leads the way for the Mustangs in singles with a 9-5 record overall and a 2-0 record in LSC play. In doubles, the combination of Jonathan Vega and Javier Romero have combined for a 7-5 record overall and a 1-1 record in LSC play.
 
On the women's side, the Mustangs are 5-8 overall and 0-2 in LSC play thus far. They began their LSC slate with a 7-0 defeat to Midwestern State and a 6-1 loss to DBU.
 
Massiel Paredes leads the way in singles with a 4-4 overall record and a 1-1 record in LSC play so far. On the doubles side, the duo of Caini Wang and Nicold Gonzalez Suancha are 5-5 on the season and 0-2 in LSC competition.
 
Coaching the Mustangs is Alex Hunt. Hunt is in his second year at Western New Mexico after being hired in March 2020. Hunt previously served as a graduate assistant at Hardin-Simmons and enjoyed all-ASC accolades while playing at Hardin-Simmons.
 
For UT Permian Basin, their men's program is 7-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play. They began their LSC slate with a 6-1 victory over DBU and a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Midwestern State.
 
Jorge Garcia and Patryk Kosinski each lead the Falcons in singles at 4-1 overall and 2-0 in LSC play. Enrique Sanchez and Fernando Siqueira are 5-1 in doubles play this season and are 1-1 in LSC competition to lead the way for UT Permian Basin.
 
On the ladies side for the Falcons, they hold a record of 6-12 and are 0-4 in LSC play. They began their LSC slate all the way back on March 3 with a 6-1 defeat to Angelo State, and on March 9 they suffered a 7-0 loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville. Last weekend, the Falcons fell to DBU and Midwestern State.
 
Krystal Smith leads the way for UT Permian Basin in singles, standing at 5-5 on the season and 2-1 in LSC play. In doubles, Smith and Rhea Singh have combined to go 1-3 overall, but are 1-1 in LSC competition.
 
Coaching UT Permian Basin is Stan Anderson. Anderson is in his second season in charge of the Falcons after spending the previous 25 years at Eastwood High School in El Paso, Texas. During the 2020-2021 season, Anderson led the men's program to the LSC Championships before weather forced the cancellation of the event.
 
AROUND THE LONE STAR CONFERENCE
 
Two teams on the men's side of the LSC tennis standings remain undefeated. Midwestern State is 3-0 to start their year, and UT Tyler is 2-0. Just behind them are UT Permian Basin, Western New Mexico, and Cameron, who all share 1-1 records through their first two matches.
 
On the women's side, three teams hold undefeated records so far. Midwestern State leads the way at 3-0, and Cameron and St. Mary's are each 2-0. DBU is just behind at 3-1 on the year, and Angelo State, UT Tyler, and Texas A&M-Kingsville are all 1-1 to begin their seasons.
 
ON THE HORIZON
 
Following this weekend's matches, the Patriots will hit the road for a two-match road trip against DBU and Midwestern State. Those matches will take place on April 9 and 10 and could prove crucial in the race for the LSC championship.