EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs men's tennis team (1-3, 0-0 Southland) opens Southland Conference play against the Nicholls State University Colonels (3-3, 1-1 Southland) on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. at the newly renovated Orville Cox Tennis Center.
 
Admission is free.
 
The Broncs
The Broncs have had their greatest singles success at the No. 1, No. 5 and No. 6 positions by going 2-2 at each. Thomas-Orestis Panoulas has played all four matches at No. 1. Victor Alves has played at No. 5 twice (1-1) and No. 6 once (1-0). Alejandro Sanoja has played at No. 5 twice (1-1) and Joseph Bishop has played at No. 6 three times (1-2).
 
In doubles, the duo of Sebastien Job and Sanoja is 2-2, but 2-1 at the No. 1 spot. Alves and Panoulas are 2-1, but 2-0 at No. 3.
 
Scouting the Colonels
The Colonels are already 40 percent of the way through their conference schedule, beating Oral Roberts 6-1 on January 18 and falling at New Orleans 2-5 on Saturday. Their other wins have been 4-3 over SMU and 6-1 over Jacksonville State while falling 0-7 to both Texas A&M and Southern Mississippi.
 
Dmitry Kozionov, who won the first Southland Conference Player of the Week award this season and received honorable mention last week, leads the Colonels. He is 3-3 at No. 1 singles and 1-3 at No. 2 doubles while pairing with three different partners. Roy Knight and Nico Mertens have the most singles wins at 4-2. Knight and Russell have formed the Colonels' most successful doubles pairing, going 2-2 at No. 1.
 
Broncs vs. Colonels
The Broncs are 6-3 all-time against the Colonels in a series dating back to 2005. Last season, the Broncs went to Nicholls State and won 4-3. Among the winners for the Broncs were Ricardo Hopker at No. 2 and Alves at No. 6.
 
Last Time Out
The Broncs are coming off of a 4-3 victory over the Laredo Community College Palominos, the No. 7 ranked team among junior colleges and defending NJCAA champions. The doubles point, which turned out to be critical, was hotly contested. With the scored tied 1-1, No. 1 doubles went to a tiebreaker, when Job and Sanoja won 7-4.
 
Three singles matches went to a third set, but with the match tied 3-3, Panoulas came out as a winner at No. 1 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 to give the Broncs their first win of the season.
 
Awesome Alves
Junior Victor Alves is off to a hot start in dual play, going 2-1 in singles and 2-1 doubles. Alves had a 4-0 weekend during the Broncs' first two home matches on Feb. 1 and 3, teaming with Panoulas to win twice at No. 3 doubles, and then picking up a win at No. 5 singles against Laredo Community College and No. 6 against UTSA. Alves was the first to finish in singles both times.
 
Home Sweet Home
The Broncs picked up their first home win under second year head coach Paul Goode 4-3 over No. 7 Laredo Community College on Feb. 1. The Broncs are in 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.
 
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 (0-2):
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 (1-0):
2/1 vs. No. 7 Laredo Community College, W 4-3
 
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 travel to face No. 14 Baylor on Saturday, February 16 at 11:00 a.m.