EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs women's tennis team announced on Friday that it will open their spring schedule on January 21 against the University of Maryland Baltimore County at the Orville Cox Tennis Center.
 
It will be the first of 22 matches leading to the Western Athletic Conference Championships, hosted by Kansas City on April 24-26. It will also be the first of five home matches this season.
 
"It is exciting to start our season at home and I am looking forward to the energy that I know a first match at home will bring," Broncs head coach Stephanie Vallejos said. "It is exactly how I want to kick off what I think will be a great season."
 
The Broncs then hit the road to face Prairie View A&M on January 23 and Sam Houston State on January 24. They then face Baylor, who finished last season ranked 14^th in the country, on January 30 in Waco.
 
The Broncs then return to the Orville Cox Tennis Center to host Texas A&M-Kingsville on February 1 before embarking on a six-match road trip. They kick off that road trip against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on February 3 followed by UTSA on February 13, UT Arlington on February 14, Texas State on February 20, Oral Roberts on February 21 and Missouri State on February 22.
 
The Broncs then host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on February 26 and then welcome in Incarnate Word on February 27 before hitting the road for a eight-match road trip. After facing Western New Mexico on March 19 in El Paso, the Broncs get their first taste of WAC competition when they play in their first WAC regular season cluster as they face Grand Canyon on March 20 and Seattle University on March 21.
 
"The matches we have on the road will make us stronger on the court and will help us come together as a team off the court," Vallejos said. "By then we will be ready for conference and eager to play at the WAC Championships."
 
The Broncs will also face UTEP on March 22 and Nicholls State on March 27 before heading to Phoenix, Arizona for another WAC regular season cluster when they face New Mexico State on April 3, Chicago State on April 4 and Kansas City on April 5.
 
"It is a benefit to be able to play conference competition in a regular season before the championship," Vallejos said. "It is important that we take advantage of those moments and learn something about our competition. Every match is important but conference matches will hopefully give us the extra boost of energy we need to stay competitive and successful."
 
The Broncs then close out their regular season at home when they host the Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi on April 17. This year, the NCAA Championships will be in Waco on May 24 hosted by Baylor. 

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