Huskers Defeat Marquette and Xavier

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Milwaukee, Wis. --  The Nebraska men’s tennis team finished a perfect weekend in Milwaukee Saturday by defeating Xavier and Marquette by identical 5-2 margins.  With the win, the Huskers take their season record to 5-4, climbing over the .500 mark with three victories over the past two days.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

“It felt good to finish the weekend 3-0.  Our guys fought hard tonight,” said NU head coach Kerry McDermott.

 

Against Xavier, Nebraska stumbled early, with Joel Reckewey and Justin Junck losing the No. 1 doubles match to Brad Meadors and Justin Yeager 8-5.  But the Huskers rallied to take the next two doubles matches and earn the doubles point.  The No. 2 doubles tandem of Joerg Barthel and Jose Rivera defeated J.R. Randall and Matt Zollman 8-3, while the No. 3 doubles team of Gerhard Posch and Ryan Jay defeated Jeremy Miller and Rob Simpson 8-5.

 

Nebraska continued its strong play early in their singles matches, as the top half of the lineup was 3-0.  Posch defeated Yeager 6-3, 6-2 in No. 1 singles.  In No. 2 singles, Barthel beat Randall 6-4, 6-2, while Rivera pulled out a hard-fought 6-4, 7-6 victory against Miller in No. 3 singles.  The Musketeers scored their first point of the match in No. 4 singles, as Simpson defeated NU’s Jeff Nabity 6-1, 6-4.  Xavier’s Matt Zollman defeated James Clow in heartbreaking 4-6, 7-6, 10-8 fashion in No. 5 singles, but Nebraska would respond in No. 6 singles.  Junck defeated Kevin Gaughan 4-6, 6-3, 11-9 to give the Huskers their fourth singles win of the match.

 

The Marquette match started much like the Xavier match, with a loss at No. 1 doubles, and a victory in No. 2 doubles.  Raj Gill and Eigis Vedrickas knocked off NU’s Reckewey and Junck 8-3, while Barthel and Rivera pushed their way past Troy Delmege and Ian Kawas 9-8.  But, unlike the Xavier match, the Golden Eagles would earn the doubles point, as Creighton Macy and Ricky Servoss defeated Posch and Jay in No. 3 doubles 9-8.

 

Nebraska would rally in the singles matches, winning five of six to earn the victory.  Posch defeated Vedrickas 7-6, 7-5 in No. 1 singles action.  After Gill knocked off Barthel 7-5, 6-4 in No. 2 singles, the Huskers won their next four matches en route to the win.  Rivera defeated Delmege 6-0, 7-5 in No. 3 singles.  In No. 4 singles,  Clow clinched the victory for NU with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Macy.  Reckewey defeated Kawas 6-4, 6-0 at No. 5 singles, while Nabity beat Servoss 6-2, 6-4 in No. 6 singles.

 

“After we lost a close point in doubles, our guys came back in the singles matches.  They believed in themselves, we fought hard, and we came out on top,” said McDermott.

 

Next action for Nebraska will be at the Boise Tournament, held in Boise, Idaho from Thursday, March 25 until Sunday, March 28.

 

Final Score: Nebraska 5, Xavier 2

Milwaukee, Wis.

March 20, 2004

 

Doubles

1. Meadors/Yeager (XU) def. Junck/Reckewey (NU), 8-5

2. Barthel/Rivera (NU) def. Randall/Zollman (XU), 8-3

3. Posch/Jay (NU) def. Miller/Simpson (XU), 8-5

 

Singles

1. Posch (NU) def.  Yeager (XU), 6-3, 6-2

2. Barthel (NU) def. Randall (XU), 6-4, 6-2

3. Rivera (NU) def. Miller (XU), 6-4, 7-6

4. Simpson (XU) def. Nabity (NU), 6-1, 6-4

5. Zollman (XU) def. Clow (NU), 4-6, 7-6, 10-8

6. Junck (NU) def. Gaughan (XU), 4-6, 6-3, 11-9

 

Final Score: Nebraska 5, Marquette 2

Milwaukee, Wis.

March 20, 2004

 

Doubles

1. Gill/Vedrickas (MU) def. Junck/Reckewey (NU), 8-3

2. Barthel/Rivera (NU) def. Delmege/Kawas (MU), 9-8

3. Macy/Servoss (MU) def. Posch/Jay (NU), 9-8

 

Singles

1. Posch (NU) def. Vedrickas (MU), 7-5, 7-6

2. Gill (MU) def. Barthel (NU), 7-5, 6-4

3. Rivera (NU) def. Delmege (MU), 6-0, 7-5

4. Clow (NU) def. Macy (MU), 7-5, 6-2

5. Reckewey (NU) def. Kawas (MU), 6-4, 6-0

6. Nabity (NU) def.  Servoss (MU), 6-2, 6-4