Ostermann Earns NCAA Tournament Bid

Lincoln -- Nebraska’s Gitte Ostermann has earned an individual bid to the 2004 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships May 24-29 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga. Ostermann is just the second player in NU history to compete in the postseason competition, following Sandra Noetzel in 1999.

A two-time All-Big 12 selection, Ostermann is one of 64 Division I players to qualify for the tournament and one of four automatic qualifiers from the Central Region. Each of the six regions is granted four automatic individual bids, based on criteria that includes an individual’s record against regional and ranked opponents. The remaining 40 bids are at-large.

Other automatic qualifiers in the Central Region include Daniela Muscolino of Tulsa, Anda Perianu of Oklahoma and Barbara Zahnova of Brigham Young.

"It has been a real privilege to have someone of Gitte’s talent and ability playing for Nebraska," NU Coach Scott Jacobson said. "We really think she will go down there and have a great tournament."

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 missed NU’s first five spring matches with a hand injury. Once back on the court, she opened with a 3-4 record before quickly gaining momentum. Ostermann finished the year with eight wins in her last 12 matches for an 11-7 singles record ? all at No. 1 singles ? and a No. 75 ranking. Ostermann, who posted a 12-6 doubles record with Katie Garcia, also helped the Huskers break into the national team rankings where it moved as high as No. 67 in February before finishing the regular season at No. 74.