University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
University of Nebraska
Gophers Edged by Nebraska in Regular Season Finale
4/22/2018 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
Lincoln, Neb. - After picking up a much needed road win on Friday, the University of Minnesota women's tennis team (14-11, 6-5 Big Ten) fell to Nebraska in the regular season finale 4-3.
"We had our chances today, but we didn't put it all together today," head coach Catrina Thompson said after the dual. "We will regroup and focus on the Big Ten Tournament coming up this next weekend. We are very excited that it will be held at home where we have been so strong this season."
Cammy Frei was the highlight for the Gophers in singles, picking up a win in the No. 6 spot, giving her two singles wins on the weekend in dominating fashion. Caitlyn Merzbacher and Caroline Ryba also added wins for the Gophers in singles.
After dropping the doubles point, the Gophers had an uphill climb in singles and couldn't put together enough to pull off the upset of the No. 46 ranked team in the country on the road.
Doubles
The doubles point came down to No. 1 spot after the Gophers and Cornhuskers split No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. The No. 1 doubles team of Nebraska was able to edge out the Gophers in the tiebreaker, taking the set 7-6 and the doubles point. Tina Kreinis and Annemarie Emme combined to earn the Gophers win at No. 2 doubles, 6-4.
Singles
Winning her second singles match of the weekend, Cammy Frei won once again in straight sets. She dominated both sets, controlling the pace of play and taking each set by a score of 6-1.
The Gophers were defeated in straight sets in the No. 2, No. 4 and No. 3 slots, which then sealed the victory for Nebraska.
After the dual was decided the two teams continued to play out the remaining matches. Caroline Ryba would win the final four games in the second set to win in straight sets 7-5, 6-2.
Caitlyn Merzbacher ended the regular season in an exciting fashion, winning the third set of No. 5 singles 13-11 after splitting the first two sets with Katerina Matysova. Merzbacher finishes the regular season with a 21-3 record, the best on the team this spring.
Up Next
With the regular season in the rear view mirror, the Gophers now shift their focus to the postseason. Minnesota will find out what seed they are tomorrow when the ITA rankings come out to break the tiebreaker between the Gophers and Michigan State. Regardless, the Gophers will play their first match on Thursday April 26 at Baseline Tennis Center. The Tournament will conclude on April 29 with the winner automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championships in May.
Nebraska 4, Minnesota 3
Doubles
1. P.Del Cueto Castillo/Brianna Lashway (NEB) def. Caitlyn Merzbacher/Mehvish Safdar (MINN) 7-6
2. Tina Kreinis/Annemarie Emme (MINN) def. Claire Reifeis/Hayley Haakenstad (NEB) 6-4
3. Katerina Matysova/Vasanti Shinde (NEB) def. River Hart/Caroline Ryba (MINN) 7-5
Singles
1. Caroline Ryba (MINN) 7-5, 6-4 def. Brianna Lashway (NEB) 7-5, 6-2
2. Vasanti Shinde (NEB) def. Tina Kreinis (MINN) 6-1, 6-1
3. Claire Reifeis (NEB) def. Annemarie Emme (MINN) 6-2, 6-2
4. P.Del Cueto Castillo (NEB) def. Barbara Mancera (MINN) 6-1, 6-2.
5. Caitlyn Merzbacher (MINN) def. Katerina Matysova (NEB) 7-6, 5-7, 13-11
6. Cammy Frei (MINN) def. Jeannie Lozowski (NEB) 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,4,6,3,1,5)
Players Mentioned
