PORTLAND, Ore. – University of Portland men's tennis program adds Nikola Keremedchiev as a last minute signee to the 2023-24 roster, head coach Aaron Gross announced on Tuesday. Keremedchiev, originally from Bulgaria, competed last semester for Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas before transferring to the Bluff. 

"We are extremely happy to announce one more last addition to our squad for 2023-24 season," said head coach Aaron Gross. "Nikola had a few injury issues over the last few years and wasn't able to show what kind of results he was hoping for to get the recruiting attention that he rightfully deserved. So he took a little pitstop at Tyler and decided to join us this fall. He's capable of some really high-level tennis. He's super mature as a person and as a tennis player. His older brother recently graduated from the University of Oregon, and was a very good player for the ducks. So Nikola knows what college tennis is like and has great mentors in his family." 

The Pilots concluded their 2023 season with an overall record of 12-10. Their efforts landed them in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference Championships after defeating No. 5 seed BYU. While the Pilots graduated three great players in 2023, Coach Gross emphasized that he is optimistic about the future of the program. Gross mentioned the team added "Four new family members who we hope for big things from in the near future." He added that, "Nikola should round out our recruiting class at this point. I can't wait to get the guys back on campus and try and do some more special things in the coming season." 

Keremedchiev will join freshmen Stefan Skobelev and Tannor Binder as newcomers to the 2023-24 roster, as well as grad transfer Luka Vukovic. They will join returners Nicolas Ocana, Nikolas Tvedt, Oscar Brown, Maxim Groysman, Cade Fernando and Fabian Gusic.

For more coverage and info, visit PortlandPilots.com.