Portland men's tennis faced No. 40 Santa Clara in a competitive match but ultimately lost 5-2. The Pilots earned the doubles point with wins from Skobelev/Kimelman and Garcia/Noel, showcasing early promise despite missing senior Nikola Keremedchiev. Cade Fernando claimed a hard-fought singles victory, but Santa Clara swept the singles matches to secure the win. Coach Aaron Gross praised his team鈥檚 doubles performance but noted the challenges faced in singles play against a tough opponent.

By the Numbers
  • Portland's doubles teams defeated nationally ranked Santa Clara pairs: Skobelev/Kimelman (def. #50) and Garcia/Noel (def. #57).
  • Cade Fernando's singles match went to three sets, ending 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, marking a notably tough victory.
State of Play
  • Portland's record stands at 5-11, with an 0-3 mark in West Coast Conference play.
  • Santa Clara remains strong, improving to 15-2 and 2-0 in conference play while displaying dominance in singles competition.
What's Next

Portland will face more ranked opponents next weekend, including No. 58 LMU and No. 25 Pepperdine. This will test their resilience and ability to compete against top-tier teams.

Bottom Line

While the loss to Santa Clara was disappointing, the strong doubles performance and Fernando鈥檚 singles victory indicate potential for future matches. The Pilots will need to leverage these strengths as they take on tougher competition moving forward.