Huskers Claim First Conference Win, 7-0

East Brunswick, N.J. - The Nebraska women's tennis team produced another 7-0 sweep for it's first conference match of the season against Big Ten rival Rutgers at the East Brunswick Racquet Club on Wednesday. With the win, the Huskers advance to an undefeated 10-0 on the season. 

Freshman doubles duo Claire Reifeis and Hayley Haakenstad were first to pick up a doubles point for the Big Red. The pair breezed past Farris Cunningham and Jacqueline Cochrane of the Scarlet Knights in a 6-0 set. 

Following suit, senior Mary Hanna and sophomore Paula Del Cueto Castillo earned a 6-2 victory over their Rutgers opponents, Ksenija Tihomirova and Chloe Lee. The victory at No.1 doubles pushed the Huskers to 1-0 on the match, securing the team doubles point. The doubles team remains unbeated at No.1 doubles on the season. No.2 doubles pair Lisa Andersson and Vasanti Shinde also completed their match 6-2, improving personal records. 

Moving into singles action, many on the Husker roster improved to 2-0 on the day. Hanna claimed her second win of the dual with a quick 6-4, 6-2 finish over Katherine Muzik at the No.4 sinlges spot. 

Sole junior Katerina Matysova finished second with an impressive 6-3, 6-0 win over Scarlet Knight opponent Cochrane. This victory pushed the Big Red further into the lead, standing at a 3-0 score. One more was needed to win. 

Clinching the dual for Nebraska came down to freshman Reifeis, who punched her way through a second set tie-breaker to emerge with a win. Reifeis pulled a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Du. The Indianapolis, Ind., native improves to 8-0 on her singles season, playing out of the top two singles positions. 

Finishing next and also battling through a second set tie-break, Shinde came in with her second victory dual at the No.1 singles spot. Shinde earned a 6-1, 7-5 final score over Tihomirova. Also claiming a second singles win was Del Cueto Castillo. The Sevilla, Spain, native secured well fought 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 win over Lee with Rutgers. 

Jeannie Lozowski rounded out tennis action for Nebraska with the seventh and final victory at the No.6 singles spot. The freshman fought through three tie-breaking sets to post a well-deserved 7-6, 5-7, 10-5 final score over Cunningham of the Scarlet Knights. This completed the 7-0 sweep for the Big Red, offically advancing the team to 10-0 on the season (1-0 Away, 1-0 Big Ten).

The Nebraska women's tennis team will be back in action at home on Sunday, Feb. 26 for a Saturday doubleheader against Wichita State Shockers (11 a.m.) and Omaha (3:30 p.m.). Admission to both matches is free. Fans can stay up to date by catching recaps on Huskers.com or by following the Nebraska women's team on Twitter @HuskersWTennis.

Results

Singles
No.1 - Vasanti Shinde (NEB) def. Ksenija Tihomirova (RU), 6-1, 7-5
No.2 - Claire Reifeis (NEB) def. Mingxiu Du (RU), 6-1, 7-5
No.3 - Paula Del Cueto Castillo (NEB) def. Chloe Lee (RU), 6-4, 3-6, 10-5
No.4 - Mary Hanna (NEB) def. Katherine Muzik (RU), 6-4, 6-2
No.5 - Katerina Matysova (NEB) def. Jacqueline Cochrane (RU), 6-3, 6-0
No.6 - Jeannie Lozowski (NEB) def. Farris Cunningham (RU), 7-6, 5-7, 10-5

Doubles
No.1 - Hanna/Del Cueto Castillo (NEB) def. Tihomirova/Lee (RU), 6-2
No.2 - Andersson/Shinde (NEB) def. Du/Muzik (RU), 6-2
No.3 - Reifeis/Haakenstad (NEB) def. Cunningham/Cochrane (RU), 6-0