FORT WORTH – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs men's tennis team (6-13, 0-2 Southland) resumes Southland Conference play against the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles (2-12, 0-3 Southland) on Monday at 11:00 a.m. at Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.
 
The Broncs
The Broncs have performed well in doubles this season, going 24-22 (.522) in dual play and holding winning records at No. 2 (10-7) and No. 3 (9-4). Ricardo Hopker and Chetan Panditi have an 8-4 record, including 7-4 at No. 2 and 1-1 at No. 1. Victor Alves and Thomas-Orestis Panoulas are also 8-4, including an 8-3 record at No. 3.
 
Scouting the Golden Eagles
The Golden Eagles lost their first 11 matches of the season, beat a pair of non-DIs and then fell to Southland Conference opponent Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sunday in a neutral-site match in Dallas. During those first 11 matches, the Golden Eagles were 1-29 in doubles and 7-54 in singles. During the two wins the Golden Eagles were 5-1 in doubles and 11-1 in singles.
 
Series History
The Broncs are 5-8 all-time against the Golden Eagles in a series dating back to 1969. They last met in 2009, a 4-3 win for the Golden Eagles in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Broncs last won in 2008, 6-1 in Edinburg.
 
Last Time Out
The Broncs fell 1-6 at No. 36 TCU on Saturday. The Broncs (6-12) picked up their lone point at No. 5 singles, where Victor Alves took the first set from Will Stein 6-3, and then after dropping the second set in a tiebreaker 6-7, came back to win the super tiebreaker 11-9.
 
Panoulas Honored
After leading the Broncs to a 2-1 record and going 5-1, freshman Thomas-Orestis Panoulas became the second Bronc to earn Southland Conference Player of the Week honors on March 26. Panoulas started the week by earning the Broncs' lone point against No. 54 Arkansas, 3-6, 6-4 (10-5) over Manfred Jeske at No. 1 singles. He also swept through singles and doubles (with Victor Alves) in a doubleheader sweep of Incarnate Word and Prairie View A&M.
 
Freshmen Flare
Felix Hasselberg made his dual singles debut against Schreiner on March 2, winning 6-1, 6-0 at No. 6. Joseph Bishop played at No. 5 for the first time, winning 6-0, 6-1. The two teamed up in doubles, winning 8-1 at No. 3 in what was Bishop's dual doubles debut.
 
Awesome Alves
Junior Victor Alves got off to a hot start in dual play, going 2-1 in singles and 2-1 doubles over the Broncs' first four matches. 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 at No. 6 against UTSA. Alves was the first to finish in singles both times. For his efforts, Alves earned Southland Conference Player of the Week honors.
 
Home Sweet Home
The Broncs are 6-3 at home this season with one match remaining.
 
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 nine matches against ranked opponents:
 
Division I ranked opponents (0-5):
1/16 @ No. 29 Texas Tech, L 1-6
1/27 @ No. 54 Rice, L 0-7
2/16 @ No. 18 Baylor, L 0-7
3/19 @ No. 54 Arkansas, L 1-6
3/30 @ No. 36 TCU, L 1-6
4/20 @ No. 58 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
 
Division II ranked opponents (2-0):
3/1 vs. No. 48 St. Mary's, W 5-2
3/23 vs. No. 19 Incarnate Word, W 7-0
 
Junior College ranked opponents (1-0):
2/1 vs. No. 7 Laredo Community College, W 4-3
 
Globetrotters
The Broncs have seven student-athletes on the roster representing six different countries, including Brazil, Belgium, Greece, India, Indonesia and Sweden.
 
Next Up
The Broncs return to the Orville Cox Tennis Center for their final home match of the season on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.