KANSAS CITY – The New Mexico State men's tennis team got back on the win column on Thursday at the Plaza Tennis Center as it opened Western Athletic Conference play with a dominant 6-1 victory over UT Rio Grande Valley.

The Aggies have now won seven of their last 10 matches and all five-consecutive matches against the Vaqueros.

NM State (10-6, 1-0 WAC) started doubles play off with a 6-1 victory on court No. 2 from Stijn de Haan and Mauri Benitez, their 16th as a team this season and ninth in dual play. The top doubles team of Christofer Goncalves and Sergi Espias clinched the doubles point with a 6-1 toppling of their counterparts from UTRGV (8-9, 0-1 WAC) before Enrique Asmar and Louis Menard made it a clean sweep for their fourth-straight doubles victory.

Espias was the first finish in singles action after his 6-4, 6-4 win over the Vaqueros' Elliot Johnston on court No. 3. Menard picked up his eighth-straight singles victory when he ousted Mateo Schmit 6-4, 6-0 at the No. 6 position.

UTRGV picked up its lone point at the No. 4 singles slot, but the victory was short-lived after Goncalves sent Dennis Boisseau packing with a 6-4, 6-1 win at the top singles flight. De Haan put the finishing touches at No. 2 singles with a tough 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win before Benitez finished it off with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 comeback victory.

The Aggies now prepare for their second match of three in three days with a 4 p.m. (MT) contest scheduled against Chicago State on Friday, March 30, at the Plaza Tennis Center.

UT Rio Grande Valley vs New Mexico State
Mar 29, 2018 at Kansas City, Mo.
(Plaza Tennis Center)
New Mexico State 6, UT Rio Grande Valley 1

Singles competition
1. Goncalves, Chris (NMSU) def. Boisseau, Dennis (UTRGV) 6-4, 6-1
2. de Haan, Stijn (NMSU) def. Kaufman, Yehonatan (UTRGV) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
3. Espias, Sergi (NMSU) def. Johnstone, Elliot (UTRGV) 6-4, 6-4
4. Sarradin, Clement (UTRGV) def. Asmar, Enrique (NMSU) 7-5, 6-2
5. Benitez, Mauri (NMSU) def. Kohrs, Zane (UTRGV) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
6. Menard, Louis (NMSU) def. Schmit, Mateo (UTRGV) 6-4, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. Goncalves, Chris/Espias, Sergi (NMSU) def. Kaufman, Yehonatan/Schmit, Mateo (UTRGV) 6-1
2. de Haan, Stijn/Benitez, Mauri (NMSU) def. Sarradin, Clement/Kohrs, Zane (UTRGV) 6-1
3. Asmar, Enrique/Menard, Louis (NMSU) def. Johnstone, Elliot/Loyd, Michael (UTRGV) 6-2

Match Notes:
UT Rio Grande Valley 8-9, 0-1 WAC
New Mexico State 10-6, 1-0 WAC
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,6,4,1,2,5)