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The Nebraska women’s tennis team concludes a four-match home stretch against Big 12 Conference competition this weekend when it plays host to Kansas (5-12 overall, 3-4 Big 12) on Saturday, April 17 and No. 71 Colorado (9-8, 5-4) on Sunday, April 18. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at either Woods Tennis Center (indoors) or the Cather Pound Courts (outdoors), depending upon the weather conditions.
The Huskers (13-6 overall and 3-4 in the Big 12) hope to continue their late-season momentum as they enter a critical stretch in their conference schedule. NU has won five of its last six matches, picking up three Big 12 victories during that stretch. Nebraska is tied with Kansas for eighth in the league standings, and Colorado enters the week ranked fifth. NU needs one more conference win to secure its best Big 12 record since the 2000-01 season when it went 6-5. With four regular-season matches remaining, Nebraska has already surpassed its 2003 victory total of 12.
The Huskers continue to be led by senior Leslie Harvey and sophomore Milena Schulz-Gartner. Both have 13-6 spring records. Harvey picked up her 50th career win in Nebraska’s victory over the Utah on March 17. She is 5-1 at No. 2 singles and 8-5 in the No. 3 spot. Schulz-Gartner is 10-3 at No. 2 singles and 3-3 when playing in the top spot.
No. 1 singles player Gitte Ostermann was ranked No. 62 in the April 13 ITA rankings. She is 7-6 competing in the No. 1 singles spot in 2004.
Strength in Numbers
Nebraska has benefited in recent matches from strong performances in the bottom half of the lineup, wearing teams down with its depth. Seniors Rose Ketmayura (No. 4 singles) and Anna Oehme (No. 5 singles) and junior Katie Garcia (No. 6 singles) all went 2-0 in the Huskers’ wins over Kansas State and Texas Tech last weekend.
The strength of Nebraska’s No. 4-6 singles players was particularly evident in its 4-3 win over the Red Raiders Sunday. Nebraska won the doubles point but lost all three matches in the top half of the singles lineup. Wins from Garcia and Oehme tied the score, and Ketmayura defeated Lakann Wagley, 6-4, 6-5, to secure the victory.
A Look at Kansas and Colorado
Nebraska and Kansas enter the week tied for eighth place in the Big 12 standings at 4-3. Kansas, 5-12 overall, has lost two straight, falling to Baylor and Oklahoma. KU’s conference wins include Iowa State, Kansas State and Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks began the season ranked by the ITA but have since fallen out of the poll. KU’s last ranking was No. 75 on Feb. 10.
Kansas is led by first-year coach Amy Hall, who served as a assistant for six seasons before taking the head job.
No. 71 Colorado owns a 9-8 overall record and a 5-4 Big 12 mark. The Buffaloes have lost three of their last four, but all of the losses have been to teams in the top half of the conference standings (Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Baylor). CU’s Jessica Vanderdys enters the weekend on a roll, having won five of her last six matches at No. 2 singles. Head Coach Nicole Kenneally, who took over the reigns in 1999, guided CU to its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003.
Nebraska is 9-19 all-time vs. Kansas and 8-12 all-time against Colorado. The Huskers lost to both teams last season.
Up Next
Following its weekend matches against Kansas and Colorado, the Huskers conclude regular-season play in Oklahoma. The Huskers face Oklahoma State April 24 at 11 a.m. before taking on the Sooners April 25 at 10 a.m.
Last Time Out: NU Defeats Texas Tech, 4-3
Nebraska captured its third Big 12 Conference victory with a dramatic 4-3 win over Texas Tech April 11 at Woods Tennis Center.
The Huskers led Tech, 3-1, after picking up the doubles point and singles wins from senior Anna Oehme and junior Katie Garcia at the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, respectively. But the Red Raiders evened the score with wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles.With the score tied at three, NU senior Rose Ketmayura defeated Texas Tech’s Lakann Wagley, 6-4, 6-5, to secure the victory for the Huskers.
"I think depth is so important at this point in the season," Nebraska Coach Scott Jacobson said. "We are nine-deep in our singles lineup, and that gives us some good opportunities when we get to the four, five and six matches. Today was a perfect example of that."
With the win, the Huskers improved to 13-6 overall and 3-4 in the Big 12. With four regular-season matches remaining, Nebraska has already surpassed its 2002 win total of 12. Texas Tech fell to 10-7 on the season.
Ostermann Ranked No. 62 in ITA Poll
Nebraska junior Gitte Ostermann earned the No. 62 spot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I Women’s rankings released April 13. Ostermann is 7-6 at the No. 1 spot this season, as she missed the first five matches of the season with injury.
Ostermann was ranked 19th in the ITA preseason rankings released on Jan. 12, the highest ranking ever for a Husker women’s tennis player. Ostermann, who was previously unranked, raced up the charts after producing a 14-4 fall record, including an 8-3 mark against opponents listed in the preseason rankings. Only two players in the country had more top-100 wins than Ostermann during the fall.
Ostermann, the Huskers’ No. 1 singles player for the past two seasons, owns a 34-22 career record and was a first-team All-Big 12 pick in 2003 despite playing with a injured shoulder. Her previous high ranking came two years ago when she was ranked No. 55 as a freshman.
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 160-124, 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 eight straight winning seasons (including 2004) 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. 73 ranking. Nebraska defeated three ranked teams, including No. 71 Eastern Michigan, No. 66 Denver and No. 34 Ohio State.