KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Nebraska bowling team beat top-seeded McKendree to advance to the NCAA championship match.

"Another outstanding performance by the team to clinch a berth in the finals on TV tomorrow night," Head Coach Paul Klempa said. "These matches are grueling and stressful and the team handled themselves very well with a chance to play for the national championship on the line. As I have said all week, our goal is still in front of us."

The Huskers fell to top-seeded McKendree 994-1,104 in traditional match play to begin the series. Crystal Elliott was the front runner for the Huskers with a score of 221 with Kayla Verstraete close behind, scoring 201. Cassidy Ray and Michelle Guarro both bowled 192 as Gwen Maeha scored 188 to round out the team.

McKendree led the series 1-0 as both teams moved on to the five-game baker matchup. NU led by 40 after the first game and extended its lead to 59 after the second. The Huskers continued bowling well, extending their lead to 76 after three games. NU continued its domination by winning game four 236-168 to lead by 144 headed into the final game, leading 895-751. The Huskers took the last game 179-165, winning the second match 1,074-916 to tie the series at 1-1.

With the series tied, the two teams faced off in a best-of-seven baker match. NU took an early 1-0 lead with a 200-183 win, but McKendree tied it up with a 205-180 game two victory. The Huskers fell behind 1-2 as the Bearcats took game three 197-171. NU rebounded by taking games four and five 215-196 and 236-194 to take a 3-2 series lead. The Huskers won game six 210-194 to win the matchup 2-1.

Nebraska advances to the national championship match for the 10th time in 17 NCAA Championship appearances. The Huskers are 5-4 all-time in NCAA title matches since 2004. This will be the sixth time in the last nine NCAA championships NU has made the finals. The team will be going for its sixth NCAA title (2004, 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2015) and eighth since becoming a varsity sport at Nebraska.

The NCAA Finals are set for 6 p.m. CT Saturday where Nebraska will face the winner of the McKendree/Arkansas State match which takes place at 9 a.m. CT.

Jones Wins Steeplechase at Indiana

Nebraska track and field's distance runners competed at the Indiana Big Ten Invitational #2 in Bloomington, Ind., on Friday at the Robert C. Haugh Track Complex.

Husker senior Judi Jones won the 3,000-meter steeplechase title. She posted a personal-best time of 10:04.75, the third-fastest time in school history. She was seven seconds faster than the next closest finisher. It marked Jones' eighth career individual collegiate win on the track and second in the steeplechase. 

Dais Malebana also cracked the all-time top-10 charts with a time of 3:43.87 in the 1,500 meters. Malebana placed fourth overall in the race, and his time was the ninth-best ever in Nebraska outdoor history. 

Late into the night, Erika Freyhof took third place in the women's 10,000 meters with a time of 34:57.60.

In the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, Sadio Fenner took third place with a personal-best time of 9:24.93. Ryan Martins finished in fifth place in 9:39.65. 

Mark Freyhof placed eighth in the 10,000 meters in 31:26.84. Emma Bresser led the NU women in ninth place in the 800 meters, posting an outdoor personal-best time of 2:10.79. Grace Pagone took 10th place in the 5,000 meters in 17:24.08. 

The meet was condensed into one day because the weekend weather forecast in Bloomington. Friday's action still saw multiple weather delays and the competition wrapped up around Midnight (CT). 

Next week Nebraska will host the Husker Big Ten Invitational on Friday and Saturday in Prairie View, Texas. 

Gleason Wins, but Huskers Drops Matchup to Wildcats

William Gleason scored a singles victory over Northwestern's Nick Brookes, but it was not enough as the Nebraska men's tennis team (1-12, 1-12 Big Ten) came up short on Friday afternoon, falling to the No. 45 Northwestern Wildcats (11-5, 10-4 Big Ten) by a final score of 4-1 at the Dillon Tennis Center.  
 
The match began with doubles play. At the No. 1 spot, the No. 7 duo in the country of Nick Brookes and Simen Bratholm topped Victor Moreno Lozano and Albert Sprlak-Puk, 2-6. At No. 2, Nic Wiedenhorn and Shunya Maruyama kept it close, but lost, 4-6, to give the doubles point to the Wildcats.

To start off singles play, Maruyama moved up to the No. 1 position for the first time this season, but lost to Steven Forman, 1-6, 2-6. At No 6, Patrick Cacciatore matched up against Gleb Blekher, resulting in a 3-6, 0-6 loss. Highlighting Nebraska's play was William Gleason topping Nick Brookes in the No. 3 spot, 6-2, 6-3. Getting the match win for the Wildcats was Chris Ephron in the No. 4 spot who battled Sprlak-Puk and picked up the 6-4, 6-1 victory. 
 
Nic Wiedenhorn was tied 3-3 in the second set against Trice Pickens at No. 5, while Lozano battled at No. 2 when the match was called. 

Up next, the Huskers will stay home to play Illinois on Sunday, April 11 at 12:00 pm C.T. 

Tennis Match Results
Northwestern vs Nebraska
Apr 09, 2021 at Lincoln, NE (Dillon Tennis Center)
#45 Northwestern 4, Nebraska 1

Singles competition

1. Steven Forman (NW) def. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-1, 6-2
2. Victor Moreno Lozano (NEB) vs. Dominik Stary (NW) 5-7, 1-4, unfinished
3. William Gleason (NEB) def. Nick Brookes (NW) 6-2, 6-3
4. Chris Ephron (NW) def. Albert Sprlak-Puk (NEB) 6-4, 6-1
5. Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) vs. Trice Pickens (NW) 2-6, 3-3, unfinished
6. Gleb Blekher (NW) def. Patrick Cacciatore (NEB) 6-3, 6-0

Doubles competition

1. #7 Nick Brookes/Simen Bratholm (NW) def. Victor Moreno Lozano/Albert Sprlak-Puk (NEB) 6-2
2. Chris Ephron/Dominik Stary (NW) def. Nic Wiedenhorn/Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-4
3. Patrick Cacciatore/William Gleason (NEB) vs. Natan Spear/Steven Forman (NW) 5-6, unfinished

Match Notes:
Northwestern 11-5; National ranking #45 Nebraska 1-12
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,6,3,4)

Huskers Trounce Terrapins 5-2

College Park, Md.- The No. 33 Nebraska women's tennis team improved to 10-4 on the season with its 5-2 victory over Maryland on Friday afternoon. The Huskers managed their 11th doubles point of the season and notched four singles wins to take down the Terrapins. 

In the doubles portion of the action, Chloe Kuckelman and Hayley Haakenstad swept the Maryland duo Zoe Kulkarni and Ebony Sampson 6-0. Kristina Novak and Maja Makoric took down No. 76 Ayana Akli and Eva Alexandrova by a score of 6-1 to secure the doubles point for the Huskers. 

Isabel Adrover Gallego and Claire Reifeis sat 3-4 in their match against Minorka Miranda and Adela Josefova when play doubles play ended with Nebraska clinching the point. 

The Huskers came out hot in singles play, as Makoric rolled to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Josefova at No. 4 singles. Novak dropped her match against No. 30 Akli 3-6, 1-6, at the No. 1 position, before Reifies rebounded with a 6-3, 6-4 sweep of Miranda in the No. 3 spot. With Nebraska leading the match score 3-1, Haakenstad sealed the team victory for the Huskers with a 6-3, 6-3 straight-sets win over Sampson in the No. 6 spot. 

Kuckelman cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Kulkarni at the No. 5 position, before and Adrover Gallego fell to Alexandrova in a three-set thriller at No. 2. 

Doubles
1. Kristina Novak/Maja Makoric (NEB) def. #76 Ayana Akli/Eva Alexandrova (UMD) 6-1 
2.  Minorka Miranda/Adela Josefova (UMD) vs. Isa Adrover Gallego/Claire Reifeis (NEB) 4-3, unfinished
3. Chloe Kuckelman/Hayley Haakenstad (NEB) def. Zoe Kulkarni/Ebony Sampson (UMD) 6-0

Singles
1. #30 Ayana Akli (UMD) def. #120 Kristina Novak (NEB) 6-3, 6-1 
2. Eva Alexandrova (UMD) def. Isa Adrover Gallego (NEB) 6-1, 2-6, 7-5 
3. Claire Reifeis (NEB) def. Minorka Miranda (UMD) 6-3, 6-4 
4. Maja Makoric (NEB) def. Adela Josefova (UMD) 6-2, 6-2 
5. Chloe Kuckelman (NEB) def. Zoe Kulkarni (UMD) 6-2, 6-2 
6. Hayley Haakenstad (NEB) def. Ebony Sampson (UMD) 6-3, 6-3

Nebraska 10-4
Maryland 1-12
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (4,1,3,6,5,2)