WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State men's tennis coach Brad Louderback announced the signing of Vitor Mendes and Haru Inoue to national letters of intent.

Mendes comes to WSU with two seasons of eligibility remaining. The native of Serra Negra, Brazil spent the past two seasons at Ventura College (Calif.), where he was a remarkable 53-9 in singles and won a pair of conference doubles titles on his way to a 46-8 mark.

As a freshman, Mendes was CCCAA state runner-up and Western State Conference Co-Player of the Year after leading the Pirates to their seventh-consecutive conference title under coach Nelson Emery.  He was a CCCAA state semifinalist last fall and also reached the quarterfinals of the doubles draw.

"We're excited about the experience that Vitor will bring to our team," Louderback said. "He has a burning desire to compete and contribute to this program."
Inoue – a native of Tokyo, Japan - also figures to make an impact after climbing as high as No. 266 in the ITF junior world rankings last summer. He played extensively on the ITF junior tour in 2012 and 2013, racking up eight semifinal and three finals appearances between singles and doubles.

"We are very excited to have Haru join us," Louderback said. "He has a great attitude, both on and off the court, and will contribute a tremendous amount to the program. He's played all over the world and brings a lot of experience as a freshman."

A 2015 graduate of Gokugeikan High School in Hachioji, Japan, Inoue was part of a team championship effort at the 2013 National Sports Festival. He chose the Shockers over offers from Mississippi State, Kentucky and Louisville.

The pair join fall signee Eddie Stoica of New Zealand to complete a talented 2015 recruiting class. All three student-athletes will be eligible to compete beginning this fall.