This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is men’s tennis player Bassem Elbitar. Last week, Orange won four matches in Big 8 Conference play to improve to 13-4 overall, 7-4 in the Big 8 Conference. Elbitar has been a consistent starter at singles for the Panthers, who opened the season with a 6-3 win at Southern Alamance. Elbitar has been a tennis player since his days at Stanford. A junior, Elbitar is also a model student who has regularly appeared on the honor roll throughout his middle school and high school years. Now, he’s preparing for Monday’s match at Northwood. A victory could lead to Orange receiving an at-large birth in the 3A State Dual Team Playoffs. The Big 8 Men’s Tennis Championships will be held on Wednesday at East Chapel Hill High School.