Men's Tennis Signs Steffen Dierauf to NLI
  PORTLAND, Ore. --- University of Portland men's tennis has signed Steffen Dierauf (Munich, Germany) to a National Letter of Intent, head coach Aaron Gross announced on Friday. Dierauf will join the Pilots in the fall of 2014 and enroll as a graduate student with one year of eligibility.

"I am ecstatic that Steffen is joining us," Gross said. "We lose four great guys off of this year's team who have been the cornerstone of our program the last four seasons. Steffen will come in as a leader right off the bat."

Gross thinks that Dierauf will excel both in the classroom and on the court with the Pilots.

"He is graduating from university in Germany this spring and is a very mature guy. His English is phenomenal and he has been an exemplary student in Germany. Steffen is going to be a great addition to our academic community.

"I'd say that Germany has the most quality tennis players competing in the U.S. college system of any country. Steffen's results over the last several years would have allowed him to go to nearly any school in the nation. I think he found a good fit in our tennis program and academic structure and we found a gem that not many people know about. I think has potential to be a highly ranked player in the U.S. college system."

Gross, who has experience sending graduates on to the ATP tour, sees Dierauf as potentially the next Pilot to make an impact in the professional ranks.

"I know he is excited to come over here and get his graduate degree and help our team win. I'm also really excited to work with him because I think he has the ability to do some damage on the ATP tour if chooses to go that route.

"The rigorous academic schedule of university in Germany has made it very difficult for him to focus much of his energy on tennis," Gross added. "The graduate program here at UP is challenging, but I think the regimen of just having academics and school to focus on will give him a good chance to improve his game. I think that improvement could lead to some special things beyond his collegiate career."

The current Pilots concluded their fall schedule and are now preparing for the spring dual season which kicks off January 16 at Washington. Returning All-West Coast Conference senior Ratan Gill anchors an experienced lineup that returns five of its top six players from last season.