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Lincoln - The No. 64 Nebraska men's tennis team will soon learn if a NCAA Tournament bid is in the future. The team brackets for both the men's and women's 1999 Division I Men's Tennis Championship will be announced on individual selection shows Wednesday, May 5.
The men's selection will announce pairings and sites for the 64-team tournament from 4 p.m to 4:30 p.m. Satellite coordinates for the show are: C Band, Galaxy 6, Transponder 22 at 99 degrees west.
Following the show, Larry Easley, Chair of the Division I Men's Tennis Subcommittee, and Tom Jacobs, NCAA Senior Assistant Director of Championships, will host a conference call to answer any questions from the media.
The Huskers eagerly anticipate the show. Nebraska Coach Kerry McDermott said that NU, which finished the regular season 10-12 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12 Conference, has high hopes for receiving its first-ever NCAA bid. The Huskers arguably had their best season this decade. Nebraska posted their highest conference finish since 1993 and their best league win total in 10 years.
Nebraska also reached its highest ranking since 1991 Monday when it moved up two spots to No. 64 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The Huskers faced 14 ranked opponents in 1999, including four top-25 teams.
No. 1 singles player Dinko Verzi played a big part in NU's success in 1999. The senior co-captain has a chance to qualify individually for the NCAA Tournament, a feat accomplished by just five other Huskers in school history. Verzi compiled a 10-16 record but posted an 8-3 mark against regional competition. On Friday, May 7, the NCAA will send out invitations to the top four players in each region.
"Dinko has a shot at qualifying because he has played so well in against opponents in our region," McDermott said. "And I think our team has a really good chance to qualify from what I've heard from other coaches and because of the way we played at the Big 12 Tournament."
Huskers advance to Big 12 Semifinals
Nebraska posted its best conference tournament finish in six years this weekend at the Big 12 Championships in College Station, Texas. The Huskers, seeded No. 4, defeated Texas Tech 4-3 for the second time this season in the opening round Friday morning. No. 2 singles Lance Mills, No. 3 singles Jorge Abos Sanchez, No. 4 singles Kai Rieke and No. 6 singles Andrew Wiese turned in victories for Nebraska. Wiese's win clinched the team victory for NU. The Flushing Hills, N.Y. native rallied in a third-set tie-breaker. Down 4-1 at one point, Wiese charged back, claiming a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) win over Tech's Dustin Hawk.
With the hard-fought victory, NU advanced to Saturday's semifinals to face top-seeded Texas, the nation's seventh-ranked team. Nebraska, making its first conference semifinal appearance since 1993, fell to the Longhorns 4-1. NU fell behind the Longhorns 1-0 to start the day, losing two of three doubles matches. Rieke provided the Huskers their lone win, defeating Gwenael Guiet in straight sets 6-2, 7-5. Texas, went undefeated in the conference during the regular season, closed out the match with victories at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 6 singles to reach the conference finals for the third straight season. The Longhorns claimed the tournament title Sunday, defeating No. 2 seed and ninth-ranked Baylor 4-0.
Nebraska Notes.....
Five Huskers earned all-conference academic honors. Senior Dinko Verzi, and juniors Andrew Wiese and Ryan Haith were named to the first team, while sophomores Jorge Abos Sanchez and Kai Rieke earned honorable-mention honors....Sophomore Kai Rieke has won five-straight matches. Rieke recorded NU's only wins in April 24 and May 1 matches against No. 7 Texas....The Huskers returned to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings April 20, checking in at No. 66. Nebraska has been ranked every week but two this season....Verzi owns the nation's No. 98 ranking...Abos Sanchez has the best record of any No. 3 singles player in the Big 12...Last weekend marked the 11th weekend in 12 weeks that Nebraska will face a ranked team....Fourteen of NU's 21 opponents are currently ranked.