A Look Back at the 2014 Men's Tennis Season Aaron Gross VideoThe 2013-14 University of Portland men's tennis season was one of the most successful in school history. The Pilots finished third-place in the West Coast Conference, ended the year ranked No. 81 nationally, and graduated four impact seniors.
Individual highlights included Aaron Gross being named the WCC Coach of the Year and senior Michel Hu Kwo picking up an All-WCC First Team singles award. Junior Reid deLaubenfels earned All-WCC honorable mention status in singles, while seniors Ratan Gill and Alex Ferrero picked up second team doubles honors. Gill was also named to the All-WCC Tournament Team.
Portland finished with a 13-9 overall record and 5-4 mark in WCC play. A season-ending injury to Ferrero two weeks before the WCC Championships left the Pilots shorthanded, but the team still rallied to beat a ranked Santa Clara squad and secure the No. 3 seed to the tournament.
After knocking off Gonzaga in the opening round, the shorthanded Pilots fell to Pacific (Calif.) in a 4-3 heartbreaker to close the campaign.
The Pilots were remarkable on their home court throughout the spring, finishing the season with a 9-1 record at the Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center.
In addition to earning on-court honors, Hu Kwo also picked up his third consecutive WCC All-Academic Team honor. Senior Justin Guay and sophomore Kent Andreasen earned honorable mention all-academic awards.
Although graduating such an impactful class will leave a big hole, Coach Gross is confident that a talented crew of seven newcomers will keep the Pilots competitive for years to come.
