Huskers End Season in NCAA Tournament

South Bend, Ind. - The No. 41 Nebraska women’s tennis team fell to No. 29 Michigan, 4-3, in a tight first-round match in the NCAA Tournament in South Bend, Ind., on Friday, May 12.  With the loss, the Huskers’ ended their season with a 17-10 overall record after making their second straight trip to nationals.

"Our kids played their hearts out," Nebraska Coach Scott Jacobson said.  "It came down to four three-set matches and we only won one of those.  It's hard to talk to the kids after the last match of the season, but we told them that we were proud of their efforts and that this team would go down as one of the best in NU history.  They should hold their heads high."

The Wolverines’ doubles play proved to be too strong for the Big Red, quickly taking two of three matches.  Kara Delicata and Debra Streifler, who are ranked No. 34 nationally, defeated senior Pamela Castillejos and sophomore Imke Reimers, 8-1, at the No. 1 spot.  Lindsey Howard and Nina Yaftali clinched the point for Michigan at No. 3, topping freshman Vanessa Heute and senior Ewelina Skaza, 8-5, to give the Wolverines a 1-0 advantage heading into singles play.

 

NU bounced back in singles play, however, taking matches at Nos. 2 and 3.  Reimers made quick work of Elizabeth Exon at No. 2, 6-2, 6-2, and senior Milena Schulz-Gartner gave the Huskers a 2-1 lead in the match as she defeated Yaftali in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 3. 

 

Castillejos, who was 15-1 at the No. 5 spot, jumped out to an early lead over Chisako Sugiyama, winning the frist set, 6-3.  Sugiyama would not go down easily, though, and fought back to blank Castillejos in the second set, 6-0.  After exchanging points, Sugiyama handed Castillejos her second loss of the season at No. 5 taking the third set, 6-4, to tie the match 2-2.

 

Freshman Kim Hartmann, who is ranked No. 97, shot out of the gates at No. 1, taking the first set, 6-4, but could not close out the match in the second set, falling 7-5, to Delicata.  Hartmann showed her resiliency and took the third set, 6-4.  The win gave NU a 3-2 lead and put it one point away from the first NCAA Tournament victory in school history.

 

Howard and Skaza battled throughout a three-set thriller, with Howard taking the first set, 6-3 and Skaza bouncing back and winning the second set, 7-5, to force a third set.  Skaza, who had lost five of her last six matches, could not pull out a victory over Howard, falling 6-4, in the third set at No. 6. 

 

With the match score tied, 3-3, all eyes turned to the No. 4 spot where Heute and Streifler were battling in a tight match.  Heute dropped the first set, 6-3, but edged out Streifler, 7-6 (4), in the second set.  The two evenly-matched foes forced a third set tiebreaker where Streifler snapped Heute’s 11-match unbeaten streak, winning, 7-6 (4).

 

Michigan defeated NU 4-3 to advance to the second round of the tournament, while the Huskers were eliminated.

 

No. 29 Michigan 4, No. 41 Nebraska 3

Doubles

No. 1 No. 34 Kara Delicata/Debra Streifler (U-M) def. Pamela Castillejos/Imke Reimers (NU), 8-1

No. 2 Allie Shafner/ Chisako Sugiyama (U-M) vs. Kim Hartmann/Milena Schulz-Gartner (NU), DNF

No. 3 Lindsey Howard/ Nina Yaftali (U-M) def. Vanessa Heute/Ewelina Skaza (NU), 8-5

 

Singles

No. 1 No. 97 Kim Hartmann def. Kara Delicata (U-M), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4

No. 2 Imke Reimers (NU) def. Elizabeth Exon (U-M), 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 Milena Schulz-Gartner (NU) def. Nina Yaftali (U-M), 6-4, 6-3

No. 4 Debra Streifler (U-M) def. Vanessa Heute (NU), 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4)

No. 5 Chisako Sugiyama (U-M) def. Pamela Castillejos (NU), 3-6, 6-0, 6-4

No. 6 Lindsey Howard (U-M) def. Ewelina Skaza (NU), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4