Lincoln, Neb. - The #58 Nebraska men’s tennis team (15-9, 4-4 Big Ten) battled, but fell 1-6, to the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes (26-1, 8-0 Big Ten) in the Friday evening match. The Huskers earned their point with a dominant singles match from #119 Calvin Mueller at No. 1 singles, defeating #28 Justin Boulais in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. The singles win was Mueller’s 25th of the season, and improved the junior to 4-0 against ranked Big Ten opponents.
The Big Ten dual started with doubles at the Dillon Tennis Center. No. 1 doubles had a ranked matchup, Nebraska’s #85 Anton Shepp and Nic Wiedenhorn taking on #82 Robert Cash and Bryce Nakashima. Shepp and Wiedenhorn battled, keeping it close to start, but the Buckeyes pulled ahead and took the match, 6-3. At No. 2 doubles, Shunya Maruyama and Leo Linquet were defeated by #24 Andrew Lutschaunig and Justin Boulais, claiming the doubles point for OSU. No 3 doubles was left unfinished, with Calvin Mueller and Lars Johann leading over Cannon Kingsley and JJ Tracy, 4-3.
Down after the doubles point, singles action began. At No. 5 singles, Linquet faced #121 Alexander Bernard. The sophomore rallied in the second set, but fell to the Buckeye, 4-6, 6(4)-7. Next to finish was Hietaranta, defeated by #112 Cash, 3-6, 3-6 on Court Six. At No. 1 singles, #119 Mueller faced #28 Boulais and had a dominant victory. The junior won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, and put the Big Red on the board. On Court Three, Maruyama was matched up against the highest ranked Buckeye, #16 JJ Tracy. Tracy defeated the senior, 6-3, 6-2, to clinch the match for OSU. Johann played the No. 5 slot, taking on #26 Jack Anthrop. The sets were close, but Anthrop took down Johann, 7-5, 7-5. At No. 2 singles, Shepp and #17 put on a three-set thriller. Shepp dropped the first 2-6, but bounced back to take the second, 7-5. The third set went to tiebreak, where Kingsley finished strong and took the match, 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(4).
With the loss, the Huskers sit at 15-9 (4-4 Big Ten) going into their final regular season match. Fifteen wins is the most for the Big Red since 2011, when the team finished 15-13 (1-5 Big 12). While the Big Red did not win, the singles point earned for the final score of 6-1, did make NU the only team outside the top 25 to get a point off of top-ranked OSU this season. Mueller’s dominant win at No. 1 singles over #28 Boulais was his 25th singles win of the season. The junior also remains perfect against ranked Big Ten opponents, Boulais being the highest-ranked and fourth win, all of which have been in straight sets.
Up next, the Huskers host Penn State for their last regular season match, and celebrate senior day on Sunday, April 21. First serve against the Nittany Lions is set for noon (CT) at the Dillon Tennis Center. Big Red seniors Rudi Christiansen, Shunya Maruyama and Nic Wiedenhorn will be recognized prior to the Sunday match, and fans are encouraged to arrive early for the celebration. The Big Ten match will be held at the Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center, where parking and admission are free. Live stats will be available on Huskers.com, as well as live updates and content posted on X/Twitter at @HuskerMTennis.
#1 Ohio State 6, #58 Nebraska 1
Singles competition:
1. #119 Calvin Mueller (NEB) def. #28 Justin Boulais (OSU) 6-3, 6-4
2. #17 Cannon Kingsley (OSU) def. Anton Shepp (NEB) 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4)
3. #16 JJ Tracy (OSU) def. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-3, 6-2
4. #26 Jack Anthrop (OSU) def. Lars Johann (NEB) 7-5, 7-5
5. #121 Alexander Bernard (OSU) def. Leo Linquet (NEB) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
6. #112 Robert Cash (OSU) def. Roni Hietaranta (NEB) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles competition:
1. #82 Robert Cash/Bryce Nakashima (OSU) def. #85 Anton Shepp/Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) 6-3 2. #24 Andrew Lutschaunig/Justin Boulais (OSU) def. Leo Linquet/Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-2
3. Calvin Mueller/Lars Johann (NEB) vs. Cannon Kingsley/JJ Tracy (OSU) 4-3, unfinished