There is more than one way to gauge the growing success of the men’s tennis team these days at Hawaii Pacific University.

The standard measures, of course, are the Sea Warriors’ 20-0 record, Saturday’s second consecutive Pacific West Conference championship and a No. 3 ranking in NCAA Division II.

Less traditional but an increasing topic of conversation are the now bushy features of their coach, Hendrik Bode.

Three months into HPU’s season, Bode the bolo head has been rendered Grizzly Adams by the Sea Warriors’ success.

"I told my players that as long as they kept winning, I’d keep growing my hair and a beard," Bode said. That was in February after their season-opening victory over Sacramento State heading into a match against UC Santa Barbara.

For his players, who had never seen him without a shaved head, Bode said, "I knew that would be a little extra motivation for them to make me suffer a little more."

Clemens Graute, who is 13-0 in singles, Petr Michnev (15-1), Adriano Locorotondo (14-1) and the 20-0 doubles team of Jaume Martinez-Vich and Mattis Wetzel have helped keep the razor in retirement as HPU prepares for the NCAA championships next month.

One way or another this figured to be, well, a hair-raising season for Bode, who booked road matches against eight of the top 20-ranked teams, including the Nos. 1, 2 and 4-ranked squads in succession. It was testament to his confidence in a program that had gone 34-9 over the previous two years and, you suspect, a challenge for the team to reach its considerable potential.

"It was a good bet," Bode said, "but it does get itchy at times."

But, then, these Sea Warriors are undeterred by a lack of comforts on several fronts. They lack a home court and play their matches at the Hale Koa Hotel or Central Oahu Regional Park, when they can get the courts.

Bode, a German native who was the NCAA West Region Rookie of the Year in 2007 at HPU, is a part-time employee at the school and his nine-member international squad divides up the 4.5 athletic scholarships allowed by the NCAA while posting a team grade-point average above 3.5, HPU said.

"They never complain, they just grind it out and work to be successful," said athletic director Vince Baldemor.

There has been one growing complaint, however, as the Sea Warriors try to stretch their unbeaten streak to the end of May and the school’s first men’s NCAA tennis title. Bode’s wife, Lauren Conching, the HPU women’s tennis coach, "Isn’t too happy (with the beard)," Bode said. "She wished I hadn’t made the bet."

Conching said, "As his wife … no offense to beards, but I’m ready for it to be over. It’s kind of gross, particularly during meal time. And he scratches it a lot.

"But the head women’s tennis coach, I think it’s a fun thing for his team — although it’s given my players ideas for what they can get me to do."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.