April 3, 2007

The University of Texas-Pan American men's and women's tennis squads will make a rare appearance at the same event when they head to Dallas, TX, on Wednesday (Apr. 4) to take-on Southern Methodist University before making the short commute south to Arlington, TX, where the teams will square-off against the University of Texas - Arlington on Thursday (Apr. 5).

The Lady Broncs look to improve on their 7-9 record when they face SMU while the Broncs seek a higher seeding in the Southland Conference tournament at season's end.

The Lady Broncs are coming off a shortened weekend in Houston, TX, in which they suffered a 7-0 setback to Rice University before their match-up the following day against the University of Houston was canceled due to inclement weather. Despite being shutout by the Owls, the new-look Lady Broncs have already matched their win total from a year ago, and are looking to build on the season's success as it winds down.

"Our goal is go out and fight them as hard as we can, and however it ends up, it ends up. They now know that we are not too far away. We go into SMU and UTA with the same approach as we always do. We are not afraid to play anybody, and we'll play them as tough as we can and see where it lands," said Hubbard.

The Broncs go into the weekend's events with one objective: Win. A Bronc victory against SMU would be the perfect confidence booster for a squad that has become a force to reckon with as the season has progressed. The steadily improving UTPA men's tennis squad has already clinched a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament in San Antonio, TX, but is still fighting for a higher seed as the season comes to a close.

"The guys are working hard, and their spirits are up. They know we're coming into the final couple of matches before conference so it just depends on where we end up. The guys are pumped up, and they know these next few matches are not only about a dual match but about the conference tournament," said Hubbard.

The Broncs and Lady Broncs make a stop in Dallas, TX, on Wednesday (Apr. 4) for their match-up with the Mustangs before making a short trip south to Arlington, TX, to take-on the Mavericks on Thursday (Apr. 5).

UTPA Sports Information