Before the COVID-19 pandemic ended things prematurely, the Nebraska men’s tennis team played the most rigorous nonconference schedule in program history.
It was an eye-opening experience for a team full of freshmen and sophomores with limited top-level Division I college experience.
Second-year coach Sean Maymi put together a schedule that included a number of powerhouses like Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas and Pepperdine and strong NCAA Tournament candidates in Oregon, SMU, Old Dominion, Auburn and Vanderbilt.
The Huskers were 2-10 heading into the meat of their Big Ten schedule.
But Will Gleason says the rugged schedule he and his teammates endured the first six weeks of the season would’ve prepared the Huskers well for the rest of their Big Ten matches. He added that it will have a positive impact going forward as NU returns its entire team intact next season.
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“I’m not going to lie, it was very hard,†said Gleason, a sophomore who was a three-time state champion at Lincoln Southwest.
In a breakout freshman season, Gleason posted a 12-9 overall record last spring, including a 9-5 mark at No. 3 singles. This season, Gleason missed some early matches because of a stress reaction in his back and was 2-5, mostly at No. 2 singles, when the season shut down March 12. One of those victories came against No. 30 Pepperdine, a three-set victory over the No. 69 player in the nation, Conrado Summaria.
“Coach (Maymi) wanted us to see that high level of play, experience it and aspire to someday excel against it,†Gleason said. “It makes sense.â€
The three sophomores in the lineup — Gleason, Victor Moreno Lozano (No. 1 most of the season) and South Carolina transfer Patrick Cacciatore — all picked up college experience last season. Freshmen Andre Saleh, Albert Sprlak-Puk (a Czech Republic native) and Shunya Maruyama (Japan) made up the middle of the NU lineup at the end of the season.
For Gleason, it was a completely different role than he had in 2019.
“Last year as a freshman, I had no pressure and no expectations; I just showed up and played. We had seniors on the team who were the leaders,†said Gleason, who expects to use the additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA last week and complete his Husker career in 2023. “As one of the returning guys, I had to step up and be one of the leaders and set the tone for the rest of the team.â€
Gleason expects next year’s team to be significantly better.
“We’ve got some talented guys who are just learning what college tennis is all about,†said Gleason, one of just two NU players still in Lincoln, the other being Saleh, a California native.
“These guys love the game and they love to work,†Gleason said. “Once things settle down where they are, they’ll all be back on the court getting ready for next season.â€
Dillon Tennis Center is locked up, so Gleason, who just started playing again this past week, is getting his tennis in wherever he can find a court around town. He’s trying to set up hitting sessions with former Huskers Dusty and Toby Boyer, who are back in Lincoln after pro tour events around the world shut down three weeks ago.
“I’m hoping to play the pro futures in Tulsa (Oklahoma), Wichita (Kansas) and Champaign (Illinois) and some prize-money open tournaments this summer,†Gleason said. “I need to get high quality competition to raise the level of my game.â€