Huskers Face Two Ranked Team in California

The No. 70 Nebraska women’s tennis team travels to Newport Beach, Calif., this week to take on No. 75 Utah (5-6) March 17 at 1 p.m., and No. 64 Long Beach State (8-5) March 20 at 1 p.m. The two-match swing represents the end of an extremely difficult stretch in which the Huskers play seven of eight contests against ranked opponents.

NU has one win over a ranked opponent this season. The Huskers upset then-No. 57 Yale, 5-2, Feb. 21.

Nebraska (8-4) is coming off tough back-to-back losses to Big 12 opponents. The Huskers fell to No. 16 Texas A&M, 7-0, March 13 and then-No. 35 Baylor, 2-5, March 6. However, NU owns a two-match winning streak against nonconference teams, as the Huskers defeated Creighton Feb. 27 after beating Yale.

Doubles play continues to be a strength for Nebraska. The Huskers are a combined 24-12 in doubles action, including a 7-5 mark at both No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. NU has won 10 of 12 matches at No. 3 doubles. Senior Anna Oehme and sophomore Milena Schulz-Gartner have been the most successful team, posting a 9-2 mark from the No. 2 and No. 3 spots.

A Look at Utah and Long Beach State
Utah was tied for No. 75 in the ITA poll released March 9. The Utes are 5-6 in 2004 and have lost three straight, including a 7-0 loss to No. 56 Rice March 12. Utah, which is coached by Megan Dorny, does not have a player ranked in the ITA top 100.

The Huskers have never defeated Utah, which leads the series 0-2.

No. 54 Long Beach State is 8-5 this season, and the 49ers are coming off a 4-3 upset of No. 51 Marshall. LBSU’s No. 1 singles player, junior Nicole Bouffer, is also 8-5 this spring. The 49ers are coaches by Jenny Hilt-Costello. Nebraska owns a 3-1 series advantage over Long Beach State.

Last Time Out: NU Falls to No. 16 Texas A&M
The No. 70 Nebraska women’s tennis team struggled against its fifth ranked opponent in the past six matches, falling 7-0 to No. 16 Texas A&M March 13 at Woods Tennis Center. With the loss, the Huskers fell to 8-4 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12.

Meanwhile, the Aggies improved to 10-6 overall and 3-0 in the league. Texas A&M also increased its all-time series lead over NU to 8-1.

"I was proud of our team and the effort that they gave," NU Coach Scott Jacobson said. "Sometimes, you just run into a great opponent. My hat is off to A&M. They are a very good team."

Jacobson said one of the positives of the day was the play of Nebraska’s Gitte Ostermann at No. 1 singles. Ostermann, ranked No. 42 by the ITA, fell to No. 15 Jessica Roland, 6-4, 7-5.

"Gitte had to take quite a bit of time off at the beginning of the season, so you lose a little of your confidence and match toughness in those situations," Jacobson said. "But she is making steps in the right direction, and she is hitting the ball cleaner than she was just a week ago."

Up Next
Following their Spring Break trip to Newport Beach, Calif., the Huskers will return to Big 12 action with a March 26 contest against Iowa State. The match at Woods Tennis Center begins at 4 p.m.

Nebraska Notables

• Senior Anna Oehme hit the 50-win mark for her career Feb. 27 when she defeated Creighton’s Deidre Senders, 6-0, 6-0. Leslie Harvey is just one win away from amassing 50 career singles victories.
• Sophomore Milena Schulz-Gartner saw her team-best four-match winning streak end March 13 when she lost to Texas A&M’s Helga Vieira, 6-3, 6-3, at No. 2 singles.
• Nebraska is just four wins away from matching its 2003 total of 12.
• The Huskers have shut out five teams 7-0 in 2004, including Montana State, Wichita State, Wyoming, Air Force and Creighton. Nebraska’s biggest wins so far were Feb. 21 against No. 64 Yale and Feb. 1 over perennial NCAA Tournament qualifier Illinois-Chicago

Nebraska Coach Scott Jacobson
In his 13th year, Scott Jacobson continues to lead Nebraska to success on the national level despite battling one of the toughest conferences in the nation.

With a career-record of 155-122, Jacobson is the winningest coach in Nebraska women’s tennis history. He has led the Huskers to a national ranking in each of the past seven seasons. NU has also produced seven straight winning seasons under Jacobson’s leadership. Jacobson’s top seasons were in 2000 and 2001, when he guided the program to consecutive 19-6 records.

Jacobson has coached six Big 12 Conference champions and three all-conference players, including Gitte Ostermann in 2003. A school-record five Nebraska women’s tennis players were named to the Academic All-Big 12 team last season. In Jacobson’s 12 years, the Huskers have combined for 24 academic all-conference honors, including 15 first-team accolades.

In 2003, Jacobson led NU to a 12-11 record and a No. 76 ranking. Nebraska defeated two ranked teams, including No. 71 Eastern Michigan and No. 66 Denver.