Huskers Fight Hard in 4-3 Loss No. 37 Badgers

Lincoln - No. 71 Nebraska won the doubles point and claimed victories at the top two singles positions, but No. 37 Wisconsin notched three-set victories at the final four singles spots to claim a 4-3 men's tennis victory over the Huskers at the Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center on Sunday. 

The loss dropped Nebraska to 11-5 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten Conference competition. 

The Big Red started the competition with the No. 1 doubles pair of Dusty and Toby Boyer defeating Wisconsin's Lamar Remy and Josef Dodridge, 6-1.

Seniors Marc Herrmann and Scott Elsass then captured a 6-3 win over UW's Chema Carranza and Jakhongir Jalolov at the No. 2 doubles position to give Nebraska the doubles point and a 1-0 dual lead. 

NU's No. 3 pair of Andrew Dzulynsky and Ford Zitsch led their Badger counterparts John Zordani and Darius Mackenzie 4-3, but their match was not completed. 

Nebraska pushed its team lead to 2-0, as Herrmann rolled to his second win of the day with a 6-1, 6-3 sweep of Alexander Kokorev at No. 2 singles.

In a pivotal match at No. 3 singles, Toby Boyer stormed to a 6-2 first-set win over Remy, before the Badger battled back to claim the second set 6-3. Remy added a 6-4 win in the decisive third set to give Wisconsin its first team point of the match and narrow's NU's edge to 2-1.

Dusty Boyer took a strong 6-1 win of the first set over Dodridge in the first set, before suffering a similar fate to his younger brother in the second set, falling 6-3 to Dodridge to even the match. However, Dusty Boyer made the plays in the decisive third set to capture a 6-4 win and push Nebraska's lead to 3-1.

Husker freshman Tomislav Antoljak fought hard for a 7-5 opening-set win at No. 4 singles to give Nebraska a chance for the team wean. But UW's Osgar O'Hoisin rolled a 6-1 second-set win before adding a 6-2 victory in the third to claim the point and pull the Badgers within 3-2.

Dzulynsky also brought the Huskers close to victory rallying from a 7-6 (6-2) opening-set loss to claim a 6-3 win in the second set. However, Carranza battled back for a 6-3 win in the third set to even the dual at 3-3.

In the fifth three-set singles match of the day, Zitsch dropped the first set 6-2 to Zordani, before rallying for a 6-2 second-set win to even the match. Then, in the closest match of the day, Zordani outlasted Zitsch 7-6 (8-6) in the decisive third set to give the Badgers the point and the 4-3 team win. 

The Huskers hit the road for two Big Ten Conference matches next weekend, beginning with a road matchc at No. 25 Penn State on Friday, April 1 at 3 p.m. The Big Red then battle No. 4 Ohio State in Columbus on Sunday, April 3 at 11 a.m.

Doubles 

No. 1 Dusty Boyer/Toby Boyer (NEB) def. Lamar Remy/Josef Dodridge (WIS) 6-1

No. 2 Marc Herrmann/Scott Elsass (NEB) def. Chema Carranza/Jakhongir Jalolov (WIS) 6-3

No. 3 Andrew Dzulynsky/Ford Zitsch (NEB) dnf. John Zordani/Darius Mackenzie (WIS) 4-3

Order of Finish: 1,2

Singles 

No. 1 Dusty Boyer (NEB) def. Josef Dodridge (WIS) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4

No. 2 Marc Herrmann (NEB) def. Alexander Kokorev (WIS) 6-1, 6-3

No. 3 Lamar Remy (WIS) def. Toby Boyer (NEB) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4

No. 4 Osgar O'Hoisin (WIS) def. Tomislav Antoljak (NEB) 5-7, 6-1, 6-2

No. 5 Chema Carranza (WIS) def. Andrew Dzulynsky (NEB) 7-6 (6-2), 3-6, 6-3

No. 6 John Zordani (WIS) def. Ford Zitsch (NEB) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (8-6)

Order of Finish: 2,3,1,4,5,6