No. 75 Nebraska Men's Tennis Team Set to Face Broncos

The Nebraska men's tennis team hits the road for the third straight weekend to open the season, as it heads to Kalamazoo, Mich., to take on No. 66 Western Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 15. The match will start at 11 a.m.

The Huskers are facing their third straight ranked opponent in the early season road trip. Nebraska fell in its first matchup with a nationally ranked squad, dropping a 7-0 contest against No. 39 Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., on Jan. 25. NU rebounded quickly, as it picked up a 5-2 victory against No. 75 Wichita State last weekend in Wichita, Kan.

The Broncos enter the weekend with a 4-2 record after defeating Division II national power Kalamazoo College 7-0 on Feb. 8. WMU also knocked off Iowa by a scored of 7-0 earlier that day. Western Michigan's two losses have come to nationally ranked opponents, as the Broncos fell to No. 55 Purdue, 5-2, and No. 46 Michigan, 6-1, earlier this year. The Broncos will face Wisconsin on Saturday, Feb. 14, before taking on the Huskers.

Western Michigan is coached by Dave Morin, who owns a 148-113 career record. The Broncos earned a 19-5 overall record last season and a 4-1 mark in Mid-American Conference play. WMU finished 2003 ranked 66th nationally, after reaching as high as No. 46 early in the year.

Nebraska Earns First Ranking of Season
The Huskers' strong start, including a 5-2 victory over No. 75 Wichita State last weekend, helped Nebraska break into the ITA national rankings for the first time this year. NU entered the rankings in a tie with five other teams for No. 75 on Feb. 10.

The last time Nebraska broke into the rankings was the 2002 season, when the Huskers finished the year ranked No. 75. NU was ranked for eight consecutive polls and reached as high as No. 62 early in the year behind the play of Lance Mills. The Omaha native went on to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in singles play before finishing the year ranked No. 99. Mills was the fourth Husker to finish the season in the rankings and the first since Karl Falkland in 1993 (No. 42).

Newcomers Step Right in for Huskers
Nebraska added five newcomers at the start of the semester and three have already started to make an impact.

Sophomore Gerhard Posch has taken command of the No. 1 singles position, where he has earned a 2-1 record through three matches. Freshman James Clow has been in the lineup at the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 slots while garnering a 1-2 mark.

Freshman Justin Junck has also helped the Huskers while teaming with junior Joel Reckewey. Junck and Reckewey picked up NU's only doubles win this season with an 8-6 victory at the No. 3 position against Southwest Missouri State.

McDermott begins 23rd season at Nebraska
Coach Kerry McDermott is in his 23rd season at Nebraska. He is the second-longest tenured head coach at Nebraska.

McDermott owns a 240-238 career record with the Huskers. He has guided NU to at least 10 wins 14 times in his first 22 years, including four times in the past seven seasons. Last year, the Huskers ended the regular season with a .500 record (10-10) for the first time since 1998, when Nebraska finished the campaign with a 13-12 mark. McDermott has coached four players to the NCAA Tournament in singles play, and four tandems in doubles action.