HARLINGEN, Texas – The No. 1 seeded UT Arlington men's tennis team (10-7, 4-0 WAC) look to take on the winner between No. 4 Seattle and No. 5 UT Rio Grande Valley in their semifinal match at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Tournament on Friday at 9 a.m. at the HEB Tennis Center at Pendleton Park.
 
The Mavericks are looking to defend their tournament title after earning back-to-back regular season championships. In 2023, they defeated UTRGV in the semifinals then Abilene Christian without dropping a point.
 
The Mavericks finished undefeated in WAC play with a 4-0 record. They clinched the outright regular season title against Seattle, where they earned a 5-2 victory.
 
WAC Player of the Year and primary Court 1 player Joan Torres Espinosa remains in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings at No. 99. He finished off his regular season 3-1 in WAC play and 10-1 in dual match play with a 16-3 overall record. He also secured a spot on the All-WAC Singles First Team, as announced on Wednesday.
 
Freshman Andres Medus was also named to the All-WAC Singles First Team as he finished conference play with a 4-0 record on Court 5. He carries an 11-4 overall record into the tournament which matches his dual match record.
 
Meethre Barot has also finished his freshman season's conference play undefeated as he earned a spot on the All-WAC Singles Second Team. Barot posted a 4-0 record as the primary Court 4 player and earned his tenth win of the season against Seattle.
 
Dante Teramo earned his third all-conference award as a sophomore by landing on the All-WAC Second Singles Team. He has been solid on Court 2 for the Mavs, carrying a 13-11 overall record into the tournament. He finished WAC play with a 2-2 record and went 9-6 in dual match play.
 
The Mavericks also boast Coach of the Year, Diego Benitez.  Benitez has led the team to an impressive season, including going undefeated in WAC play and defeating Texas Tech for the program's first time since 2001.
 
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
The Mavericks will start play in the semifinals after earning a bye for the first round. If they win their semifinal match, they look to face the winner between No. 2 Grand Canyon and No. 3 Abilene Christian in the championships on Saturday at 9 a.m.
 
   
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For updates, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more engaging and personal content, be sure to follow the men's tennis program on Twitter (@utamavsmtennis) Instagram (@utamavsmtennis) and Facebook (/utamavsmtennis).