Huskers Ready to Start Season

Match Information
Nebraska (0-0) vs. Creighton Bluejays (0-0)
Date - Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007
Time - 4 p.m.
Location - Lincoln, Neb. (Nebraska Tennis Center)
Nebraska All-Time vs. Creighton - 20-0
Last Meeting - Nebraska 7-0 (Jan. 20, 2005)

Nebraska (0-0) vs. Wyoming Cowgirls (0-0)

Date - Friday, Jan. 26, 2007

Time - 4 p.m.

Location - Lincoln, Neb. (Nebraska Tennis Center)

Nebraska All-Time vs. Wyoming - 5-0

Last Meeting - Nebraska 7-0 (Jan. 28, 2005)

 

Nebraska (0-0) vs. Wichita State Shockers (0-0)

Date - Sunday, Jan. 28, 2007

Time - 10 a.m.

Location - Lincoln, Neb. (Nebraska Tennis Center)

Nebraska All-Time vs. Wichita State - 13-9 Last Meeting - Nebraska 5-2 (March 11, 2006)

Nebraska Opens Season With Three Games in Five Days
The Nebraska women’s tennis team will open its spring season with three games in five days this week. The Huskers start the season against Creighton on Wednesday, then play host to Wyoming and Wichita State. NU will play its first six duals of the season all in Lincoln, on the courts at the brand new Nebraska Tennis Center, before travelling to Austin to take on Texas on Feb. 24.

The Nebraska Tennis Center, located approximately one mile north of the intersection of 70th St. and Cornhusker Highway, is part of the Abbott Sports Complex. The new $3 million dollar complex features six climate-controlled indoor courts, as well as 12 outdoor courts.   Scouting the Bluejays

The Huskers kick off their spring season with a dual against in-state rival Creighton on Jan. 24. Nebraska has dominated the all-time series, winning all 20 matches that the schools have played. Creighton is led by senior Katie Chiu, who is currently second on the CU all-time career wins record with 117. Chiu is expected to break the school record of 124 sometime this season. Fellow senior Nicole Thurston is expected to take on the No. 2 role for Creighton this year. The Bluejays are coached by Tom Lilly.

 

Scouting the Cowgirls

Coach Kristen Hall begins her second season at Wyoming after recording a 9-15 record in her debut season in 2005-06. Hall will bring an experienced squad to Lincoln, with three seniors and two juniors among the eight team members. Despite struggling last season, Hall and the Cowyboys did manage to get their first ever Mountain West Conference Tournament victory with a win over Air Force, 4-3. Senior Andrea House posted a solid 8-4 record in the team’s fall season.

 

Scouting the Shockers

Head coach Chris Young and the Shockers boast three players in the ITA Central Regional rankings (Husker Imke Reimers is ranked No. 1 in this region). Senior Madina Rakhim (15th), freshman Forentina Hanisch (22nd) and freshman Stefanie Dalmacio (25th) also ranked among the top 30 players in the region. Rakhim is a transfer from Kazakhstan Sport and Tourism Academy, and was ranked No. 1 in the country from 2001 to 2003. Rakhim was also ranked as high as 47th nationally in the ITA rankings last year.

 

Reimers Ranked 30th in Latest ITA Rankings

NU junior Imke Reimers is ranked 30th in the nation on the ITA tennis singles rankings, putting her second among all Big 12 singles players, trailing only No. 21 Zuzana Zemenova of Baylor. In the fall season of the Huskers’ 2006-07 tennis campaign, Reimers posted an 11-3 record, including a singles championship at the ITA Central Regional Main Draw Championship on Oct. 22, 2006. Two of her three losses on the season have come to top-25 players, according to the ITA rankings.

 

Reimers Ranked Tops Among Central Region

In addition to her national honors, Imke Reimers is ranked No. 1 in the "Central Region" in the latest ITA rankings, released Dec. 8, 2006. The teams around the nation are split up into eight separate regions. Several Big 12 teams are counted in the Central Region, including Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Husker freshman Diana Kuhl is ranked No. 26 on the list as well.

 

New Faces Hit the Court

The 2007 Nebraska women’s tennis team will hit the courts with some new faces this season. The Huskers return only one letterwinner, junior Imke Reimers from a season ago, when Nebraska finished 17-10, earning a 43rd-place finish in the final 2006 ITA team rankings. Two transfers are among the six newcomers on the squad, sophomore Ashely Finnegan (College of Charleston) and sophomore Maria Ring (Washington State).

 

Husker Team Youngest in Years

The 2006-07 Husker team contains no seniors, a first for the program since the 1998-99 season. The team consists of two freshmen, three sophomores and two juniors. Although junior Imke Reimers is the only returning letterwinner from last season, the Huskers are not short on experience. Fellow sophomore transfers Ashley Finnigan and Maria Ring, coming to Nebraska via the College of Charleston and Washington State, respectively, both have experience on the Division I level.