Huskers Enter Second Team Tournament of the Spring

The No. 60 Nebraska men's tennis team returns to action on Wednesday, March 23, when the Huskers face Marquette in the first round of the Boise State Red Lion Spring Break Invitational in Boise, Idaho.

The Huskers will play at least four matches at the three-day tournament (March 23, 25, 26), including two on the first day. Competition will take place at three locales, including on the campus at Boise State University, at Cane Creek Country Club and at the Boise Racquet and Swim Club.

Nebraska (7-7) opens the tournament against Marquette at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Boise Racquet and Swim Club. The Huskers are the No. 5-seed in the 16-team field. Nebraska will then face either Northern Arizona or the College of Santa Fe later on Wednesday.

Inclement weather is forecast for the Boise area on Wednesday, and if weather does not permit, teams may play inside at each of the venues, although only three courts are available at each site.

Nebraska and Marquette did not square off in a team format, but did meet during the fall season at the Milwaukee Tennis Classic. In total, the Huskers and Golden Eagles were pitted against each other in two singles and two doubles matches, with Nebraska winning three of the contests. In the singles consolation draw, Adrian Szatmary defeated Ricky Servoss, 6-0, 6-3, while Jose Rivera ran past Pete Van Lieshout, 6-3, 6-3. In doubles play in the main draw, Joerg Barthel and Rivera defeated Tomek Cernuszewicz and Greg Sirotek, 8-3, while MU's Eigis Vedrickas and Servoss downed Karl Jones and Marcus Karner, 8-4.

The Huskers will face stiff competition this week, as four teams are in the ITA national rankings. Top-seed and host Boise State is ranked No. 31 this week, while No. 3-seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi ? which already defeated NU 4-0 this season ? is the highest ranked team at No. 28 in the ITA poll. Also in the rankings this week are No. 2-seed BYU (No. 64 nationally) and No. 6-seed Ball State (No. 52), while the Huskers moved up six spots to No. 60 in the ITA rankings. Also potential opponents in the field this week are: Wichita State, New Mexico, Bradley, Cal Poly SLO, Gonzaga, Lewis and Clark, Montana State-Billings and Whitman.

The host Boise State Broncos have a pair of nationally ranked doubles teams while BSU's Luke Shields leads the way in singles play. Shields, a freshman, is ranked No. 34 this week in the ITA national ranking after cruising to a 16-6 spring record at the No. 1 slot. Shields recently had an eight-match win streak snapped. Shields and Thomas Schoeck are currently ranked seventh in doubles nationally, while Ball State's Matt Baccarani and Patrick Thompson are No. 15. Boise State's Matias Silva and Ikaika Jobe also check in the national top 50 at No. 39 this week.

Following this week's action, Nebraska returns to the court on March 29 when it takes plays host to Colorado at the NU Varsity Courts (weather permitting). The match will be the first of five straight conference tilts to end the regular season.

Nebraska Continues Run in National Poll
The Cornhuskers remained in the ITA poll for the eighth straight week as they moved up to No. 60 nationally on March 22. The Huskers moved up for the second straight week and the current rank is Nebraska's highest since entering the poll at No. 55 on Feb. 1.

After gaining a spot in the national polls, NU fell to No. 69 for two straight weeks before dropping to No. 74 on Feb. 22. The Huskers were then ranked No. 70 for two straight weeks before moving up four spots in the poll to No. 66 last week.

Nebraska was ranked once last season when it came in at No. 75 for one week. Before that, NU's last appearance in the ITA national rankings came in 2002 when the Huskers spent eight weeks ? including seven consecutive ? in the poll and finished the year at No. 72.

Huskers Look for Right Combinations
The Huskers found the right combination in doubles play recently after struggling early in the year. The recent lineup changes have helped Nebraska pick up the doubles point in four of its last six dual matches, after winning just one doubles point in the first seven matches of the season. Nebraska posted nine wins in its last 16 doubles matches as the Huskers earned a 3-4 dual match record.

Joel Reckewey and Jerry Posch have won three of their last six doubles matches together and own the most wins (4) of any Husker tandem this season at the No. 1 position. Despite their strong showing recently, the Huskers' hottest duo has been Adrian Szatmary and James Clow, as the sophomores have paired together to earn a 4-1 record, all at the No. 3 doubles position. Szatmary and Clow won four straight to open the season before suffering their first setback in the Huskers' last match against Oklahoma State. Nebraska owns a 7-5 season record at No. 3 doubles, its only winning position in doubles play.

Looking Down the Road
Nebraska has struggled recently, as it has dropped three straight matches and the competition will not get any easier from this point forward. The Huskers are one of five ranked teams competing at the Boise State Red Lion Spring Break Invitational this week, and when it gets back into conference play, NU will face five straight league opponents ranked in the top 55.