NU Travels to Texas To Take On Two Top-30 Teams

The No. 53 Nebraska women’s tennis team travels to Texas to take on two top-30 teams, No. 13 Texas on Feb. 19, and No. 28 Texas A&M on Feb. 20. The matches mark the Huskers' first road contests of the season.

Nebraska enters the weekend with confidence. NU's last three wins have come over nationally ranked teams, including then-No. 44 Iowa on Feb. 4, then-No. 68 Washington State on Feb. 6 and then-No. 72 Missouri on Feb. 12. Since those victories, the Huskers moved up in the national rankings from No. 74 to their current spot just outside the top-50. Nebraska, with a 7-0 record, is off to a fast start this season. The Huskers have dominated their first seven matches, outscoring their opponents by a 45-4 margin.

Last weekend, Nebraska earned its first conference victory, defeating No. 72 Missouri, 6-1, on Saturday, Feb. 12. The Huskers were without three-time captain Katie Garcia, but with freshman Ellinor Zugner's solid play, they did not miss a beat. Nebraska started strong with its doubles. At the No. 1 doubles slot, senior Gitte Ostermann and Zugner defeated the Tigers' Katka Sevcikova and Carolyn Kramer, 8-5. Newcomers Ewelina Skaza and Imke Reimers, at the No. 2 slot, then rolled over Yelena Olshanskaya and Erika Josbena, 8-3, to take the doubles point.

In singles play, Zugner added her second win of her young career when she won over Charlotte Bellis, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 10-6. Skaza and junior Pamela Castillejos remained undefeated in singles play. Skaza, who has yet to drop a singles set, defeated Lubica Nadasska, 7-5, 6-0, while Castillejos defeated Kramer, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.

Ostermann, ranked No. 19 nationally, has risen to No. 1 in the ITA Central Regional singles rankings. Skaza received a singles ranking of No. 25 in the region. In doubles, Garcia and Castillejos were ranked No. 8 in the region and Ostermann and freshman Imke Reimers received a No. 11 ranking.

A Look at the Longhorns

The No. 13 Texas Longhorns enter the weekend with a 4-0 dual record. The Longhorns started the season on a strong note with a win over No. 9 Tulane. Texas has an experienced lineup, including four juniors and two sophomores.

UT's players are not strangers to the individual rankings. Junior Kendra Strohm is ranked No. 59 nationally in singles play and No. 3 regionally. Sophomore Petra Dizdar is ranked No. 68 nationally and No. 14 regionally. Two other Longhorns own regional singles rankings.

In doubles, juniors Katie Ruckert and Strohm received a No. 32 national ranking and a No. 5 regional ranking. Sophomores Ristine Olsen and Dizdar received a No. 6 regional ranking, while junior Kelly Baritot and freshman Courtney Zauft are ranked No. 12 regionally.

Head Coach Jeff Moore led Texas to a 23-6 record last season. He is in his 23rd season as head coach of the Longhorns and owns a 485-147 record.

Texas leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 7-0.

A Look at the Aggies

The No. 28 Texas A&M Aggies own a 2-6 record. All six Aggie losses have come at the hands of teams ranked in the top 50. A&M has faced three top-10 teams, losing all three matches. On Feb. 4, the Aggies lost a heartbreaker to then-No. 4 UCLA, 4-3.

Texas A&M enters the match with an experienced lineup which includes two seniors and two juniors. Senior Helga Vieira has received a No. 47 national ranking in singles play and is No. 4 regionally. Other- regionally-ranked athletes include junior Nicki Mechem at No. 17, senior Lauren Walker at No. 22 and Anna Blagodarova at No. 30. In doubles, Vieira and sophomore Anna Lubinsky are ranked No. 28 nationally.

A&M, the defending Big 12 champion, is guided by Head Coach Bobby Kleinecke, who is in his 20th year at Texas A&M.

Texas owns an 8-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Big Red.

About the Huskers ...

4Nebraska has produced eight straight winning seasons, including 2004.

4Nebraska’s 15 wins in 2004 represent its highest victory total since 2001. It also marks the fifth time in coach Scott Jacobson’s tenure that NU has tallied at least 15 wins.

4The Huskers are on a seven-match winning streak. Their last three wins have come againstranked teams.

4NU’s win over Missouri marked the Huskers’ first conference opening victory since 2001.

4NU’s ranking of No. 53 is the highest of any Husker team since 2001.

A Quick Look at the Probable Husker lineup

4No. 1 singles - Gitte Ostermann (6-1): Ostermann is ranked No. 19 nationally in the ITA rankings, the highest ranking ever for a Husker women’s tennis player. Ostermann had a strong fall campaign, recording nine victories and winning the ITA Regional Championships in Tulsa, Okla. She has won six of her first seven matches this season, losing only to No. 104 Katka Sevcikova of Missouri in a three-set thriller, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.

4No. 2 singles - Imke Reimers (5-2): The freshman is 5-2 to start the season, including four victories at the No. 2 slot. She recorded her first win as a Husker against Creighton on Jan. 20, blanking Deidre Senders, 6-0, 6-0. In the fall, Reimers posted a 3-1 record, advacing to the field of 32 in the ITA Regional Championships.

4No. 3 singles - Milena Schulz-Gartner (5-1): Schulz-Gartner is 4-1 at the No. 3 singles slot and 1-0 at the No. 2 spot. Last year, Schulz-Gartner and former Husker Anna Oehme tallied 18 victories which ranks fourth all-time for single-season win totals.

4No. 4 singles - Ewelina Skaza (7-0): A transfer from Miami, FL, Skaza is undefeated in singles play and has yet to drop a set.

4No. 5 singles - Pamela Castillejos (7-0): The junior currently is on a seven-match winning streak, the longest of her career. During that time, Castillejos has dropped only one set.

4No. 6 singles - Katie Garcia (6-0): Garcia, a three-time captain, has tied her career-long winning streak of six matches. This weekend marks her first cnonference match of the season. Garcia sat out of the Missouri match due to an illness.

Huskers’ Doubles Play Gives Nebraska Early Success

The Big Red will look to their strong doubles play to jump out to an early lead against No. 13 Texas and No. 28 Texas A&M this weekend.

The Huskers are used to doubles success. Last year, Ostermann and Garcia teamed up at the No. 2 slot earn a 12-6 record, including a six-match winning streak. By the end of the season, the duo was ranked No. 74. Schulz-Gartner and Anna Oehme went 18-4 at the No. 3 doubles slot. Their win total tied ranks fourth all-time in NU history.

Nebraska’s doubles play has been dominant since the start of the season against Creighton. The Huskers have yet to drop a doubles point and have lost only one match. Ostermann and Garcia have carried their momentum over from last year to post a 6-0 record at the No. 1 slot, while Schulz-Gartner and Catillejos have gone 6-1 at the No. 3 slot.

Newcomers Skaza and Reimers have been solid at the No. 2 slot. The transfer from Miami and the freshman have teamed for a 7-0 record, including their first Big 12 Conference doubles win of the season, an 8-3 victory over Missouri’s Yelena Olshanskaya and Erika Josbena.

Husker Coach Scott Jacobson

In his 14th year as head coach, Scott Jacobson continues to lead Nebraska to success on the national level while working toward winning a Big 12 championship.

In amassing a career record of 170-127, Jacobson is the winningest coach in Nebraska women’s tennis history. Under Jacobson, Nebraska has achieved new heights, including eight straight winning seasons. In both 2000 and 2001, Nebraska recorded a 19-6 record, the highest singles win total during Jacobson’s career.

Nebraska has produced six Big 12 Conference championships and three all-conference players, including Gitte Ostermann in 2003 and 2004, as a result of Jacobson’s tutelage.

In 2004, Jacobson led NU to a 16-9 record and a No. 75 ranking. Nebraska defeated three ranked teams: No. 64 Yale, No. 75 Utah and No. 71 Colorado. Nebraska also extended its home non-conference winning streak to 54.

Along with the success on the court, Jacobson’s players also excel in the classromm. Last season, Nebraska set a school record when seven women’s tennis players were named to the academic All-Big 12 team, breaking the record of five set in 2003. During Jacobson’s tenure, the Huskers have earned 31 academic all-conference honors, including 20 first-team accolades.