Paul Reber
Sixth-year Duck women’s tennis head coach Paul Reber smoothly continues to chart the Oregon women’s tennis program’s ascent up the Pac-12 and national rankings.
In 2012, Oregon recorded 12 victories, the most since the 2007-08 season under Reber. Patricia Skowronski and Sofia Hager, who reached as high as No. 52 in the ITA doubles rankings, moved to fifth on the all-time best doubles season list (19). As a team, UO spent several weeks ranked by the ITA, with the highest being No. 65. Reber had five Ducks post double-digit victories during the season. In her first season on campus, Reber was able to guide freshman Sofia Hager to a team-high 23 wins.
Academically, five Ducks were named to the Pac-12 All-Academic team (Rabea Stueckemann, Julia Metzger, Pascale Neubert, Patricia Skowronski and Trudie du Toit). Reber’s squad achieved ITA All-Academic status in addition to having seven tabbed as ITA Scholar-Athletes. Stueckemann led the way with her GPA of 4.10.
The 2011 dual campaign saw Oregon win its first four duals of the season and enter the Intercollegiate Tennis Association team rankings for the fifth consecutive season in Reber’s tenure. Among the highlights of the season, the Ducks posted their first win over a top-25 team in six years when they topped No. 20 Washington, 4-3, on March 11. Pavlina Smatova had a tremendous season for the Ducks, going 23-15 on the singles court and 23-13 in doubles play. She finished the year ranked in the top 100 in the singles circuit and spent time in the top 50 of the doubles rankings.
Last season, UO opened the year with three straight victories by a combined 20-1 margin and spent the first month of the season ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s top 75.
The 2008-09 season saw Reber's Ducks knocked off two ranked teams en route to nine dual match wins. Reber also recruited well in 2009, snagging the No. 26 ranked recruiting class in the nation, including two U.S. players with five-star rankings.
During the 2007-08 season, Reber saw one of his freshman recruits, the No. 78 ranked Celine Rolly, compete and excel at No. 1 singles throughout the season, compiling a 10-12 record in dual competition. The Maldegem, Belgium native also played at No. 1 doubles for the Ducks.
In 2006-07, he piloted the Oregon women to one of their finest seasons ever as UO finished the year ranked 41st nationally, went 12-12 on the season against a schedule full of the nation’s top teams, and made their sixth postseason trip in school history.
Several of his first-year pupils also made a major impact on the Duck record books. Dominika Diskova and Ana Cecilia Olivos moved to first all-time for UO for most career doubles victories (49) and ranked fourth among season totals (19), while Dieskova also ended her career ranked second in most career singles wins (85).
Handpicked by his predecessor and current UO director of tennis Nils Schyllander, Reber was an obvious choice after a successful 10-year career at Arizona State University.
The Kamloops, British Columbia native oversaw six NCAA top-10 teams and was also named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s West Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2005. During his ASU tenure, Reber coached eight All-Americans and led eight teams to the Sweet 16, including six top-10 finishes.
Also an accomplished collegiate player for the Sun Devils, he was a four-year letter winner from 1992-96 and sported a 58-58 singles record that included 20 singles victories in 1994-95. He posted a 51-38 doubles mark, including a 23-15 record in 1994-95. He was the 1991 Canadian Junior Doubles Champion and won the singles championship the following year. In 1993 he was once again the doubles champion.
Reber received bachelor’s degrees in exercise science and history from Arizona State. Paul married his wife Dana (Tucker) in 2002, and she is an ASU graduate with master’s and undergraduate degrees in social work. The couple has one son, Owen Tucker Reber.
