Huskers Jumpstart Spring 2006 at ITA Regional Indoor Tournament

Lincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska men’s tennis team begins its spring 2006 campaign competing at the ITA Men’s Central Region Team Indoor Championships at the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla., Jan. 21-22, at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.

After a solid fall season, the Huskers earned a sixth-place seed in the eight-team field. Tulsa is seeded first with Big 12 Conference foes Oklahoma and Oklahoma State seeded second and third, respectively. Also, Arkansas and Drake are ahead of the Huskers at four and five, while Wichita State and Illinois State are seeded in seventh and eighth.

Nebraska Earns Ranking
After closing the 2004-05 season ranked at No. 75, capping 13 weeks spent in the ITA poll, the Huskers returned to the polls in the No. 75 spot once again in the first week of rankings for the 2006 season.

"We are excited to begin the spring season nationally ranked and we feel that we can make a huge climb in the rankings this year," Coach Kerry McDermott said. "I think people are going to be really surprised with how much we’ve improved and what Nebraska is capable of this season."

The 13 consecutive weeks spent in the top 75 of the ITA poll was the longest NU has been ranked since spending eight weeks ranked in the 2002 season.

All eight Big 12 Conference teams are ranked with Baylor the highest at No. 7 and Texas A&M following at No. 13.

McDermott Welcomes Four Newcomers to the 2005-06 Roster
Coach Kerry McDermott announced four talented newcomers to the 2005-06 roster, hoping to fill spots left by departed seniors Joel Reckewey and Jose Rivera. Renato Melo, Hendrik Stahmer, Mark Tate and Arturo Navarro come to Nebraska from diverse backgrounds and experience.

Melo comes to Nebraska as a freshman from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. In 2005, Melo was ranked third in the nation in the under-18 division and participated in the National Championship tournament.

Tate, a native of The Woodlands, Texas, comes to Nebraska as a sophomore after spending a year compting for Northern Illinois, producing an overall 16-13 record for the Huskies. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound right-hander was a Midwest Open finalist as well as a St. Louis National Open finalist. While attending Oak Ridge High School, Tate was a state champion in 2004.

Coming in as a freshman, Stahmer was the 2002 Nebraska Class B Singles Champion while attending Beatrice High School as an exchange student in Beatrice, Neb. Stahmer is a native of Hamburg, Germany.

Navarro, a junior, chose to transfer to Nebraska from Tennessee- Chattanooga, where he played in the No. 1 spot in singles and doubles, compiling a 14-10 singles record in 2005. The Naucal, Mexico, native also earned second-team All-Southern Conference honors last season.

McDermott said he is looking forward to the talent and experience the four newcomers will add.

"Our new players are going to make strong contributions to our team this season and help us to improve from last year," McDermott said. "We’re hoping to see a couple of them jump into the lineup and add depth to our roster."

Huskers Complete Successful Fall Campaign
The Nebraska men’s tennis team competed in four tournaments through fall 2005, with junior James Clow producing the best record at 7-5. Junior Adrian Szatmary recorded a solid 4-4 record.

At the Denver Fall Invitational, Sept. 25, in Denver, Colo., Clow made it to the Singles Flight A consolation finals, but lost to Minnesota’s DJ Gaetz, 7-6 (8), 7-5, after losing in the first round of the Singles Filight A.

Clow was the only Husker to move past two rounds in the double-elimination tournament. Sophomore Karl Jones made it to the Singles Flight B consolation finals, but was defeated, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, by Ryan Scott.

Nebraska men’s tennis senior Jerry Posch and Clow competed at the 2005 Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Tennis Championships held at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center at the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla., Oct. 3 and 4.

Posch was defeated by Concado Henrique of Old Dominion 6-4, 7-5, 6-1, in the first round of qualifying doubles. Posch and Clow were defeated in doubles action by Will Gray and Fredrico Soriano, 8-4, to knock the duo out.

The tournament featured the nation’s top collegiate tennis players including 128 singles players and 64 doubles teams split into a main draw and a qualifying draw.

At the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational held Oct. 7-9, at the Bill Moore Tennis Center in Atlanta, Ga., Clow was defeated by Andy Juc of Furman, 6-3, 6-0, in the second round of hte singles flight A consolation bracket.

The Huskers concluded fall play at the Wilson/ITA Men’s Central Region Championships at the University of Tulsa, Oct. 20-24. Szatmary and Clow were both eliminated from the tournament in the quarterfinal round of the main draw singles at hte Michael D. Case Tennis Center. Posch was defeated in the backdraw singles in the semifinal round.

Nebraska Looks to Build Off Talent and Experience
As the 2006 spring season kicks off, the Huskers look to build on the talent and experience demonstrated through fall 2005 and the 2004-05 season.

The Huskers return six letterwinners who bring a mix of experience including two seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and one freshman.

McDermott, who enters his 25th season as Nebraska's head coach, said the team's goal this year will be to give 100 percent day-in and day-out in practice and in matches with the mentality of never giving up.

"It's important to challenge ourselves and each other every day in practice," McDermott said. "A lot of matches are won on effort as well as talent."

With the parity of the Big 12, McDermott said the difference between finishing eighth and finishing in fourth or fifth place is only a matter of two or three wins.

Another goal of the Huskers is to continue earning a place in the ITA top-75 poll. Nebraska saw significant time in the rankings during the 2004-05 season, earning a ranking as high as No. 55 and finishing the season 75th. With the talent and experience coming back to the Huskers in 2005-06, McDermott knows a consistent spot in the poll is within reach.

"We are one of the top teams in our region, so being one of the top teams in the country is a goal we have every year," McDermott said. "If we can stay ranked through the season, it will help our guys to play with more confidence."

Seniors Leading Huskers through 2005-06 Campaign
As the Nebraska men’s tennis team returns to the courts for the 2005-06 season, it hopes to become more competitve in the Big 12 Conference by relying on the team’s maturity and work ethic exemplified through seniors Jerry Posch and Joerg Barthel.

Last spring, Posch played at the No. 1 singles slot in 23 of 24 dual matches, recording a 9-14 record at the position, while holding a 10-16 mark overall. Posch was one of three Huskers with double-figure wins. McDermott said Posch, who was named team captain this season, could achieve even better results as a senior.

Through the fall, Posch qualified for the ITA All-American tournament and produced a 3-5 record overall.

McDermott said the Perchtoldsdorf, Austria, native plays mentally tough and is a leader-by-example to an improving Husker team.

McDermott also said the senior has taken great strides through the summer to make himself even better.

As a player who thrives under pressure, Barthel will continue to make a strong impact with his experience. Although Barthel has spent much of his career riddled with injuries, he has still made a strong contribution for the Huskers, including a huge win at the No. 3 spot in NU's win over No. 16 Rice last season.

McDermott said it is Barthel's diligence that emphasizes his leadership abilities.

"Joerg is such a professional on the court in both practice and during matches," McDermott said. "His teammates can see that and he holds everyone to the same level of professionalism he shows."

Posch Named Team Captain
Senior Jerry Posch was named team captain for his excellent leadership abilities and commitment to the team. Last spring, Posch played at the No. 1 singles slot in 23 of 24 dual matches, recording a 9-14 record at the position, while holding a 10-16 mark overall. Posch was one of three Huskers with double-figure wins last spring and Head Coach Kerry McDermott expects similar, if not better, performances for the 2006 season.

McDermott said the Perchtoldsdorf, Austria, native plays mentally tough and is a leader-by-example to an improving Husker team.

"He’s such a great leader," McDermott said. "It’s almost like having another assistant coach because he is trying every day to help his teammates improve."

Juniors Looking to Repeat Success of 2005 Season
Juniors James Clow and Adrian Szatmary return to the Huskers as solid contributors demonstrated through their leadership and talent through the 2005 spring and fall seasons.

As one of the toughest and hardest-working players on the Nebraska roster, Clow has seen his role increase dramatically over the past two seasons. Clow is the only returning player who produced a winning record through the 2005 spring season, and McDermott said Clow is the most improved player returning for the 2005-06 season. Clow was also the only Husker to earn a winning record through the fall 2005 campaign.

McDermott said Clow is a great example of a competitor who plays with confidence.

"James is a gritty player who will find a way to win," McDermott said. "He gives 100 percent all the time, every day."

Szatmary will continue to make a strong impact on Nebraska's roster, coming off a successful 2004-05 season. Szatmary will challenge for one of the spots in NU's lineup while continuing his success in doubles play. Through the fall, Szatmary produced a 4-4 overall record and at the ITA Men's Central Region Championships, Szatmary made it to the quarterfinals seeded 13th.

Coach McDermott said Szatmary played a large part in keeping the Huskers in the ITA poll last season and he expects Szatmary to continue to perform well.