Huskers Get Much Needed Break

Match Information
No matches this week
Next match - Feb. 24, at No. 22 Texas

►Huskers Get Much Needed Break

After playing six matches in a 19-day span, the Huskers will have a welcome 13-day break before they travel to Texas on Feb. 24.

 

"I think having this break is good," head coach Scott Jacobson said. "Our kids have some bumps and bruises, so it’s a good time to have a little break here. It will give us a chance to work on some things and hopefully heal up before we go down to Texas."

Texas is currently ranked No. 22 in the nation, and is 4-0 overall and 2-0 in Big 12 play.

The Longhorns face a tough schedule in the upcoming weeks. In addition to hosting the No. 64 Huskers on Feb. 24, Texas plays six top-10 teams?all on the road. The Longhorns will travel to No. 1 Stanford, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 4 Florida, No. 5 USC, No. 8 Miami and No. 9 California, all in a month-long stretch from Feb. 16 to March 14. They will also face No. 10 Baylor and No. 19 Pepperdine before the season is over.

►Nebraska Jumps a Spot in Latest ITA Rankings

After dropping from No. 46 to No. 65 two weeks ago, the Huskers gained a spot in the latest ITA rankings released on Feb. 13, settling in at No. 64. Wichita State, the Huskers’ lone loss on the season thus far, is at No. 55. Nebraska’s next three matches will come against top-30 teams. The Huskers travel to No. 22 Texas and No. 29 Texas A&M before hosting No. 10 Baylor on March 2. After beating Missouri last week, the Huskers will look to again improve on their current ranking. To see where the Huskers will be placed in the next rankings, set to be released on Feb. 20, visit www.itatennis.com.

►Huskers Open Big 12 Play With Victory

Nebraska wrapped up its six-match homestand to start the season on Feb. 11 with a win over its first Big 12 opponent of the season, beating Missouri, 6-1, at the Nebraska Tennis Center. With the win, the Huskers improved to 5-1 on the year, while the Tigers fell to 1-2.

The Huskers started the day on a strong note, sweeping the doubles matches to win the point. The Huskers used a different doubles lineup than in their first five matches, utilizing junior Imke Reimers with freshman Diana Kuhl in the No.1 doubles position, and sophomore Maria Ring and freshman Wiveca Swarting at the No. 2 position.

The Huskers kept rolling in the singles matches. Reimers, ranked No. 30 in the nation, improved to 6-0 on the season in singles matches, as she took care of Tiger senior Erika Josbena in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. Reimers fell behind 1-4 in the second set, but battled back to take the next five games and win the match. She has won 12 out of her 13 sets this season.

Sophomore Ashley Finnegan, playing in the No. 6 singles position, improved to 5-1 on the year as she defeated freshman Erika McKenzie, 6-4, 6-1. Finnegan lost to McKenzie in a tournament during the 2006 fall season, but had no trouble in winning her match this time. Freshman Wiveca Swarting also improved to 5-1 in singles matches this season as she beat Missouri sophomore Raquel Wagner, 6-2, 6-1.

Nebraska’s next home match will be on March 2, when it takes on Baylor, which is currently ranked No. 10 in the nation.

►Eight Huskers Named to Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

The Nebraska women’s tennis team placed eight current and former team members on the 2006 Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Honor Roll. Honor Roll status is awarded to student-athletes who achieve at least a 3.0 grade-point average during the semester.

Junior Imke Reimers earned a 4.0 GPA, making her one of 33 Husker student-athletes to post a perfect GPA. Reimers has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in all five of her semesters at Nebraska. She was also a first-team academic All-Big 12 selection in 2006.

Pamela Castillejos, who earned her degree in December and finished her tennis career at Nebraska in 2006, was named to her third Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, while Ewelina Skaza, also a senior from last year’s team, was named to her fourth. Skaza, along with Reimers, was a first-team academic All-Big 12 selection in 2006.

Five other current team members were honored along with Reimers. Freshmen Diana Kuhl and Wiveca Swarting, sophomores Ashley Finnegan and Maria Ring and junior Maria Popova were also named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll. Nebraska had a total of 270 honorees across 23 sports, including 33 who had a 4.0 GPA.

►Reimers Dominating Early

Junior Imke Reimers appears to be in mid-season form, as she has raced out of the gates to take her first six singles matches.

The Papenburg, Germany, native has carried momentum from the fall 2006 season. She finished the fall season with an 11-3 singles record, after winning seven of her final eight matches during the 2006 spring season. Overall, Reimers has won 24 of her last 28 singles matches. This season, she has only dropped one of 13 sets and has won 71 of her 96 games.

►Jacobson Earns 200th Career Victory

Nebraska head coach Scott Jacobson earned his 200th career victory on Friday, Jan. 26, as his team beat Wyoming 6-1.

"It’s just like any other win," Jacobson said. "I’m proud of our team and the way they persevered out there and came through in some pressure situations." Jacobson also celebrated his birthday on the same day.

After going 37-59 (.385) in his first five seasons as head coach, starting with the 1991-92 season, Jacobson has since gone 146-83 (.638), counting the 5-1 start to this season. He has led the Huskers to 10 straight winning seasons dating back to 1996-97. Before becoming head coach of the women’s team, Jacobson was an assistant on the NU men’s team from 1979 to 1989. Jacobson is the winningest and longest-serving women’s tennis coach in Husker history.

►Reimers Ranked 30th in Latest ITA Rankings

NU junior Imke Reimers is ranked 30th in the nation on the ITA tennis singles rankings. The rating places 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 title at the ITA Central Regional Main Draw Championship on Oct. 22, 2006. Two of her three losses in the fall season were at the hands of top-25 players, according to the ITA rankings. She owns a 6-0 record so far in the 2007 spring season.

►Reimers Ranked No. 1 In 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 into eight 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.

►Net Notes

? After beating Colorado State, the Huskers improved to 4-1, marking the 10th straight season they have won at least four of their first five matches.

? Imke Reimers has won 24 of her last 28 singles matches, including the spring 2006 and fall 2006 seasons.

? Reimers has won 59 of 78 games in her six singles matches this season, dropping only one of 13 sets.

? The Huskers’ 6-1 win over Drake extended their winning streak over the Bulldogs to seven matches and improved their all-time record against the Bulldogs to 15-13.

? The Huskers have only been pushed to three sets in five of their 36 singles matches this season.

? The 2006-07 Husker team lists no seniors, a first for the program since the 1998-99 season.

? Junior Imke Reimers is the squad’s only returning letterwinner.