Huskers Downed by No. 26 Oklahoma

LINCOLN – The No. 38 Nebraska Cornhuskers lost their first match of the weekend to No. 26 Oklahoma (14-6, 3-3 Big 12) Friday afternoon, 5-2. The loss drops the Huskers to 15-10 with a 1-4 record in Big 12 play. After great doubles play, Nebraska head coach Kerry McDermott tough the Huskers came out flat in singles play and that's what eventually cost the Huskers the match.

 

The match started with the Huskers winning the doubles point when they won two of thethree doubles matches. The match that clinched the point for the Huskers was on court three when NU’s duo of Taylor Boney and Robert Schulze defeated OU’s Lawrence Formentera and Laurentiu Gavrila in a tiebreaker, 9-7 (3).

 

“It was a tough loss,” McDermott said. “Especially after winning the doubles point when the team was jacked up. In singles play, we came out flat and you can’t do that against a team like Oklahoma. That was the big difference maker.”

 

 

In singles play, the Huskers were able to pick up two matches, but OU won four matchesthus clinching the match for the Sooners.

 

On the No. 1 court, OU’s Ionut Belelu knocked off  NU’s Christopher Aumueller in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. At the No. 2 spot, Nebraska’s Calin Paar defeated Costin Paval, 7-2 (4), 2-6, 1-0 (10-2). Oklahoma’s Laurentiu Gavrila defeated Nebraska’s Benedikt Lindheim, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), on court three.

 

On court four, Oklahoma’s Peerakit Siributwong was victorious over Nebraska’s Andre Stenger, 6-3, 7-5. On court five, OU’s Lawrence Formentera knocked off Sebastian Florczyk  6-2, 4-6, 6-2. At the No. 6 spot, Oklahoma’s Tsvetan Mihov got the better of NU’s Tom Blackwell, 6-4, 6-1.

 

“It was a good effort by the team to start off,” McDermott said. “Then in singles play we came out flat and that killed us. Now we just have to look forward to tomorrow and try and come out and get our last Big 12 victory.”

 

The Huskers will face No. 21 Texas Tech Saturday afternoon at the Vine Street Courts. First serve is set for 3 p.m.

 

 

 

 

No. 26 Oklahoma 5 No. 38 Nebraska 2

 

Doubles

1. Aumueller/Stenger (NU) def. Beleleu/Mihov (OU), 8-4

2. Paval/Siributwong (OU) def. Paar/Lindheim (NU), 8-5

3. Boney/Schulze (NU) def. Formentera/Gavrila (OU), 9-7 (3)

 

Singles

1. Ionut Belelu (OU) def. Christopher Aumueller (NU), 6-3, 6-3

2. Calin Paar (NU) def. Costin Paval (OU), 7-2 (4), 2-6, 1-0 (10-2)

3. Laurentiu Gavrila (OU) def. Benedikt Lindheim (NU), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (4)

4. Peerakit Siributwong (OU) def. Andre Stenger (NU), 6-3, 7-5

5. Lawrence Formentera (OU) def. Sebastian Florczyk (NU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-2

6. Tsvetan Mihov (OU) def. Tom Blackwell (NU), 6-4, 6-1