Huskers Blast Badgers, 5-2

Madison, Wis. - Sophomore Vasanti Shinde and freshmen Claire Reifeis and Hayley Haakenstad each recorded a pair of victories to power the Nebraska women’s tennis team to its third Big Ten Conference victory of the season with a 5-2 win at Wisconsin on Sunday.

With the win, the Huskers improved to 16-2 on the season and 3-1 in the Big Ten.

The Big Red blazed through doubles action, quickly earning the team point for Nebraska after the completion of No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. Nebraska's Lisa Andersson and Vasanti Shinde defeated Christina Zordani and Sydney Rider, 6-3 at the No. 2 spot, before the Husker freshman duo of Claire Reifeis and Hayley Haakenstad rolled to a swift 6-2 win over Melissa Pick and Michelle Linden. NU took a 1-0 lead in the dual heading to singles action.

Shinde, a sophomore from Pune, India, secured her second win of the day by battling through three tough sets at No. 1 singles for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Wisconsin's Maria Avgerinos.   

Reifeis added a second win of her own by cruising to a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Linden at the No. 3 singles position. Husker senior Mary Hanna secured the team victory for the Big Red with a stellar 6-1, 6-4 win over Rider at No. 4 singles.

Haakenstad completed the Husker victory with a three-set victory at No. 6 singles. The Chanhassen, Minn., native picked up a 6-1, 2-6, 6-0 win over Zordani to end the day for Nebraska.

The Huskers return home for a four-match Big Ten home stand at the Dillon Tennis Center beginning with a dual against Northwestern (March 31, 3 p.m.). The Huskers will then face Illinois  on April 2 at 10 a.m., before squaring off with Penn State (April 7, 5 p.m.) and Ohio State (April 9, Noon). Admission to the remainder of the home matches this season is free.

Results

Doubles:
No.1 - Hanna/Del Cueto (NEB) vs. Avgerinos/Grambeau (WIS), 5-3, (Unfinished) 
No.2 - Andersson/Shinde (NEB) def. Zordani/Rider (WIS), 6-3
No.3 - Reifeis/Haakenstad (NEB) def. Pick/Linden (WIS), 6-2

Singles:  
No.1 - Vasanti Shinde (NEB) def. Maria Avgerinos (WIS), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4  
No.2 - Kelsey Grambeau (WIS) def. Paula Del Cueto (NEB), 2-6, 6-4, 3-0 (Retired)
No.3 - Claire Reifeis (NEB) def. Michelle Linden (WIS), 6-2, 6-1
No.4 - Mary Hanna (NEB) def. Sydney Rider (WIS), 6-1, 6-4
No.5 - Melissa Pick (WIS) def. Jeannie Lozowski (NEB), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
No.6 - Hayley Haakenstad (NEB) def. Christina Zordani (WIS), 6-1, 2-6, 6-0