Huskers Take on Three Non-conference Teams

This weekend the Nebraska women’s tennis team returns home for a five-match home stretch with a 8-1 record and a 2-1 conference record after defeating No. 28 Texas A&M on Feb. 20. The Huskers play three-matches in three days this weekend against Drake on Feb. 25, Utah on Feb. 26 and Wichita State Feb. 27. NU looks to extend its 60-match home non-conference winning streak.

This is a historic week for NU. The Huskers jumped from No. 53 to No. 38 in the ITA national rankings released Tuesday, the highest ranking in school history. The previous high was No. 39 achieved in 2001. Seniors Gitte Ostermann and Katie Garcia also received record rankings this week. Ostermann jumped one spot from No. 19 to No. 18 in No. 1 singles, while in doubles, Garcia and Ostermann received a No. 23 ranking. The rankings are the highest in school history.

Nebraska has completed one of the toughest stretches of the season, playing five straight nationally ranked teams. Of those five matches, only then-No. 72 Missouri was ranked beneath NU. The Huskers have come out of that stretch in good shape, taking four out of five matches.

Last weekend, Nebraska travelled to Texas to take on two of the top powers in the conference, No. 13 Texas and No. 28 Texas A&M. The Big Red was without the services of its No. 1 singles player, senior Gitte Ostermann in the first match. In doubles, junior Milena Schulz-Gartner and freshman Ellinor Zugner won their doubles match, while juniors Pamela Castillejos and Ewelina Skaza forced their matches to two second set tiebreakers, but the Huskers fell short overall, 7-0. Ostermann returned to the lineup on Sunday, Feb. 20, to face the Aggies. At the No. 1 slot, Ostermann dominated A&M’s Anna Lubinsky, 6-3, 6-3. In doubles, seniors Katie Garcia and Ostermann upset the No. 28 doubles team of Lubinsky and Helga Vieira, 8-3. Castillejos sealed the match with a clutch win over Marisa Druss, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

In singles play, Skaza, a transfer from Miami, has made an immediate impact, posting an 8-0 record at the No. 4 slot, while Castillejos has enjoyed similar success with a 7-0 record at the No. 5 slot.

A Look at the Drake Bulldogs

The Drake Bulldogs enter the weekend with an 0-5 dual match record. The Bulldogs have faced three ranked teams this year in No. 72 Missouri, No. 45 Denver and No. 57 Iowa. Drake brings an experienced lineup to Lincoln with three seniors and a junior.

Senior Zorana Stefanovic leads the Bulldogs at the No. 1 singles slot. She received a No. 18 regional ranking in sngles and has posted a 1-4 record in singles. Drake sophomore Allison Wilkie is an Omaha, Neb. native. She is a graduate of Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha.

Head Coach Ryun Ferrell is in his sixth year at Drake. He owns a 55-58 record. Ferrell led Drake to a 10-13 record last season.

Drake leads the all-time series with NU, 13-12.

A Look at the Utah Utes

The Utah Utes have a 7-3 dual match record, including winning seven of their last eight-matches. The Utes have faced two nationally ranked teams, No. 26 Oregon and No. 68 UC Irvine.

Utah comes to Lincoln to with a young lineup, with six freshmen and three sophomores. The Utes are led by freshman Elizabeth Ferris at the No. 1 singles slot, who owns a 6-3 record. Ferris is on a six-match winning streak.

Head Coach Megan Dorny is in her third year at Utah, with Ruthann Escobedo serving in her seventh year as an assistant. Last season, Utah had a 7-16 record.

Utah leads the all-time series with NU, 2-1.

A Look at the Wichita State Shockers

Wichita State enters the weekend with a 5-3 record after winning five out of the last six matches. The Shockers will finish a three-match weekend in Nebraska after playing Nebraska-Omaha on Friday Feb. 25 and Creighton Feb. 26. WSU has faced two nationally ranked teams in No. 54 Arkansas and No. 3 Georgia.

Wichita State has a young lineup, which does not include a senior. One of only two juniors on the team, Ana Ines Exeni enters the weekend with a 4-2 singles record at the No. 1 spot.

Head Coach Chris Young is in his first season at WSU. In 2004, the Schockers posted a 7-12 record.

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Wichita State, 11-9.

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 Big Red owns a 60-match home non-conference winning streak.
4Senior Gitte Ostermann’s singles ranking of No. 18 is the highest in school history.
4Senior Katie Garcia and Ostermann’s doubles ranking of No. 23 is the first national doubles ranking since their No. 74 ranking last season, and is the highest in school history.
4The Huskers have won seven of the first eight matches of the season, including a 4-1 record over nationally ranked teams.
4NU’s win over Missouri marked the Huskers’ first conference-opening victory since 2001.
4NU’s ranking of No. 38 is the highest in school hisotry.
4Nebraska’s win over No. 28 Texas A&M is NU’s second all-time win over the Aggies.
4Juniors Ewelina Skaza and Pamela Castillejos both have posted 8-1 singles records.
4No. 28 Texas A&M is believed to be the highest ranked team NU has beaten and the win was the first NU win over a top-40 team since NU’s victory over No. 38 Ohio State in 2003.

A Quick Look at the Probable Husker lineup

4No. 1 singles - Gitte Ostermann (7-1): Ostermann is ranked No. 18 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 seven of her first eight 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 (5-4): The freshman is 5-4 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. She narrowly missed pulling the upset against No. 47 Helga Vieira of Texas A&M when she lost in a three-set thriller, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4. In the fall, Reimers posted a 3-1 record, including advancing to the field of 32 in the ITA Regional Championships.

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

4No. 4 singles - Ewelina Skaza (8-1): A transfer from Miami, Fla., Skaza is undefeated in singles play at the No. 4 slot and has yet to drop a set at that spot. Skaza dropped two close matches against Texas’s Mia Marovic at the No. 3 slot, including forcing a second set tiebreaker, before falling, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6).

4No. 5 singles - Pamela Castillejos (8-1): The junior currently is on an eight-match winning streak at the No. 5 slot, the longest of her career. During that time, Castillejos has dropped only one set at this slot. Against A&M, Castillejos clinched the historic victory with a win over Marisa Druss, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

4No. 6 singles - Katie Garcia (6-2): Garcia, a three-time captain, has tied her career-long winning streak of six matches. Garcia dropped her first match of the season to the Aggies’ Seva Iwinski at the No. 6 slot, 6-4, 7-5.