Huskers Return Home for Five Matches

Lincoln -- After dropping two conference matches in the state of Kansas last week, the Nebraska women's tennis team will be happy to return home. The Huskers will finish out the regular season with five straight home conference matches. NU is 9-0 this year in matches played at the Woods Tennis Center in Lincoln. If weather permits, the Huskers will play the remainder of their matches outdoors at the Cather-Pound Tennis Courts, located at 17th and Vine streets.

On Saturday, the Huskers will play host to Oklahoma State, also at 10 a.m. OSU is 10-5 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

On Sunday, NU will take on Oklahoma at 10 a.m. OU, ranked No. 61, is 9-6 on the year and 4-1 in the Big 12. The Sooners will enter Sunday's matchup riding the high of a 6-3 win of No. 47 Baylor on April 3.

Nebraska Head Coach Scott Jacobson is expecting a tough weekend of competition.

"Oklahoma State and Oklahoma are both great programs," Jacobson said. "They will be big challenges for us. We will have to play two great matches this weekend."

NU will be led this weekend by junior Sandra Noetzel. Noetzel, a Hannover, Germany, native, picked up two wins at No. 1 last weekend, improving her win streak to 10, including a victory over the 22nd-ranked player in the country, Kris Sell of Kansas. With Noetzel's two wins, she moved up to fourth on the all-time singles win list at Nebraska with 72. She only needs two to tie current NU assistant coach Lisa Hiscock-Hart at 74 and four to take over the overall record of 75, held by Iidiko Guba.

"We set a goal for her getting into the national singles tournament," Jacobson said. "If she would do it, she would be the first person to make it into the singles tournament from our school. I think with her win over No. 22 Kris Sell last weekend that will really help her chances. I think it is within her grasp."

Nebraska may be short-handed this weekend, without the services of two of its top seven players, freshman Riva Wig and sophomore Ndali Ijomah. According to Jacobson, Ijomah has been receiving treatment two times a day for tendonitis in her knee and he is still unsure whether she will be available for this weekend's matches. As for Wig, she has been inactive all spring with a knee injury as well and Jacobson says she is about 80 percent and could be ready this weekend if needed. Jacobson would rather not play the freshman, so Wig can earn her medical hardship and keep freshman eligibility next year.

Nebraska/Oklahoma State Match Moved to 1 p.m.
Head Coach Scott Jacobson annnounced today that Saturday's match with Oklahoma State will now begin at 1 p.m. The match was previously scheduled for 10 a.m. The site of the matchup is still to be determined, in case of inclement weather, the match will be moved from the Cather-Pound Tennis Courts, located at 17th and Vine, indoors to the Woods Tennis Center.