Nebraska Finishes Regular Season with Two Conference Opponents

The Nebraska women’s tennis team returns to Lincoln to close out the regular season with two conference matches this weekend, and each has Big 12 Championship seedings implications.  The Huskers face IowaState on Saturday, April 22, at 10 a.m., and have Senior Day on Sunday, April 23, at noon, when they face No. 66 Kansas State.

The matches will be played at the NU Varsity Courts, however, if inclimate weather becomes imminent, the matches will be moved to the WoodsTennisCenter.

The Huskers enter the weekend with a 14-7 record and are 5-4 in the conference.

The Big Red finished last weekend in Oklahoma with a 1-1 record.  On Saturday, April 15, NU opened the weekend in Norman, Okla., on a two-match winning streak ready to face the Oklahoma Sooners. 

The Sooners jumped out to an early lead by taking the doubles point.  Anne Carter and Monica Purice gave OU momentum has they made quick work of senior Pamela Castllejos and freshman Vanessa Heute, 8-2, at the No. 3 spot.  Gabby Baker and Chelsea Orr clinched the doubles point as they defeated senior Ewelina Skaza and sophomore Imke Reimers in a close match at No. 1 doubles, 8-6.

Heute got the Huskers onto the board with a win in straight sets at the No. 6 spot.  Heute topped Carter, 6-3, 6-3, en route to her seventh straight victory.  Senior Milena Schulz-Gartner rallied after dropping the first set 6-2, to take the match with 6-3, 7-6 (5) victories in the last two sets. 

Reimers, who was playing at No. 2, bounced back after falling behind to Irina Lykina, 6-2, to take the next two sets, 6-1, 6-2.  Reimers’ victory gave her a team-high 20 wins this season.

Christi Baxley defeated Castillejos at No. 4 in a three-set thriller, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, to clinch the upset for the Sooners.

Nebraska then regrouped and faced then-No. 47 Oklahoma State on Sunday, April 16.

The Huskers started slowly again as they dropped the doubles point for the second straight match.  However, Schulz-Gartner and freshman Kim Hartmann gave NU momentum going into singles play by taking the final doubles match, 8-6, over Iryna Tkachenko and Marta Tsivka at No. 2.

The Huskers carried that momentum into singles play and quickly took control of the match by grabbing the first set in five of six matches.  Hartmann rolled over Tkachenko at No. 1 , 6-1, 6-1, and Castillejos gave the Huskers the lead in the match when she defeated Yawna Allen, 6-0, 6-4, at No. 4.  Reimers pulled out a close first set at No. 2 over Lauren Simmons and never looked back, taking the second set in style, 6-1.

Reimers’ win marked her third straight singles victory.

Heute clinched the victory for Nebraska with a three-set thriller at No. 6.  Heute fell in the first set, 6-3, but rallied to take the final two sets, 6-0, 6-2.  The wins gave her a 5-0 conference record at No. 6, which ranks third in the conference at that slot.

On Tuesday, April 18, the Huskers moved up one spot in the ITA National Rankings to No. 41, which is NU’s highest team ranking since Feb. 22, when it was ranked No. 36.  Hartmann returned to the national singles rankings for the fourth time in her career.  She is now ranked No. 101.

Huskers Say Goodbye to Four Seniors

Nebraska says goodbye to four seniors who have left their mark on the program.  Pamela Castillejos, Jennifer Cremieux, Milena Schulz-Gartner and Ewelina Skaza have all been key contributors during their time in Lincoln.  They will be honored on Senior Day.

Castillejos was named team captain for the first time in her career at the start of the 2005-06 season.  The senior from Puebla, Mexico has amassed 55 singles wins and 34 doubles wins for a total of 89 career combined wins.  She had the most productive season in NU history during her junior year as she posted a 22-3 singles record, which gave her a .880 winning percentage which ranks No. 1 on NU’s season singles winning percentage chart.  She has been a leader on the doubles court playing with four different players in doubles and posting 14 wins this season.  An industrial engineering major, she has performed in the classroom as well, being named second-team academic All-Big 12 in 2004 and 2005, and being named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the both the fall and spring semesters in 2004 and 2005.  Her 55 singles victories marks the most in this class.

Cremieux came to Nebraska after a stellar high school career at Pine Ridge high school in Ajax, Ontario, Canada.  She was a two-sport star lettering in both volleyball and tennis and was the Ontario doubles championships runner-up for 16 through 18 year olds.  She has seen most of her playing time in doubles, mainly during her freshman year.  She went 8-11 that season mainly at the No. 3 spot and posted a 7-3 non-conference doubles record.  She has always made the most out of her singles opportunities, owning 13 career victories.  In fact, she has not lost a singles match since her sophomore year, when she went 3-1.  In the fall, Cremieux rolled through the singles flight winning the Lloyd Stokstad Tournament.  Cremieux owns 21 career doubles wins.

Schulz-Gartner came to NU as a sophomore in 2003 after spending a year studying law at Christian-AlbrechtsUniversity.  Schulz-Gartner has been a consistent contributor for NU near the top of the singles lineup during her three years in the scarlet and cream.  As a sophomore, she burst onto the scene, winning 20 singles matches, including a 3-3 record at No. 1.  In doubles, she posted 18 wins with Anne Oehme, which ranks No. 4 on NU’s season doubles wins chart.  After sitting out for part of her junior season, she still managed to post a 7-4 record at No. 3.  This season, she started out at No. 4 before being moved to No. 3 where she has found much success, owning a 6-3 record at that spot.  In her career, Schulz-Gartner has posted 41 singles wins and 46 doubles victories, which ties Gitte Ostermann for fifth-most career doubles wins in school history.

Skaza came to Nebraska with high expectations after two productive years at Miami and she has not disappointed.  She finished her first fall as a Husker with a seven-match winning streak and was regionally ranked.  She started the spring winning 12 of her first 13 matches and finished the season with 21 wins.  In doubles she teamed with Imke Reimers to post 17 doubles wins which ranks fifth on NU’s single-season doubles wins chart.  As a senior, she has played anywhere between Nos. 4 and 6 during the season.  She has battled through a nagging abdominal strain and has posted eight wins this season.  She has played most of the season at No. 1 doubles, and owns 10 doubles wins this season.  During her time at NU, Skaza has 31 career singles victories and 29 doubles victories. 

The seniors have helped lead Nebraska to many firsts during their time in Lincoln.  Last season, the four played integral roles in the Big Red’s berth to the NCAA Tournament, the first in school history.  They helped lead NU to nine conference victories in 2004-05, the most in school history, and 18 overall wins, which is No. 3 on NU’s single-season wins chart.  The .818 winning percentage was the highest ever at NU. 

The four seniors have led this year’s squad to seven wins over ranked teams, which ties the most wins over ranked teams in school history.

With 21 conference victories, this class has posted more conference victories than any other class in school history. 

They have posted 60 wins during their time in Lincoln, which is believed to be only the sixth class to post at least 60 wins.

A Look at the Cyclones

Iowa State comes to Lincoln with a young squad, with only two seniors on the team.  ISU is 4-12 this season and is 0-10 in the conference.  The Cyclones are on a seven-match losing streak against Division I teams, including being shut out, 7-0, by Oklahoma and OklahomaState.  The Cyclones are coming off of a 7-0 home victory over Nebraska-Omaha on April 15, which marked ISU’s first win since March 13.

Iowa State’s No. 1 singles player is junior Jill Palen.  She is 4-18 on the season, and is 1-11 at that slot against Division I opponents.  In the fall, she won two straight matches at the Lloyd Stokstad Tournament at Drake, defeating Evelina Rusdianto and NU’s Skaza.  Skaza fell in straight sets to Palen, 7-6, 6-2.

At the Lloyd Stokstad Tournament, Cremieux faced senior Elizabeth Chermel, who is ISU’s No. 3 player.  Cremieux dominated Chermel, 6-4, 6-2, in Cremieux’s first action since her sophomore season.  Sophomore Ellinor Zugner faced freshman Kara Hickey, who has played mainly at the No. 2 spot for the Cyclones.  Zugner rolled over Hickey in the first set, 6-2, but fell in a tight second set, 7-6 (11-9).  The match went to a super-breaker, where after exchanging long points, Zugner used her overpowering serve to top Hickey, 13-11.

Iowa State is led by Michele Conlon.  Conlon is in her 14th year as coach and owns a 79-177 career record.

Husker-Cyclone History

Nebraska owns a 30-3 advantage in the all-time series with IowaState.  In fact, the Huskers have not given up a team point to the Cyclones since 2003.  Nebraska has more victories over ISU than any other team in NU history.

The two last met on April 16, 2005, in Ames, Iowa.  The Huskers quickly set the tone of the match, taking all three doubles matches in convincing fashion.  The Big Red outscored ISU a combined 24-5.  At No. 2, Ewelina Skaza and Reimers defeated Danielle Uscinski and Chrissy Derouin, 8-1, while Ostermann and Garcia turned in a victory over Jill Palen and Elizabeth Chermel, 8-1.

NU did not let up in singles, taking every match in straight sets.  Ostermann rolled over Palen, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 1, and Ellinor Zugner dominated Beth Takemoto, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 6.

The Huskers improved to 16-2 overall and 7-2 in the conference, while ISU fell to 1-12 overall and 0-11 in the conference.

A Look at the Wildcats                     

Kansas State, which is ranked No. 66 in the nation, will be the 14th ranked team NU has faced this season.  KSU brings a young team to Lincoln, having only one senior with five sophomores and two freshmen. 

The Wildcats shot out of the gates to start the season, winning five of their first seven matches.  At the beginning of April, KansasState also won three out of four, but has now lost three out of its last four, including loses to No. 5 Baylor, No. 19 Texas and No. 36 Texas A&M.  The Wildcats are 9-9 overall and 5-5 in the conference.

Kansas State travelled to Texas last weekend to face the conference’s highest ranked teams and was beaten 6-1 by TAMU and 5-2 by Texas.

Sophomore Tamar Kvaratskhelia is KSU’s No. 1 singles player.  She is 17-12 on the year and is 3-7 against ranked opponents, including defeating WichitaState’s Madina Rakhim, who defeated Hartmann earlier this season.  She could pose problems for Hartmann at No. 1 on Sunday.

Coach Steve Bietau is in his 22 year as coach at KSU.  He owns a 205-258 career record.

Husker-Wildcat History

The Huskers lead the all-time series with the Wildcats 27-8.  The two last met on April 20, 2005 in Manhattan, Kansas.  Then-No. 25 Nebraska defeated then-No. 75 Kansas State, 4-3, which marked NU’s sixth victory over a ranked team that season.

The Big Red took the crucial doubles point which was the deciding factor in the match.  Ostermann and Garcia, who were later named First-Team All-Big 12 Doubles, defeated Maria Rosenberg and Tamar Kvaratskhelia, 8-6, at No. 1.  Skaza and Reimers clinched the point with a win over Jessica Simosa and Tereza Prochazkova, 8-4, at No. 2.

Castillejos won the match of the day, a three-set thriller over Prochazkova, 6-2, 5-7, 6-0, at No. 4 to clinch victory for the Huskers.

A Quick Look at the Probable Husker Lineup

4No. 1 singles - Kim Hartmann (18-10): Hartmann started the season ranked No. 36 nationally which was the highest national ranking for a freshman in school history.  She also ranked No. 9 in the singles Central Regional rankings.  Hartmann has defeated three ranked players, including then-No. 28 Anca Anastasiu of USC.  Anastasiu is the highest-ranked player a Husker has beaten since Gitte Ostermann defeated then-No. 22 Nataly Cahana of Old Dominion in 2003.  During the spring, six of Hartmann’s seven losses have come at the hands of three top-40 players: No. 23 Aurelija Miseviciute, No. 8 Zuzana Zemenova and No. 33 Meg Racette.  Hartmann re-entered the national rankings on Tuesday, and is now ranked No. 101.

4No. 2 singles - Imke Reimers (21-8): Reimers has posted 12 wins in NU’s 16 matches during spring play.   As a result, Reimers has moved up in the rankings for three straight weeks and is now ranked No. 88 nationally, her second-highest career national ranking.  Reimers has been hot as of late.  When then-No. 57 Arkansas came to Lincoln, Reimers upset then-No. 38 Ela Kaluder in straight sets, 7-6 (2), 6-1.  Reimers showed composure in her three-set win over No. 120 Katy Williams of Long BeachState.  The win over Kaluder marked Reimers’ first career victory over a ranked player.  On Feb. 3, Reimers posted her third career 6-0, 6-0 victory as she defeated Lauren Wilson of Air Force.  After posting a 6-2 fall singles record, Reimers was ranked No. 21 in the Central Regional rankings and No. 7 in the regional doubles rankings with Skaza.   Reimers has won six of her last eight matches and owns a team high 21 wins.

4No. 3 singles -  Milena Schulz-Gartner (11-10): Schulz-Gartner is a third-year player who has competed near the top of the Husker lineup throughout her career in Lincoln.  As a sophomore, she posted a 20-win season, and as a junior she went 7-4 at the No. 3 spot, where three of her four losses were three-set thrillers.  Schulz-Gartner recorded her first win of the spring when she defeated ColoradoState’s Jessica Jones, 6-0, 6-3. On March 11, coach Jacobson put Schulz-Gartner near the top of the singles lineup.  With Schulz-Gartner at No. 3, the senior has won six of nine matches.  Schulz-Gartner’s win over TAMU’s Anna Blagodarova clinched the Husker upset over the Aggies.  She ranks No. 5 on NU’s career doubles win chart with 46 victories.

4No. 4 singles - Pamela Castillejos (15-6): The senior is in her final season as a Husker and is the team captain after returning as Nebraska’s most productive player.  In 2005, she set the school’s best single-season winning percentage (.880) as she posted a 22-3 record.  Castillejos won eight of nine matches to start the spring with her only loss coming in a three-set thriller against Texas’ Kelly Baritot, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.  Castillejos posted the team’s only point with a 5-7, 6-4, 11-9 victory over Iva Mihaylova of Baylor.  Castillejos is undefeated at the No. 5 spot this season since Feb. 13, owning a nine-match winning streak at that slot. With her success, she has recently moved up to the No. 4 spot, where she has played six of her last eight matches. 

4No. 5 singles - Ewelina Skaza (10-11): Skaza recorded more than 40 combined victories in her first year as a Husker.  Skaza struggled at the beginning of the spring due to an illness and a slight abdominal injury, but after recovering won four out of five matches at the No. 6 slot.  She has played as high as No. 4 in the lineup, but is struggling now after falling in her last three matches.  Skaza has won five of her last eight doubles matches with Reimers at the No. 1 spot in doubles.

4No. 6 singles - Vanessa Heute (15-11):  Heute saw her first action at the ITA Regionals, where she rolled through the qualifying tournament with two victories, including a defeat of KU’s Brittany Brown, to advance to the Main Draw of the tournament.  Heute is beginning to find her stride this spring since being moved down to the No. 6 spot after starting the season at No. 2.  Since the move, Heute is on a eight-match winning streak.  Heute’s record is deceiving as she has been a victim of several three-set matches and has faced two nationally ranked players.  She has lost four of five three-set matches this spring.  With two victories last week, Heute has a winning percentage above .500 for the first time since March 4.  Her five conference victories at the No. 6 spot ranks third in the conference at that slot.