1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Nebraska Tennis season recap: May 7th, 2026, 11:25am

Episode Date: May 7, 2026

Recap and review of the 2026 Nebraska women's tennis season. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

D.P. Sponsored by the downtown Lincoln Foundation on 937 the ticket. We are back here on one-on-one on 93-7. The ticket, thanks for doing this. DP is out in Maryland covering the Nebraska. Well, it's the big 10 softball tournament, but might as well call it the Nebraska softball tournament because that's what we're focused on as the Oscars will be first pitch will be about an hour from now against Michigan. So we will hear from DEP here at the top of the hour live reporting out there. Until then we got Hermann Del Margo, Nebraska, women's tennis coach in here with us as we've been talking about the program.

Now, you did mention too that came up just short of the NCAA tournament. Is that something? How do you kind of find out? Is it similar to like basketball, whether it's a selection show or how do you kind of figure out who's in the tournament? Yeah, I was, I kind of wish it was a little more like basketball, to be honest. And I think the way they select the teams, I think they look a little more metrics. You know, in tennis, we have one metric that look at is like a computer ranking and does it.

Okay. So we can kind of, we can kind of our selection, ends of our selection committed, I don't think it's much of a selection committee, more of a seating committee. You know, the computer pretty much selects all the teams that are in it. So going into it, we kind of knew we were kind of the first kind of four bubble. So we kind of knew that it was like, well, you know, unless suddenly they select, you know, in a different metric or they see something we're not seeing, you know, then they can maybe select us. But we kind of knew that it was, you know, we were kind of on the first four. So, yeah, I kind of wish it was a little more, you know, of actually a selection, you know, and they look at all the metrics and they look at your record. They look at your wins and losses and kind of all that, you know, because I think it will make a difference, you know.

I think if they select basketball, men's and women's basketball, we would have been in. You know, I was just looking at like, it happened to be looking at kind of how women's basketball did it. And I was looking at if they did it the way they did it, we would have been in it, you know. But ours is just 100% based on computer base. And in our sport, you know, we have, you know, 305 or so Division 1 women's tennis teams. And the computer doesn't know if you're a mid-major or, uh, or power four or what kind of wins you have, you know. I mean, that's a little bit, you know, because it gives you more points, you know,

for the ranking, but it's all based on ranking. And then sometimes, you know, we have, you know, a lot of really good big majors that, because they play an Easter schedule and they win it or, and their ranking is better, but it's based on who they play and their wins, no, based on like where those teams are ranked, you know, kind of like what basketball does. Yeah. So, so at times it will be nice, you know, if they, they spend a little more time in it, but it is what we have.

And we just have to kind of be, you know, be in that range, you know, to make it. You know, so we were just above, you know, three or four sports away. And you're going to have to tell me a little bit because I don't know exactly where it ends. But isn't like the first 80 teams that are ranked by the end of the season as well? Yeah, we rank. I mean, there's, again, 300 teams, but they kind of public published rankings. They do a top 75. Oh, 75.

top 75 in the country. You know, right now I think we're 48, you know, and they took, insovlaid, took, at large, like 40 to 41 in the women's side. Yeah.

And then by two teams that they were right ahead of us, they're ineligible because they're no about 500. Okay. So that bumped us up. So we were kind of in the, you know, 45 range, you know,

to be selected and then they took like 41 or something like that, you know? So, um, yeah, they take out large about 40 teams. And then the rest of, are all conference winners, you know, if they win their small conference or they're winning.

You know, a lot of teams in the Big Ten, you know, like, obviously only one can win the conference, you know, the tournament and then the rest go at large. And then, but there's, we have a lot of smaller conferences. And where if they win it, you know, they make it kind of like similar to basketball is. And then the rest are at large. But they're all just based on rankings, you know, instead of basing on a little more, you know, RPI or you know like strange of schedule or yeah you know

how many good wins you have and all that you know there's teams that made it that don't have as many good wins as we do for example are there are there but they have a few less losses or they play it's the schedule so it's kind of like but they rank three or four sports high than us but we have better wins that they do yeah

but they don't consider that you know yeah yeah I can see how that could be frustrating that's interesting um is are there are there some leagues outside of the power four we kind of look at you know I know Pac-12 is going back, but that are pretty strong in tennis, or is it generally the same type of leagues that we're... I mean, I always said that those four are very, very good in tennis.

SEC is probably the best in women's tennis, but Big 12, ACC, you know, Big 10, Ivy League schools are very good in tennis. Okay. Most Ivy League schools are. And then we have a smaller, you know, like some in the West Coast. You know, we have most teams that are good. Yeah. Pepper Dine is the top 10 team in the country.

women's tennis because he's in Malibu, California, and the tennis score overlook the ocean, you know, so, and they offer the same scholars as we do. So it's like they offer full rights, you know, to everybody. So it's kind of like Pepperdine is good. And then you have San Diego's goo. San Diego stays very good. Because, you know, tennis is a weather and location, you know, and they have it there. So it's like we have a little smaller conferences that are, that have like, especially they have like two or three teams that are very good. You know, maybe the bottom and not, not as strong at times, but there's a lot of teams, you know, like in Florida, we have Florida International, Florida Atlantic. They're very good, you know, just because of location, too, you know.

And then Ivy League schools are very good because of kind of education and, you know, and they have a lot of resources. Well, I was just wondering, too, because, you know, I think it's unique, obviously from going from the kind of the top 25 world that you see in a lot of these different sports to seeing 75 teams rank. And you mentioned how many teams are out there playing. I mean, can you take a bit of considerable pride of me? If you're finishing in the top 40s, top, you know, mid 40s, at least from what I see in Nebraska's history, it's been a while since they've been got,

I think 2018, they finished 45th. Yeah. But, you know, otherwise that would be the highest ranking since 2013. 2018, yeah, yeah, yeah. Besides, besides 2018, you know, I was actually the assistant coach. Okay. Yeah, in 2018, yeah. It was 2013, you know,

and then this year will be the highest. finished ranking since 2018. So it's good. I mean, if you, if you look at that way, if you finish in the, you know, in the 40s out of 300 teams, you know, you're kind of in the top, about 12 to 15 percent, you know, of, uh, in the whole country. And, you know, in tennis, we compete a lot with mid majors, you know, I mean, majors are a huge part in our sport. Yeah. And it's not just like, you know, football that they have like, you know, Division 1 and then double A or, you know, FES or it kind of like that, too. It's like we, in tennis, we compete with, um,

A lot of MED majors, they're just as strong or stronger than Power 4s, you know. And we call it like in the tennis community, you know, we can see there some programs not a mid-majors at all. Like, nobody can see there's Pepper Dines as a mid-Metia. Yeah. Because there's the power. They're a power. You know, we never, nobody can see this Ivy League schools as a, you know, an outsider from Power 4.

They're considered a power for, you know, a league in tennis, you know, because, you know, most, most tennis players are very academic driven and maybe they come from an economic backgrounds that you know they're very very driven and i think it's uh you know playing for a navy league school in tennis is it kind of has the same or more value than playing for a power four program you know yeah yeah so it's a yeah it's it's challenging in in that part too but i think it's it's excited too you know like i i love that competition so it's like well let's let's see here we can get a better recruit let's see we can outwork him let's see we can i compete him you know like it's things that it is like it is what it is.

You know, we just have to. But we do have, you know, a lot more competition out there for sure. Yeah. Now, do you have to wait or do you know what your final ranking is? Do you have to wait to wait to the tournament? I think we wait until the tournament is over because depending who you won and how they did, you know, towards the end of the year, it could change like a couple of spots here and there. Okay.

You know, but I think we'll probably finish in the top 50, you know, which is probably the best finished since 2018. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, again, exciting stuff. A good, a good move forward this year. Then we get into how quickly after that you kind of figured that you weren't going to make the NCAA tournament, does it turn to recruiting? Is it, is it, you get asleep on it for a night or not really? It's about a night, you know, digest the loss and then, and then right away, you know, we turn it into meetings and then right away is like, you know, we had a team meeting literally on Sunday and we come back, we came back on Friday night. And then on Sunday, I already had a team meeting to be like, all right, how we get better,

you know, what do we need to do to get better for next year, you know? And then I already turned the page. And then as soon as that was over, I'm already focused on recruiting. Yeah. Yeah. And our transfer portal opened this past Monday, Monday, May 4th. And it's already been very busy, you know. And then we have a visit, you know, a schedule for this weekend already.

and a few more. So it's like, yeah, it's a never stop time. Now that we don't have as much time on the core, you know, or playing matches, it turns into recruiting, you know. And developing, too, our players. You know, I was on the core with our players that just finished finals before they go home and before they travel. We were already working, you know, individually.

So they're excited and they were working hard already, you know. Yeah. And what is the, because I know there's, is it still they've got kind of like the team schedule and then you kind of get an individual season too. What is the schedule for individual season? It's all the fall. So in the fall, it's all individuals,

and our enslave, our individuals are in the fall. So we start the season, basically the first day of school starts. But then competition starts about mid-September, about September 19 or 20, something of that. And then it goes to about the end of November. So we compete for those two and a half months. All individually, we can travel as a team,

but everything counts as the individual results. And then, yeah, and then it's coming fast and it goes by fast. So we've got to be ready for it. Yeah, I was thinking, you know, some other sports you do have longer periods maybe to recruit or to reflect in the offseason. But there's not a whole lot of break time in tennis. Not a whole lot. And I think it's a sport that requires you to require a lot of repetition, a little timing.

I always say it's like a high-skill sport that requires you to kind of like, you can't take too many reps off. You know, you can't take too many days off. You just, you just got to keep up a time in and keep the repetition, you know? So, yeah, it's, uh, it's a, almost a 12-month sport. So yeah.

Yeah. How much of, you mentioned the transfer portal opening too. How much has the, has the sport kind of changed over the last couple years or with that in, in, in play where, you know, as opposed to recruiting freshmen or, you know, obviously a lot of it's overseas kids, but one way or the other, how much is the transfer portal kind of changed their recruiting?

Yeah. Yeah, it's definitely change for sure. You know, I think it's, you know, with programs, you feel like you need to win now, you know, and sometimes don't feel like you have as much time to develop and sometimes getting some already develop and already see some players that have competed in college and have the experience and maybe have the results, you know,

to back it up, type of deal. It's like it has its value, you know. And sometimes, yeah, I mean, I mean, it's funny sometimes you recruit those players and don't come to you and then they transfer and then maybe you get them on the back end. Yeah. I'll be like, well, you know, kind of, I told you so. Yeah. But I think it's good.

You know, we have actually a few transfers in our program right now and they're all being great, you know, great people, great kids, great girls, you know, young women here. They're eager to work. They appreciate, you know, things a little different as well, you know. And we have a great group, you know. So we're paying attention to the portal and then we're involved in it and actually have a scheduled visit, you know, for this weekend. But we're also recruiting, you know, through freshmen's.

And then I think the main goal is to try to obviously keep moving the program forward and get the best feed, you know, for our program. That will help the culture, but we help the development. And we'll also help, you know, to keep elevating the program. So. The rest of women's tennis coach, Rabat Del Margo, in here with us on one. On one, we need to take another break, but I do have a question for you.

And only only way you can share, of course, but I'm kind of interested in what a, what a visit looks like to Nebraska tennis. And maybe if there's too much of a difference when you're recruiting a freshman compared to a transfer portal player. So we'll talk about that coming up next year on one on one on one, a 937 the ticket. Watch live on Facebook, YouTube or Twitch. You're listening to one on one on D.P. On 937 the ticket and the ticket FM.com.