Huskers Swept by No. 2 Baylor, 7-0

Waco, Texas --- Returning to Big 12 action for the first time in more than two weeks, the Nebraska men’s tennis team dropped a 7-0 decision to No. 2-ranked Baylor on Friday at the Baylor Tennis Center. With the loss, the Huskers fell to 8-8 on the year and 0-4 in Big 12 play while the Bears improved to 18-2 on the season and 3-0 in league action.

“Baylor has a big, fast lineup from top to bottom and deserves the ranking it has,” said NU Coach Kerry McDermott. “Everyone saw the level that we have to play at to compete with the top teams in the league and hopefully we can take this and move forward. We will need to play at a better level against a tough Texas Tech team Sunday.”

Facing a ranked team for the eighth time in 16 matches this spring, the Huskers dropped the doubles point with only NU’s No. 3 tandem of Gerhard Posch and Ryan Jay pushing the Bears to the limit before falling 8-6 at the No. 3 position. Nebraska’s No. 1 duo of Joel Reckewey and Justin Junck were swept, 8-0, by Benedikt Dorsch and Matija Zgaga at No. 1 doubles while the Bears’ team of Ivor Lovrak and Reiner Neurohr downed Jose Rivera and Joerg Barthel, 8-4, at the No. 2 slot.

In singles action, the Huskers faced four ranked players, the most top-100 players NU has faced in a match this spring. Posch put up a solid effort at the top slot to push No. 2 Dorsch before falling 7-5, 6-2. Barthel dropped a 6-1, 6-2, contest to No. 13 Benjamin Becker ? who won his ninth straight singles match -- at the No. 2 spot while Joel Reckewey fell to No. 67 Zgaga, 6-0, 6-2, at the No. 4 slot. Reckewey’s younger brother Jon, a freshman competing for the Bears, defeated NU’s James Clow, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 6 singles to end the match. Jose Rivera (No. 3 singles) and Jeff Nabity (No. 5 singles) also fell in straight sets.

Nebraska continues league action in Texas this weekend when it travels to Lubbock to take on No. 61 Texas Tech on Sunday, April 4, at 11 a.m.

FINAL SCORE: No. 2 Baylor 7, Nebraska 0
BaylorTennisCenter
Waco, Texas ? April 2, 2004
 
Doubles
1. Benedikt Dorsch/Matija Zgaga (BU) def. Joel Reckewey/Justin Junck(Neb.) 8-0
2. Ivor Lovrak/Reiner Neurohr(BU) def. Jose Rivera/Joerg Barthel (Neb.) 8-4
3. Matias Marin/Jason Gould (BU) def. Gerhard Posch/Ryan Jay (Neb.) 8-6

Singles
1. No. 2 Benedikt Dorsch (BU) def. Gerhard Posch (Neb.) 7-5, 6-2
2. No. 13 Benjamin Becker (BU) def. Joerg Barthel (Neb.) 6-1, 6-2
3. No. 85 Matias Marin (BU) def. Jose Rivera (Neb.) 6-1, 6-0
4. No. 67 Matija Zgaga (BU) def. Joel Reckewey (Neb.) 6-0, 6-2
5. Reiner Neurohr (BU) def. Jeff Nabity (Neb.) 6-0, 6-1
6. Jon Reckewey (BU) def. James Clow (Neb.) 6-4, 6-4