Nebraska Defeats Arkansas in Tight Match

Lincoln, Neb.?The No. 36 Nebraska women’s tennis team showed its resiliency and bounced back from a loss to No. 3 Texas to defeat No. 57 Arkansas, 4-3, Monday at the WoodsTennisCenter.  The Huskers improve to 5-1 on the year with the win and extended their home non-conference winning streak to 68 matches.

 

The Arkansas win marks the third ranked non-conference foe NU has defeated at home in the last two seasons.

 

“Arkansas is a program that is better than their ranking, and I think they will end the season ranked in the top 30,” coach Scott Jacobson said.  “It was a great battle.”

 

Nebraska made an adjustment near the top of the singles lineup but found itself down early, surrendering the doubles point.  Sophomore Imke Reimers made her first appearance of the season at the No. 2 singles spot and faced the No. 38 player in freshman Ela Kaluder, who won the ITA Central Regional Championships and owned a 19-3 singles record.  Reimers took control of the match winning a tight first set, 7-6 (7-2), and never looked back.  The sophomore from Germany dominated the second set, 6-1.  The win marks Reimers’ first career victory over a ranked opponent.

 

“Reimers came to play today,” coach Jacobson said.  “Her gifts came out on the tennis court.  She has to be the highlight of the day.”

 

The Huskers secured victory with a trio of three-set thrillers at the Nos. 4, 5 and 6 slots.  After dropping the first set, 6-0, senior Ewelina Skaza, who played at the No. 6 slot, bounced back to take the next two sets, 6-4, 6-3.  Senior Milena Schulz-Gartner had a similar outcome to Skaza’s at the No. 4 slot.  Schulz-Gartner fell in the first set, 6-1, but rallied to take the match, 6-2, 6-3.

 

Nebraska travels to Columbia, Mo., for its first road test of the season this weekend.  The Huskers face the Tigers at Noon, on Saturday, Feb. 18.

 

 

Nebraska 4, Arkansas 3

Singles

No. 1 Aurelija Miseviciute (UA) def. Kim Hartmann (NU), 6-0, 6-2
No. 2 Imke Reimers (NU) def. No. 38 Ela Kaluder (UA), 7-6 (7-2), 6-1
No. 3 Vlatka Joyanovic (UA) def. Vanessa Heute (NU), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
No. 4 Milena Schulz-Gartner (NU) def. Maryori Franco (UA), 1-6, 6-2, 6-3
No. 5 Pamela Castillejos (NU) def. Karina Ledaja (UA), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
No. 6 Ewelina Skaza (NU) def. Melissa Cornett (UA), 0-6, 6-4, 6-3

Doubles

No. 1 Maryori Franco/ Karina Ledaja (UA) def. Reimers/Skaza (NU), 8-6
No. 2 Ela Kaluder/Aurelija Miseviciute (UA) def. Schulz-Gartner/Hartmann (NU), 8-5
No. 3 Ellinor Zugner/Castillejos (NU) def. Melissa Cornett/Rachel Wilhelm (UA), 8-5