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Lincoln - The 70th-ranked Nebraska men's tennis team will kick off its 1999 season when it travels to Texas this weekend for two matches in as many days. The Cornhuskers' first stop is Houston, where they will take on No. 49 Rice (2-0) Saturday, Feb. 6 at 1:00 p.m. The following day, NU travels to Beaumont, Texas for a 9:00 a.m. contest against Lamar (0-0).
"I think the guys have been pretty tough on each other in practice," Husker Coach Kerry McDermott said. "Competition for positions has been very tough. I think they're ready to go beat up on somebody else for a change."
On Friday afternoon, Nebraska will try to avenge last year's 2-5 loss to the Owls. Rice began its season with a pair of victories last Saturday at the Jake Hess Tennis Satdium in Houston. The Owls defeated in-state rivals Abilene Christian 7-0 and the University of Texas San-Antonio 6-1.
Rice is led by the 15th-ranked player in the nation, Efe Ustundag. A senior and the Owls' No. 1 singles player, Ustundag recently earned a berth in the Rolex National Intercollegiate Indoor Tennis Championships. The Feb. 4 tournament features 24 of the top 30 players in the country.
"Losing to Rice right away hurt us a little last year," McDermott said. "Our guys are ready to come out and show them we're a better team than they saw last season."
Like the Huskers, Lamar opens its season this weekend. The Cardinal are led by juniof Emanuel Sjoblom, who posted a 9-10 mark from the No. 1 singles spot last spring. Lamar finished 7-10 in 1998.
The Huskers could catch Rice by surprise Saturday. McDermott said the composition of NU's team is very different than it was at this time last year. Nebraska will field a squad consisting of seven returning letterwinners and six newcomers.
New faces will occupy three of the top six singles spots. Lance Mills, a transfer from Virginia Tech, will play No. 2 singles. Mills, ranked 9th in Region V, was an All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection in 1996. Two more transfers, Juan Hamdan and Kai Rieke, will fill the No. 4 and No. 5 spots. Hamdan, Pan American University's top singles player as a freshman last season, won the Nebraska Open Tournament in the fall, defeating Verzi in the championship match.
McDermott hopes senior co-captain Dinko Verzi will bring stability to the new lineup. Verzi, a native of Hamm, Germany, played No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for the Huskers in 1998 and will do so again in 1999. Verzi compiled a team-best 16-9 mark last spring and continued his success during the fall, earning a spot in the main draw of the 1998 Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Tournament.
Also returning to the top six are Jorge Abos Sanchez and Joakim Larsson. Abos Sanchez will also play No. 3 singles after compiling a 12-11 mark at the second and third spots last season, while Abos Sanchez went 9-4 in fall competition, the best mark of any Husker.
Joakim Larsson will round out the lineup. McDermott expects Larsson, NU's other senior co-captain, to play a bigger role after missing all but four matches last spring with an ACL injury.
The Huskers could catch Rice by surprise Saturday. McDermott said the composition of NU's team is very different than it was at this time last year. Nebraska will field a squad consisting of seven returning letterwinners and six newcomers.
New faces will occupy three of the top six singles spots. Lance Mills, a transfer from Virginia Tech, will play No. 2 singles. Mills, ranked 9th in Region V, was an All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection in 1996. Two more transfers, Juan Hamdan and Kai Rieke, will fill the No. 4 and No. 5 spots. Hamdan, Pan American University's top singles player as a freshman last season, won the Nebraska Open Tournament in the fall, defeating Verzi in the championship match.
McDermott hopes senior co-captain Dinko Verzi will bring stability to the new lineup. Verzi, a native of Hamm, Germany, played No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for the Huskers in 1998 and will do so again in 1999. Verzi compiled a team-best 16-9 mark last spring and continued his success during the fall, earning a spot in the main draw of the 1998 Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Tournament.
Also returning to the top six are Jorge Abos Sanchez and Joakim Larsson. Abos Sanchez will also play No. 3 singles after compiling a 12-11 mark at the second and third spots last season, while Abos Sanchez went 9-4 in fall competition, the best mark of any Husker.
Joakim Larsson will round out the lineup. McDermott expects Larsson, NU's other senior co-captain, to play a bigger role after missing all but four matches last spring with an ACL injury.
Coach McDermott announced one change in the Huskers' schedule. Nebraska will travel to Richmond, Va., for a 2:00 match with Old Dominion. The contest replaces a cancelled match for the same day and time with Virginia Commonwealth