Huskers Crack No. 19 Buckeyes, 4-3

Columbus, Ohio – The No. 29 Nebraska women’s tennis team rocketed into conference tennis action with a 4-3 victory over No. 19 Ohio State on Wednesday. This progressed the Huskers season record to 12-2 overall, 1-0 in the Big Ten.

Doubles action kicked off the afternoon with a victory for the Big Red. First to finish and put Nebraska ahead were Katerina Matysova and Vasanti Shinde at the No. 3 doubles position. The pair pitched a quick 6-1 win over Emma DeCoste and Danielle Wolf to keep their undefeated doubles record alive.

No. 1 doubles saw Husker duo Paula Del Cueto Castillo and Brianna Lashway up against ranked doubles team Anna Sanford and Shiori Fukuda. The Buckeye pair is presently ranked No. 32 in the nation. Del Cueto Castillo and Lashway were able to secure two set points, but dropped the match 6-2.

Nabbing the team point to put Nebraska into an early lead, Claire Reifeis and Hayley Haakenstad battled through a tiebreaker at No. 2 doubles to walk away with the win. The pair put away a 7-6 win over Olivia Sneed and Mary Beth Hurley of Ohio State, before the match transitioned into singles play. 

The Huskers were tested against a ranked Ohio State singles roster, including three top opponents playing out of the No. 1, 2 and 3 positions.

First to pick up her second win of the afternoon was senior Matysova. The Erding, Germany, native showed defined experience with a two-set victory over Wolf at the No. 5 singles position. Matysova pushed to a 6-3, 6-3 win, bringing the match back to a draw at 2-2.

Initially facing some difficulty against No. 103 Sneed, junior Shinde mounted an impressive comeback through her first set, 7-6. The Pune, India, native then paced the Huskers claiming her second ranked win of the season after publishing a 7-6, 6-4 victory on court 3.

With the dual tied and the upset in sight, the Big Red’s victory came down to a three-set feat in No. 2 singles by Reifeis.

The sophomore slammed through her first set against nationally ranked No. 61 Fukuda, before falling in her second 6-7. Split sets behind her, Reifies carried on the team’s momentum with force, swinging to an impressive victory over the Buckeyes and a 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 final score.

The victory over No. 19 Ohio State puts Nebraska's all-time series record with the Buckeyes at a 6-6 tie and marks the team’s first top-20 win since 2013.

 

Results

Singles

1. #123 Anna Sanford (OSU) def. Brianna Lashway (NEB18) 6-2, 6-2
2. Claire Reifeis (NEB18) def. #61 Shiori Fukuda (OSU) 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2
3. Vasanti Shinde (NEB18) def. #103 Olivia Sneed (OSU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
4. Emma DeCoste (OSU) def. Paula Del Cueto Castillo (NEB18) 6-4, 6-3
5. Katerina Matysova (NEB18) def. Danielle Wolf (OSU) 6-3, 6-3
6. Mary Beth Hurley (OSU) def. Hayley Haakenstad (NEB18) 6-3, 7-5

 

Doubles

1. #32 Anna Sanford/Shiori Fukuda (OSU) def. Paula Del Cueto Castillo/Brianna Lashway (NEB18) 6-2
2. Claire Reifeis/Hayley Haakenstad (NEB18) def. Olivia Sneed/Mary Beth Hurley (OSU) 7-6 (10-8)
3. Katerina Matysova/Vasanti Shinde (NEB18) def. Emma DeCoste/Danielle Wolf (OSU) 6-1

 

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,5,4,6,3,2)