Huskers Fall to Wichita State to End Non-Conference

The Nebraska men’s tennis team fell to Wichita State, 5-2, at the Sheldon Coleman Tennis Complex in Wichita, Kansas, on Sunday. The Huskers went 1-1 on the weekend to end their non-conference slate with an 8-3 record.

Doubles play started off with Wichita State challenging Nebraska right off the bat. Leo Linquet/Colson Wells (NEB) were the first to step off the doubles courts, falling on the losing side vs. Pablo Roche Alcaya/Zaid Al Mashni (WSU) at No. 1, 3-6. 

Going 2-0 on the weekend was the pair of Henry Lamchinniah/Matt Shearer (NEB) winning at No. 2 vs. Ilias Worthington/Rodrigo Cruz (WSU), 6-3. Shearer took his second doubles win of the season after first joining the Huskers this spring season. 

As Jeri Lassila/Joan Torres Espinosa attempted to fight back down 2-5 for the doubles point, they ultimately could not conquer the feat, losing their match, 3-6 to Alejandro Jacome/Fe Bockelmann-Evans (WSU). The win at No. 3 doubles for Wichita State secured the doubles point for the Shockers as the Huskers trailed 0-1 going into singles. 

Nebraska started off singles winning four out of the six first sets. Though the Huskers started off hot on four courts, Linquet was one of the first Huskers to fall, losing at No. 1 singles, 0-6, 3-6 vs. Ilias Worthington. 

Lamchinniah fell to Roche Alcaya at No. 4 singles, 3-6, 2-6 to give Wichita a 3-0 lead, meaning the Huskers needed four singles wins in a row to comeback from the deficit. 

Espinosa answered after the loss to cut the lead to 3-1, winning his match in three sets, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 vs. Cruz. But shortly after, the Shockers answered the call right back with Sysoev dropping his match in three, to No. 103 ranked singles player Mashni, 6-4, 0-6, 1-6 to clinch the overall match for Wichita State. 

With the rest of the singles matches being played out, freshman Niels van der Sijs was able to get a singles win of his own. His win over Luke Bracks (6-1, 5-7, 6-0) helped cut the lead point margin to two for Nebraska. 

To finish out the match, Lassila lost his match 6-4, 3-6, 2-6 vs. Jacome as the Huskers fell to the Shockers, 5-2 after knocking off No. 24 Oklahoma State 4-2 in Lincoln on Friday. Nebraska was limited to one doubles win and two singles wins in this match. 

UP NEXT
Nebraska will start Big Ten Conference play on the road traveling to East Lansing to take on Michigan State (3-5) on Friday, March 6 at 5 p.m. (CT). The Huskers will then travel an hour south to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan (4-4) on Sunday, March 8 at 1 p.m. (CT).