Tennis Team Hosts Nebraska Tuesday
Apr 14, 2003 | Tennis
April 14, 2003
MANHATTAN, Kan - The Kansas State tennis team tries to extend its five-match winning streak and keep pace in the Big 12 Conference race when it hosts Nebraska at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Washburn Tennis Facility on the K-State campus.
The 34th-ranked 'Cats are 11-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12 this season, while Nebraska enters the match 11-9 overall and 1-8 in league play.
The 'Cats are tied with Texas A&M and Oklahoma for third place in the Big 12 standings, while the Cornhuskers are in 11th. K-State trails Baylor (8-1), Texas (7-1) in the standings. Kansas State has three remaining matches, including matches against the Aggies (April 18) and the Longhorns (April 20).
Kansas State is on a five-match winning streak that dates to March 19. A win on Tuesday would match the Wildcats' six-match winning streak in 2001. K-State extended its streak with a win over in-state rival Kansas (5-2) Saturday. Nebraska enters the match having lost five of its last six and winning only one conference match. The Cornhuskers beat Denver this past weekend (4-3) and their lone Big 12 win was over Texas Tech (5-2) March 30.
Nebraska leads the series with Kansas State, 21-8. After splitting the previous five meetings, the Wildcats have beaten the Huskers two straight, including a 6-1 victory in Lincoln last year. At home against Nebraska, K-State has a 4-7 record.
For the Wildcats, junior Hayley McIver, one of the hottest singles players in the conference, has strung together six consecutive wins and victories in nine of her last 10 matches playing primarily at No. 5 singles. She is 11-3 in dual matches, 7-1 in the Big 12 and 20-9 overall. The left-hander became the first Wildcat to win 20 matches in a single season April 12. The last Wildcats to reach the milestone were Alena Jecminkova, Petra Sedlmajerova and Eva Novotna in 2001.
Freshman Andrea Cooper has also put together wins in seven of her last eight matches. She is 10-3 in dual matches, 5-2 in the Big 12 and 16-9 overall this season playing primarily at No. 6 singles.
Kansas State has improved its doubles play recently, winning nine of its last 12 matches. Leading the way for K-State are Sedlmajerova and junior Paulina Castillejos, who have won five of their last six matches. The Wildcats' No. 1 doubles team is 8-3 in dual matches, 4-4 in the league and 10-5 overall.
A pair of sisters could meet in collegiate action for the first time. Castillejos will be on the court with younger sister Pamela Castillejos of Nebraska. The younger Castillejos is a freshman for the Cornhuskers and sports records of 7-5 in dual matches, 4-5 in the Big 12 and 10-8 overall at No. 5 singles. The elder Castillejos played No. 5 for the first time this past weekend.
