EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs men's tennis team (0-2) hosts the Laredo Community College Palominos, the No. 7 ranked team among junior college, in the home opener at the newly renovated Orville Cox Tennis Center on Friday at 4:00 p.m.
 
Admission is free.
 
The Broncs
The Broncs are entering a stretch of six out of seven matches at home, including two stretches of three in a row.
 
The Broncs played five home matches last year, all at the end of the season. This year the Broncs play 10 home matches, including three three-match home stands.
 
This is the most home matches the Broncs have had in a single season since the turn of the century.
 
Scouting the Palominos
The Palominos have become a national powerhouse over the last few years, winning an NJCAA record six-straight Division I Junior College Men's Tennis Championships from 2005-10. They won a championship last year as well, giving them six in seven years.
 
Broncs vs. Palominos
The Broncs are 24-5 (.828) all-time against the Palominos in a series dating back to 1982. The Palominos won last year's match, 6-1. They've won three-straight against the Broncs, who last beat the Palominos in 2005.
 
Last Time Out
The Broncs are coming off of a 0-7 loss at No. 54 Rice. The Broncs and Owls locked up in a competitive doubles point at Jake Hess Tennis Stadium right off the bat. The Owls took the first match as Adam Gustafsson and Tommy Bennett beat Thomas-Orestis Panoulas and Victor Alves 8-4 at No. 2, but Sebastien Job and Alejandro Sanoja, bumped up the No. 1 spot after playing at No. 2 in the Broncs' last match, responded with an 8-6 victory over Jonathan Chang and Peter Frank. It came down to the No. 3 match to determine the point, and the team of Chetan Panditi and Felix Hasselberg, who was making his dual debut and teaming with Panditi for the first time, played Philipp Seifert and Gustavo Gonzalez tough before falling 7-8 to make it 1-0 Owls.
 
Rain shortly after singles began forced the match to be relocated indoors, and after a delay of more than an hour, play resumed and the Owls swept through singles.
 
Tough Schedule
The Broncs are challenging themselves this season and currently boast a schedule that includes 10 matches against ranked opponents:
 
Division I ranked opponents (0-1):
1/16 @ No. 29 Texas Tech, L 1-6
1/27 @ No. 54 Rice, L 0-7
2/16 @ No. 14 Baylor
3/19 @ No. 56 Arkansas
3/30 @ No. 67 TCU
4/3 vs. No. 74 Louisiana Lafayette
4/15 @ No. 74 Louisiana Lafayette
 
Division II ranked opponents (0-0):
3/1 vs. No. 44 St. Mary's
3/23 vs. No. 18 Incarnate Word
 
Junior College ranked opponents (0-0):
2/1 vs. No. 7 Laredo Community College
 
Volunteering
After playing for the Broncs last season, sophomore Rolf Niederstrasser is spending this season as a volunteer assistant coach. Niederstrasser won five singles matches and four doubles matches as a freshman.
 
Globetrotters
The Broncs have nine student-athletes on the roster representing seven different countries, including the United States of America, Brazil, Belgium, Greece, India, Indonesia and Sweden. Of the two American Broncs, one is from the Rio Grande Valley. Sanoja calls Mission home.
 
Next Up
The Broncs continue this three-match home stand on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. when they host the University of Texas at San Antonio at the Orville Cox Tennis Center. Admission is free.