PORTLAND, Ore. – University of Portland men's tennis signed Nevada graduate transfer Kostya Nesterenko to a financial aid agreement, head coach Aaron Gross announced on Friday. Nesterenko will join the Pilots for the 2019-20 with one year of eligibility remaining.

Nesterenko played the last three years with Nevada, twice earning All-Mountain West doubles recognition with partner Julien Evrard. The duo finished the 2019 season with a 17-8 overall record, including a 12-5 dual mark at the No. 1 position.

Nesterenko posted an overall 57-32 doubles record with the Wolf Pack and racked up 40 singles victories, playing primarily at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions in the singles lineup.
"We gained a lot of valuable experience last season, but we are still returning a very young team," Gross said. "Our hope this off season was to add an experienced and mature player to the program. Kostya is exactly what we were looking for. He has had a great career at Nevada, especially in an area where we really need help – doubles. Kostya has one year with us while pursuing his Master's Degree. He is motivated to finish his college career with a bang and will join Carlos (Donat) as the elder statesmen and leaders of the program."

Nesterenko joins a Portland program will lots of promise heading into the 2019-20 season. The Pilots finished last season with a 7-14 overall record while regularly playing a lineup of all freshmen and one sophomore.

Sema Pankin earned West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year honors while anchoring the top of the lineup. Pankin and fellow classmates Nicklas Oberg, Eleftherios Neos, Issa Yoshida and Leo Hibi each competed in the singles lineup in at least 19 dual matches as true freshmen.

The Pilots will also return junior-to-be Tom Hann, who played at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in the lineup last season.