NU Falls to Michigan State, 4-0

East Lansing, Mich. – The Nebraska women’s tennis team fell 4-0 to conference rival Michigan State on Saturday at the MSU outdoor tennis courts.

The Huskers slipped to 18-6 overall and 5-5 in the Big Ten. Although Nebraska lost the match officially 4-0, the Huskers were extremely competitive on the road against a solid Spartan squad. In fact, in Nebraska's six singles matches, the Huskers won four of the opening sets. In the three matches that were not completed, Nebraska's Vasanti Shinde (No. 1), Paula Del Cueto Castillo (No. 3) and M'Balia Bangoura, were all leading in the third sets of their matches.

Doubles action kicked things into gear for the Big Red, who were set to take on a tough Spartans roster. Mary Hanna and Del Cueto Castillo put extra fight in at the No. 1 position, but it wasn’t enough to beat MSU. Emily Metcalf and Davina Nguyen carried out a 7-5 extended set over the pair to win.

Lisa Andersson and Shinde competed in No. 2 doubles for the Huskers, where they too fell to Michigan State. The Big Red pair dropped a 6-3 decision to Athena Trouillot and Samantha Memije. This victory put the Spartans ahead in the dual 1-0.

Nebraska attempted to recover the deficit in singles action, but Michigan State pulled three quick points over the Huskers to win the match.

Andersson, at No. 5 singles, dropped a 6-3, 6-2 final decision to Trouillot of MSU. The senior was pursuing her 100th career win.

Freshman Claire Reifeis won her first set, 6-2, but MSU’s Erin Faulkner rallied for a 6-2 win of her own in the second set before notching a 6-3 victory in the decisive third set to push Michigan State's lead to 3-0.

Hanna also posted an opening-set win for the Huskers, before Nguyen rebounded for wins in the second (6-4) and third (7-6) sets to clinch the team win for the Spartans.

The Big Red is back in action tomorrow at No. 9 Michigan, where the Huskers are set to compete in Ann Arbor at 9:30 a.m. Central time.

Results

Doubles
1. Emily Metcalf/Davina Nguyen (MSU) def. P.Del Cueto Castillo/Mary Hanna (NEB) 7-5
2. Athena Trouillot/Samantha Memije (MSU) def. Lisa Andersson/Vasanti Shinde (NEB) 6-3
3. Erin Faulkner/Lexi Baylis (MSU) vs. Claire Reifeis/Hayley Haakenstad (NEB) 6-5, unfinished 

Singles

1. Aslina Chua (MSU) vs. Vasanti Shinde (NEB) 4-6, 6-1, 4-5, unfinished

2. Erin Faulkner (MSU) def. Claire Reifeis (NEB) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3

3. Emily Metcalf (MSU) vs. P.Del Cueto Castillo (NEB) 7-6, 5-7, 0-3, unfinished

4. Davina Nguyen (MSU) def. Mary Hanna (NEB) 5-7, 6-4, 7-6

5. Athena Trouillot (MSU) def. Lisa Andersson (NEB) 6-3, 6-2

6. Lexi Baylis (MSU) vs. M' Balia Bangoura (NEB) 6-7, 6-1, 2-4, unfinished