PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland State men's tennis team closed out a short but productive fall slate last month, competing at the ITA Northwest Regionals in October and the Gonzaga Invitational in early November.

Across the two weekends, the Vikings tallied 17 singles wins, finishing just under .500 at 17–18 (.486). They added five doubles victories, going 5–7 (.417). Facing teams from across the Northwest, the group notched notable wins over Oregon, Gonzaga and Portland, and went a combined 6-5 against Big Sky opponents in singles and doubles play.

Seventh-year head coach Vetu Mam leads an eight-player roster this season, featuring five new faces. The group of newcomers includes two freshmen and a trio of experienced transfers.

Freshmen Aarjun Pandit and Ignacio Ruiz made their collegiate debuts this fall, combining for seven singles wins. Maas Schotanus (Rotterdam, Netherlands) arrives in the Rose City after an impressive freshman year at Jackson State, where he earned First Team All-SWAC honors and was named Freshman of the Year. Luke Lu (Suzhou, China) also brings a strong résumé after his 2024–25 freshman season at Seattle U, where he received Second Team All-WAC recognition. Rounding out the transfer group is Hampus Hägglund (Stockholm, Sweden), who adds two seasons of experience from Mount Olive highlighted by 11 career singles wins.

The newcomers join a steady trio of returners — sophomores Luca Prino and Edoardo Cravanzola along with senior Simon Kuszynski.

The Vikings opened their fall schedule with a tough assignment at the ITA Northwest Regional in Stockton, Calif.

"Regionals is our first and most important fall tournament of the year," Mam said. "Unfortunately, it falls close to the start of our school year, meaning we only get about a week and a half of prep before we travel and compete."

Six Vikings competed in the single-elimination tournament, which began on Oct. 16. Hägglund opened with a three-set win over Portland's Lucca LaFrance before bowing out in the round of 32. Pandit also reached round two of the main draw with a win by retirement over Oregon's Matthew Burton, but fell to eventual champion Soham Purohit of Washington. In consolation play, Ruiz logged back-to-back three-set victories, while Prino added a straight-set win over Gonzaga's Tom Dunlop. The Vikings were unable to break through in doubles play, dropping all three tandem matches.

"We had mixed results at regionals," Mam said, noting the progress that followed. "But one thing about this group is they always want more. They knew Gonzaga would be our final tournament of the fall, and Regionals isn't very telling of their capabilities."

True to Mam's point, the Vikings responded with a strong showing in their second and final fall tournament, opening the Gonzaga Invitational undefeated on day one with a 6-0 sweep in singles. The momentum carried into Saturday, where three Viking newcomers advanced to the finals in their respective compass draws. Lu went undefeated in the white draw, beating Idaho's Valentin Glasl 6-4, 6-2 before clinching the title with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Portland's Gian Manhas on Sunday.

Pandit also opened 2-0, defeating Idaho's Sander Paradis 6-2, 6-3 to reach the Gray final. Schotanus advanced to the Red final with a three-set win over Portland's Lucas Kimelman. Despite falling short in their respective finals, Schotanus and Pandit delivered a standout doubles performance, finishing 3-0 with wins over Gonzaga, Idaho and Portland to secure the Red doubles title.

Mam praised the strong showing in Spokane, "Aarjun is a true freshman. He's going to surprise some teams in singles and doubles. Maas dropped two of three regional matches in three sets but managed to overcome a lot at the Gonzaga Invite. I'm very proud of his turnaround. Luke went out there and won his compass draw very convincingly. "

All in all, the Vikings finished the weekend with 16 total victories in singles and doubles, giving them something to build on as they look ahead to the 2026 spring dual season.

"I'm proud of everyone and how they finished this fall," Mam concluded. "I'm very much looking forward to the spring season."

The Vikings will kick off their 2026 campaign on Jan. 17 in Eugene, with the full schedule to be announced later this month.

2025 Fall Results (PDF): Combined | NW Regionals | Gonzaga Invitational