Huskers Fall in Opening Round of Big Ten Tournament

The No. 47 Nebraska women’s tennis team fell to No. 55 Illinois by a score of 4-1 on Thursday morning in Columbus, Ohio. 

NU (15-9) closes out its season after taking two doubles matches and dropping one doubles and four singles matches on the day. 

Big Ten Tournament action began with doubles play at the Ty Tucker Tennis Center as the ninth-seeded Huskers took on eighth-seed Illinois. Reya Lee Coe and Natalia Trigosso quickly dropped their match on court two, falling to Madatali/Schaefbauer by a score of 6-0. Emma Rizzetto and Tiziana Rossini then grabbed a 6-4 victory on court three over Isyanov/Mester, leaving the doubles clinch up to court one. With the doubles point on the line, No. 40 Conley Raidt and Katie Spencer took down No. 67 Bucher/Xu, 7-5, to claim the doubles point as the duo grabbed their fourth ranked victory of the season. 

Up 1-0 heading into singles play, the Big Red took the singles courts. Catherine Gagnon was the first Husker to fall, as she fell to Tess Bucher on court five by a score of 6-1, 6-3. Spencer dropped her match on court two, falling 6-4, 6-1, to Kimiko Cooper. Rossini then was defeated by Mester by a score of 6-4, 6-3 on court six. Down 3-1, NU fought, but it was not enough as Alice Xu took down Conley Raidt, 7-5, 6-2, on court three to win the match for the Illini and move on in the tournament to play Ohio State. 

Maria Taranova’s court one match against No. 58 McKenna Schaefbauer was left unfinished at a score of 6-2, 3-6, 1-1. Rizzetto’s match on court four against Madatali was also abandoned at 7-5, 6-4.

Singles Competition
1. Maria Taranova (NEB) vs. #58 McKenna Schaefbauer (ILL) 6-2, 3-6, 1-1 UF
2. Kimiko Cooper (ILL) def. Katie Spencer (NEB), 6-4, 6-1
3. Alice Xu (ILL) def. Conley Raidt (NEB), 7-5, 6-2
4. Emma Rizzetto (NEB) vs. Ariel Madatali (ILL), 7-5, 3-6 UF
5. Tess Bucher (ILL) def. Catherine Gagnon (NEB), 6-1, 6-3
6. Cara Mester (ILL) def. Tiziana Rossini (NEB), 6-4, 6-3

Doubles Competition
1. #40 Katie Spencer/Conley Raidt (NEB) def. #67 Tess Bucher/Alice Xu (ILL), 7-5
2. Ariel Madatali/McKenna Schaefbauer (ILL) def. Reya Lee Coe/Natalia Trigosso (NEB), 6-0
3. Emma Rizzetto/Tiziana Rossini (NEB) def. Elizabeth Isyanov/Cara Mester (ILL), 6-4