Every member of the Nebraska men’s tennis team took a different path to the Cornhusker State. One came from Japan. Another from Germany. A third came from the Czech Republic and a fourth from Venezuela. Six came from different states across America, stretching from coast to coast, including one from Lincoln.
Each player may have made his own way to Nebraska, but now all 10 Huskers are united on the same path, working together to lay the foundation for the rise of the tennis program.
The Huskers believe they can elevate the program with their diverse backgrounds, which players say are a blessing, not a burden.
“All of us come from different areas of the world so I think that we all learned different playing styles or chose different playing styles, and that’s excellent for our team,” Ohio native Chester Wickwire said. “It gets us ready for our opponents, while also allowing us to learn from the guys on our team who do certain things better than others.”
Albert Sprlak-Puk came to Nebraska from Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic. He echoed his teammate’s thoughts, saying the variation of styles is beneficial for all players. “We are for sure a very diverse team,” he said. “I think that helps us get used to different playing styles so we’re ready for anything that comes up in a season.”
One of two newcomers to the team this season, Nic Wiedenhorn recently arrived in Lincoln from his native Germany. An Under-16 German champion, Wiedenhorn said every Husker has something to learn and teach each other. “We all have different backgrounds so we could learn a lot of things from each other because everybody has different experiences to share with each other,” he said. “That is what helps us evolve together.”
The diversity has not only aided the tennis games of each Husker, but it has forged a real bond between the team.
“It’s cool to have teammates from so many different places,” Kansas native Bradley Mittleman said. “The team has come together from all over and became brothers from the beginning. We are a family.”
The men responsible for assembling that “family” are assistant coach Tom Boysen and head coach Sean Maymi. The coaches have worked hard to assemble this roster, and they have certain traits they look for in a player, regardless of where that player is from.
“We do have players from many different backgrounds and cultures,” Boysen said. “To be certain, they didn’t all have the same experiences in junior tennis. But there are a few character traits and attributes that Coach Sean and I firmly believe must be present in each of the individual student-athletes that we bring into our program. These shared core values will be the foundation of any success we have moving forward.”
Maymi, the third-year head coach with a history of Big Ten and NCAA Tournament success as a Michigan assistant, said two characteristics he seeks out are players who love the game and possess a willingness to work.
“Coach Tom and I have done the best we can to get players that have a passion for tennis and a strong work ethic,” he said. “Of course tennis ability is important, but with the passion and work ethic we believe they will continue to grow and develop into a team that can achieve great things.”
Achieving greatness usually doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to build a program, but time may be on Nebraska’s side.
Six months ago, Nebraska’s season abruptly came to an end due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA announced the cancellation of spring sports, players had one season of eligibility restored. That decision has created a unique opportunity for the team, one they plan on seizing.
All 10 Huskers have at least three years of eligibility remaining, giving Nebraska a talented core of players upon which to build the future of the program. That’s ultimately the goal – to take the tennis program to heights it has never reached before – and the Huskers believe their opportunity is now.
“I think since we will all be together for such a long time it will allow us to become so close on and off court so we can grow as one for as long as we all are here,” Californian Andre Saleh said. “We have come together very well. And we have so many different styles of tennis that it helps us all see different games every day in practice which helps us all improve the most that we can.”
Another thing that helps the Huskers improve is the willingness of their coaches to challenge them against some of the best in collegiate tennis. Last spring, when the eight returning Huskers were all either freshmen or sophomores, Nebraska played seven of its 12 matches against top-50 opponents.
“We faced some growing pains early on but every single day we come in here with the intention of making each other better and selling out to our culture, and we’ve started to see the benefits of that,” said Patrick Cacciatore, a Floridian who transferred to Nebraska from South Carolina last season.
Speaking of culture, the Huskers already feel their culture is strong, and they only see it growing stronger over the next few seasons.
“Having the same teammates and having more years to spend together will only help this team have a strong culture,” Mittleman said. “It will help us reach the goals we have set together. We know it won’t just come, we need to work hard every day.
“It’s a unique opportunity for us to grow and bond unlike ever before. Most of our team already knows each other so well, and we are able to get the new guys up to speed to keep building this program and elevate it to win championships.”
Victor Moreno Lozano, who was Nebraska’s No. 1 singles player last season, added that the familiarity will not only help each player individually, but the collective team as well.
“We can build our relationships that are going to last for three or four years, and we are going to know the strengths and weaknesses of everyone so we can help each other,” he said. “We all know what the coaches want from us individually and as a team and that is very important for our team. Everyone has to be on the same page. “
The Huskers don’t yet know what the 2020-21 season will look like. But they do know they have the talent, teamwork and desire to begin elevating the program quickly. And with every player able to play at least three more seasons with the Big Red, whatever the group can accomplish this season could be but a glimpse of what is to come.
“We’re just excited to build together every day as brothers and teammates,” Cacciatore said. “Each one of us came here with one goal and that’s to elevate this program. We’ve got the time, coaching staff and guys to do it.”
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