Huskers head to Waco as Fifth Seed for Big 12 Championships

The No. 41 Nebraska women’s tennis team travels to Waco, Texas, for the Big 12 Championships.  The Huskers edged out KansasState and OklahomaState to receive the fifth seed in the tournament, and are set to take on the No. 12 seed IowaState on Thursday, April 24, at 3 p.m., at the BaylorTennisCenter.

Nebraska is coming off its final weekend of regular-season play, which included Senior Day on Sunday, April 23.  The Huskers finished the weekend 1-1.

On Saturday, April 22, the Huskers started quickly and did not let up throughout the match. Senior Pamela Castillejos and freshman Vanessa Heute got Nebraska off on the right foot with an 8-4 win over Chrissy Derouin and Caitlin Loprinzi, 8-4, at No. 3 doubles. Nebraska senior Milena Schulz-Gartner and freshman Kim Hartmann posted their 15th doubles win of the season, as they rolled over Kara Hickey and Beth Chermel, 8-4, at No. 2.

The Huskers rolled through singles, taking five of six matches in straight sets. Schulz-Gartner made quick work of Loprinzi, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 3, and Reimers posted her fourth straight win by dominating Hickey, 6-1, 6-1.

Heute moved up to No. 5 in the lineup and the move paid off for the Huskers and Coach Scott Jacobson. Heute dominated the first set, 6-1, but fell in the second set, 6-3. The freshman came out determined for the third set and rolled over Derouin, 6-0, to take the match. Heute’s win extended her personal winning streak to nine singles matches.

At the top of the lineup, the Huskers dominated the Cyclones. Hartmann, who was ranked No. 101 and playing at No. 1, rolled over Palen, 6-0, 6-3, and Reimers posted a team-high 23rd win, as she defeated Kara Hickey, 6-1, 6-1.  Schulz-Gartner posted her seventh win at No. 3, making quick work of Loprinzi, 6-0, 6-1.

Sunday marked Senior Day for the Big Red, as NU said 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.

The Huskers got off to a shaky start in doubles play. At No. 1, the KSU tandem of Jessica Simosa and Katka Kudlackova defeated senior Ewelina Skaza and freshman Imke Reimers, 8-1, but the Husker duo of senior Milena Schulz-Gartner and freshman Kim Hartmann dominated Tamar Kvaratskhelia and Maria Perevoschikova, 8-2, at No. 2. The win marked Hartmann and Schulz-Gartner’s 16th victory of the season. Fernanda Da Valle and Olga Kliminova topped NU senior Pamela Castillejos and freshman Vanessa Heute, 8-4, at No. 3 to clinch the point for the Wildcats.

The win by Schulz-Gartner marks her 48th career doubles win, which puts her third all-time on NU’s career doubles win chart.

After a ceremony honoring the senior class, the Huskers entered singles play needing to take four of six matches to send the seniors out in style.

Hartmann and Reimers quickly put NU on top with victories at the top of the lineup. Hartmann dominated Kvaratskhelia, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 1, and Reimers rolled over Perevoschikova in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 2. Heute recorded her 10th straight singles win, as she defeated Kudlackova, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 5. The win marked Heute’s second career victory at that spot.

Nebraska was leading the match 3-1 with three matches still playing and had KansasState’s back to the wall, but the Wildcats were not finished fighting.

Castillejos, who has been battling wrist and shoulder injuries throughout the season, was not able to put away Da Valle, as the Wildcat sophomore clawed back from a 5-1 deficit in the third set to take the match, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, at No. 4. Klimova bounced back from a 6-4 loss in the first set at No. 6 and took the next two sets over Skaza, 7-6, 6-3. Simosa, Kansas State’s only senior, after falling in the first set, 7-6 (5), forced a second set tiebreaker, defeating Schulz-Gartner, 7-6 (5). Simosa carried her momentum into the third set, when she topped Schulz-Gartner, 6-2, to give the Wildcats the victory.

The Huskers’ record after the end of the regular season stands at 15-8 overall and 6-5 in the conference.  They will have to rebound after an emotional loss to KSU on Senior Day.

“It was a tough way for our seniors go to out,” coach Scott Jacobson said.  “We have to regroup emotionally and get ready for the Big 12 Championships.”

On Sunday night, the Big 12 Championship brackets were released with Nebraska receiving the fifth seed in the tournament. 

The Huskers edged out OklahomaState amd KansasState for the fifth seed.  All three teams own identical conference records as well as singles and doubles points.  Because of its win over Texas A&M, NU broke the tie between the three teams as KSU and OSU both lost to the Aggies, who are the second seed in the tournament.

The Big Red faces the 12th seeded Iowa State Cyclones on Thursday, April 27, in Waco, Texas, at 3 p.m.  Nebraska, with 31 victories, has recorded more victories over ISU than any other opponent in school history.

The winner of the NU-ISU match faces the No. 4 seed Texas tech, at 1:30 p.m., on Friday, April 28, in Waco.

With seven victories over ranked opponents, the 2006 Huskers tied the school record for most wins over ranked teams.  NU also started the season ranked No. 38, which is the highest preseason ranking in school history. 

A Look at the Big 12 Championships

Baylor won its second-straight Big 12 regular-season championship, posting a 11-0  conference record.  In fact Baylor, which is ranked No. 5 nationally, has won 24 straight regular- season conference matches.  The championship marks BU’s third regular-season crown in the conference’s 10-year history.  The Bears are the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

No. 36 Texas A&M is the second seed in the tournament.  The Aggies and Texas are both 9-2 in the conference, but because TAMU defeated UT earlier this season, Texas A&M won the tiebreaker with the Longhorns. 

Texas, ranked No. 19 nationally, is the three seed, and has historically been the most successful team in the conference championship.  The Longhorns have won seven regular- season titles, as well as seven Big 12 Championships.  This year marks the first season since 2003 that Texas had less than 10 conference victories.

Texas Tech, which is led by former Husker Cari Groce, recorded its highest Big 12 regular-season finish in school history.  With a 7-4 conference record, TTU enters the Big 12 Championships  with the fourth seed.  The Red Raiders went on a seven-match winning streak during the season, including defeating Nebraska and Kansas.

The top four seeds receive buys in the first round and will not play until the quarterfinals on Friday, April 28.

Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Kansas State earned seeds five through seven respectively, after NU edged out OSU and KSU on a tiebreaker.  No. 8 Kansas, No. 9 Colorado, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 11 Missouri and No. 12 Iowa State round out the tournament and all play on Thursday, April 27, to kick off the Championships.

NU received a favorable draw and has an opportunity to advance to the semifinals for the first time in school history.  If the Huskers defeat the Cyclones, they would face the No. 4 seed Texas Tech.  TTU defeated NU earlier this season in a tight 4-3 match.  On March 26, in Lincoln, Tara Browning defeated Hartmann in a marathon three-set thriller at No. 1, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (6), to clinch the victory for the Red Raiders.

A Look at the Cyclones

Iowa State comes to Lincoln with a young squad, with only two seniors on the team.  ISU is 4-13 this season and was 0-11 in the conference.  The Cyclones are on an eight-match losing streak against Division I teams, including being shut out, 7-0, by Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Nebraska. 

Iowa State’s No. 1 singles player is junior Jill Palen.  She is 4-17 on the season, and is 1-12 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 Ewelina Skaza.  Skaza fell in straight sets to Palen, 7-6, 6-2.

The Cyclones faced the Huskers on Saturday and fell at every spot, including 8-4 defeats at all three doubles spots.

Iowa State is led by Michele Conlon.  Conlon is in her 14th year as coach and owns a 79-178 career record.

Husker-Cyclone History

Nebraska owns a 31-3 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 opponent in NU history.

Before last Saturday, 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 Giite Ostermann and Katie 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.

A Look at the Red Raiders

If the Huskers defeat IowaState on Thursday, they will face No. 4 seed Texas Tech on Friday.  The Red Raiders are the No. 57 squad in the nation and own a 14-7 overall record, which ranks No. 2 in the conference.  TTU posted its highest regular-season conference finish in school history with a 7-4 record.

The Red Raiders bounced back from a three-match losing streak to TAMU, UT and BU, by defeating two ranked teams in No. 75 Oklahoma and No. 47 Oklahoma State in Lubbock.    

Tara Browning owns a 24-15 singles record as TTU’s No. 1 singles player, however, she has struggled as of late, as she has lost five straight.  Browning has defeated two ranked opponents this season, including No. 101 Kim Hartmann.   

Texas Tech has a young squad, with only two seniors, while having a combined six freshmen and sophomores.

Texas Tech’s doubles play has been strong this season, which could pose problems for NU’s struggling doubles squads.  The matchup at No. 2 doubles could be one to keep an eye one.  NU’s No. 2 squad of Hartmann and Schulz-Gartner has posted a 16-7 record this season, while Janet Durham and Cigdem Duru are a productive 10-3.  At No. 3, The Red Raiders’ duo of Erin Hunter and Katja Kovacic have produced 10 wins in their last 13 matches, while NU’s tandem of Castillejos and Heute is 4-5.  If the Huskers and Red Raiders match up Friday, TTU appears to have an edge in doubles if NU defeats ISU, which could give it an advantage heading into singles play.

While NU only has one doubles team with more than six wins, the Red Raiders have three with seven wins or more.

TTU is led by third-year coach and former Husker Cari Groce. Groce is one of the most decorated NU tennis players in the program’s history. A four-year letterwinner from 1984-87, she was the first Husker to be named an All-American for her doubles play with Liz Mooney in 1984. As a junior, Groce advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. Groce owns a 184-161 career coaching record and a 34-30 record at Texas Tech.

Husker-Red Raider History

Nebraska owns a 10-6 advantage in the all-time series with Texas Tech. The last time the teams met was on March 26, 2006, in Lincoln.   The Huskers struggled in doubles play, with Hartmann and Schulz-Gartner dropping the match at No. 2 to Duru and Durham, 8-3, and Castillejos and Heute falling to Hunter and Kovacic, 8-3, at No. 3.

After falling in two quick singles matches, Castillejos showed her leadership by putting NU on the board with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Samantha van der Drift, at No. 5.  Schulz-Gartner and Heute bounced back from first-set losses to take their matches at Nos. 3 and 6.

Browning edged Hartmann in a three-set thriller, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (6), to clinch the upset for the Red Raiders.

The Huskers fell to 11-6 on the year, while TTU improved to 11-4.

A Quick Look at the Probable Husker Lineup

4No. 1 singles - Kim Hartmann (20-10): Hartmann started the season ranked No. 36 nationally  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 April 18, and is now ranked No. 101.

4No. 2 singles - Imke Reimers (23-8): Reimers has posted 14 wins in NU’s 18 matches during spring play.   As a result, Reimers moved up in the rankings for three straight weeks and was as high as 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 is on a five-match winning streak and owns a team high 23 wins.

4No. 3 singles -  Milena Schulz-Gartner (12-11): 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 is 7-4.  Schulz-Gartner’s win over TAMU’s Anna Blagodarova clinched the Husker upset over the Aggies.  She ranks No. 3 on NU’s career doubles win chart with 48 victories.

4No. 4 singles - Pamela Castillejos (16-7): 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 straight matches. 

4No. 5 singles - Vanessa Heute (17-11):  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.  After the move, Heute went 8-0.  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.  During the last weekend of regular-season play, Jacobson moved Heute up to No. 5, where she extended her win streak to 10 matches, going 2-0 at No. 5.

4No. 6 singles - Ewelina Skaza (11-12): Skaza recorded more than 40 combined victories in her first year as a Husker.  Skaza struggled at the beginning of the 2006 spring season 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 five of her last six matches, including an emotional loss to Olga Klimova, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, on Senior Day.  Skaza has won five of her last eight doubles matches with Reimers at the No. 1 spot in doubles.