1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Nebraska Women's Tennis Coach German Dalmagro Discusses Stacking and Protesting in Tennis: March 9th, 11:25am

Episode Date: March 9, 2026

Nebraska Women's Tennis Coach German Dalmagro Discusses Stacking and Protesting in TennisAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Back to one-on-one with D.P. Sponsored by the Downtown Lincoln Foundation on 93-7, the ticket. We are back here on one-on-one with D-P on 93-7. The ticket, thanks for joining us. Derek Pearson out today. We'll be making it back in this evening, so he will probably, if I know, I mean, we might hear from him later this evening or at least tomorrow. But in for today's show is Nebraska Women's Day.

tennis coach, Hermann Del Magro. Hermann, thanks again for joining us today. We went through a little bit of what happened over the weekend for the Huskers and what is ahead for them. But I want to ask you kind of specifically about some of your players here. And for those that, again, are a little bit new to tennis, try to understand the kind of scheme of the game is, you know, as you kind of have been kind of explaining to me sometimes during the breaks is kind of the lineup and what you try to set. And then I had questions naturally about the doubles teams and who you pair there. So how does the singles kind of work?

Because you're kind of explaining that there's kind of a rank as like a one through six type of deal. And then, you know, when you're pairing your doubles, you got to kind of think through that strategically as well. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Tennis is an interesting sport because we, you're not allowed to stack. And a stack means that you have to play your lineup based on your order of ability. So sometimes we kind of know it.

Sometimes if they're new players and you kind of feel like you as a coach try to put your best six out there and then in order of ability so your one needs to be your best player, your two needs to be and so on. And sometimes you're one through six, it might be a very slim chance

that they're like, they're so close in level too, right? So the difference is at times very slim, but sometimes you play your lineup, how they are and there we have rating rankings and then if you don't play in your order of ability, you can protest it. Okay. And then it goes to a committed and then you can, you know,

they can vote based on like, oh, I know this player. I think she's played on that. Sometimes all the coaches think what's your lineup should be, you know, which is kind of interested, you know,

but yeah, you try to put your best six out there. And then in doubles is, you know, try to be strategic, you know, because same. Sometimes you try to,

first as coaches, we try to see, okay, who, which combinations play really well together, you know, and then based on that, then we also try to be like,

okay, how can we spread our strength, you know, throughout the three doubles. And then sometimes you're, okay, do you pair your two doubles players together and maybe put them on, but then doesn't make your other two doubles a little weaker. But depending on the matchups that you play your team, is maybe, maybe not. And then did you try to spread out that and separate them, you know, based on how they gel, how they match with another player, you know, in our team? So we try to kind of go back and forth a little bit, trying different doubles combinations and see kind of what clicks and what works and then what kind of tried to get the job done.

You know, our goal is to you play three doubles and you got to win two out of three doubles. So at the other day, we were like, okay, which team gives us the best chance to win those two, you know, two doubles to get a point? And then sometimes we might have the right combination and we lose really close match match, kind of like what happened to us on Friday. You know, we had a match point. We won't want doubles. We lost another one really close and we, you know, we had a match point basically to win the other one. So, you know, we were right there. And then one of those players could not play on Sunday.

So we have to switch some things around. And then again, we were really close. So then I guess as our job as coaches is try to find that. And then once you find out, you try to give them reps playing together. So they get you know each other better. We do that a practice a lot. So they know what plays work for them, what plays don't work for them. You know, how to move, how they communicate.

Some players communicate really well with each other, some others need to understand each other better. So it takes a little reps, a little time, and sometimes some of the reps are during a match, you know, because you don't have enough time, you know, during the week. So it's challenging, you know, but it's something that we, you know, we as coaches need to try to put the best three teams out there that will help us, help us win.

So this week, you know, we might tweak some things around and see, see what works and what doesn't. And then come Friday, we'll try to put a team, you know, three teams that will give us the best chance. Now, are your doubles teams ranked as well, so they kind of face the opposite double, or how do they match up there? Yeah, yeah.

In the fall, we have, you know, doubles that was ranked nationally too. And you try and then you, in doubles, we, you can switch more doubles around things than singles. But at the same time, you know, once you submit the lineup, match day, and the other team can protest your doubles based on your order of ability. So you couldn't play your best doubles team and number three.

Your best double team has to play one. Okay. And then so on. So, but sometimes if you play with different partners, they become, they have different strengths. So you think it's like,

well, if she plays with this player, it's our best player, our best team. But if you plays with somebody else, maybe it's our second best player, second best team. So we try to strategize,

you know, strategy there to try to kind of spread the wealth around, you know, So that's kind of our job and see, you know, how we can get that right. How often do these protests happen? Is it generally like coaches understand and so they don't really mess with it? Or is it often that you're going, I don't know about that. Yeah.

I mean, actually we put basically two of the three teams different on Sunday. And the coach was like looking around, you know, a little bit. And then she put a different lineup too. And then I was looking at all the records and results. literally we exchange lineup doubles lineup an hour before the match and then we have 15 minutes to protest it so due to those

15 minutes initial our team is warming up you know I go kind of like look at over the records and those team records and kind of see like you know it's like well she put this team at two now but they've been playing a one the whole year I'm going to protest that you know but if they if they're losing a one

and then they move it to two because they've been losing then like you know that makes sense you know So I look at over all the records and kind of say, you know, I thought I was like, no, I think this is fair what they did. Or I think it's like, oh, this team is a little iffy, you know, but I don't have much of an argument. Then you don't protest, you know. Well, sometimes you ask, you know, I've done that in the past, especially, you know, against this team. Kind of like, hey, I'm questioning your lineup, you know. I think you're stacking, you know, or I don't think this would be here.

I mean, sometimes they're like, yeah, yeah, you're right. I'll change it. They kind of see if they can get away with it. Or sometimes be like, no, I really feel like it is. And then you can protest and it goes to a committed. Or you can just play as it as is. And the committee, as you're saying, is it, I mean, it's got to be in the building, right? No, sometimes it's a phone.

It's somebody in the big 10 office. It's a head official and then coaches. You know, you have a couple of representatives. And then they have to look over. I mean, the doubles is between the head official, you know, and then somebody in the big 10 office. And then they kind of look over. and they look over some stats and results,

and they decide if the protest stands or the protest, you know, is denied. Okay. Yeah. And so, I mean, I guess how often is this, does this happen? This is fascinating. I mean, it doesn't happen as often, but it has happened. Okay. Yeah, yeah.

In singles, it happens. We submit lineups on a Wednesday night. And then, let's say, it has to be submitted by 5 p.m. on Wednesday. It had to be my lineup, you know, and we have, like, a spreadsheet, you know, and then the big 10 of it. office, sent it to us, you know, an hour later to all the coaches. And then we have three hours that Wednesday evening to send a protest. Okay. You know, and then you have to write down your arguments while you're protesting this team. And you can protest anybody, not just the opponent that

you play that weekend. Let's say, I could, you know, like, I thought Michigan stays, when they submitted this week, I thought Michigan State was like, they made a switch that I was like, I don't know about this switch, you know? I could have protested them. Be like, hey, I'm protesting because I'm playing them next weekend. So I'll be like, I want you to get your lineup right, you know? Right. So I didn't, but, you know, I protested last year, one of the teams and they had to switch it because everybody else agreed with me too. Yeah. And then every coach votes in the Big Ten, every coach votes. You know, we got to a call on Thursday morning.

We have a call, all Big Ten head coaches. And then everybody votes to be like, hey, yeah, I agree. That should be a change or no. They say, no, I'm okay with that, you know, the way they submit it. So we get the lineups Wednesday night and we have three hours to send a protest. So we have to write it down and express, like, explain why you think you're protesting. And then when you protest, then we get an email from the Big Ten saying, like, hey, it's been a protest for this. And then the coach that you've seen protested, they have to have the argument why, you know, they put that lineup in there.

Yeah. And then he goes to a boat. And then the coach's boat, but it was like, well, that explanation makes sense or the explanation. no, this is that, you know, they're trying to play the system here, you know? Yeah. And then they have to switch it or stay, you know. Yeah, we have, this past weekend we didn't have any protests, but we always have three or four, you know, throughout the year. Okay.

And then, you know, teams try to get away with something, you know, or they try to stack, basically. That's what they're called. You know, they try to stack to try to get an advantage, you know? And if the rules are the rules, we try to kind of play within the rules, you know. So when you're doing this, like you said, you get three hours on a Wednesday night to decide, Do you, you just got, you go through like every team's lineup then. Basically, yeah. I mean, I just kind of glance over.

And, you know, like week to week, you kind of know where those players been playing. Yeah. And then you also have to put all your stats in there. So I can go to each team, click on each team and see kind of what those players played the weekend before and the record is, each player's record for the whole spring. So we have to put that every week. You know, so we kind of like, they, everybody knows that. And then, yeah, you can look at every team, you know. I try to pay more attention to the teams where play.

playing first. You know, it's like, hey, these are things I'm going to play. You know, like, we submit on Wednesday lineup. You know, Wednesday night, I'm going to look first on Michigan, Michigan State. I'm going to see their lineup what they submit. And if I have any issues, then I can bring it up. And then I start looking at what teams I played the following weekend, what they submit there. Be like, oh, they change or no. If they keep it the same, they're like, I don't, you know. But if they change and it doesn't make sense, then you try to say something too. It's interesting. Sometimes, you know, coaches are very, uh, uh, uh, and they don't say anything, you know, because they don't want to argue.

And some others are like, you know, like, no, I want to get this right, you know. I'm one of those that I'm not afraid. Yeah. I'll say something if I see something. You know, it is not a nominous. It's public. You know, I would say public, but the coaches will know who's protesting. Oh, yeah, you know the protests.

Yeah, the coaches. But the vote is anonymous. Okay. Which I voted to not be anonymous. Oh, you did. I did. I say, hey, we should, we should tell each other who's voting yes or no. You want to count.

I can't I say that's what I say I want a can ability and some coaches wanted to keep it anonymous because I think anonymous you can just hide behind and you just vote right right because you can be like well this helps me so I'm not going to vote this way and oh it doesn't help me so I voted for because we actually had to vote that's like do you want it to be anonymous or no and I'll say I'll say no I wanted to know who is voting what because I think you know we hold each heart of accountable yeah I'm not afraid and I was like you know that's when I protested and I'll say yeah my Nebraska is protesting this, you know? I was like, I think it's fair. Yeah. But some other coaches didn't think so. So, but that's very interesting. Now is, I mean, Matt Roles kind of talks about the

group chat that the big 10 football coaches have. Is the is the, is the women's tennis coach in the big 10, a close community or is there? We have a group chat as well. Yeah. We do. And then we chat sometimes some of our very important things, you know, just like kind of why we feel. And sometimes is, you know, it's not everybody likes each other. You know, it's always two or three coaches that are not as well like amongst the group, you know. And everybody agrees on those sometimes, you know, but I think we get a long way out. It's a, you know, it's a good, really good group of coaches. And, you know, I mean, at the end of the day, I think we all want the same things,

which is try to get our programs better. Yeah. Sometimes we agree on things that, you know, how we want things as a group of a women's tennis. is like, hey, how can the Big Ten women's tennis can be the best it can be, you know? And sometimes the conference helps us. Sometimes it doesn't because we agree on something and sometimes the conference does something else based on our schedule or no plays or, you know, little things like that that we have no control over, but we all agree. And sometimes the conference does something different, you know, what they think is best for us. Yeah.

You know, sometimes we think what's best for us because we're in the trenches or we're in the, we're in there. We're not recruiting. We're, you know, participating. we're like fighting against the SEC or Big 12, you know, like. So sometimes we feel like some things we need to keep improving our conference. And sometimes the conference agrees, sometimes they don't. But yeah, we'll get along and we, you know, we try to push forward and try to make our league the best it can be. Yeah, yeah, sure.

That's fascinating stuff. Let's go ahead and take another break. We've got one more segment here on one-on-one with Nebraska women's tennis coach, Hermann Del Mockro. We'll get back to some of the action on the. court though is very very entertained uh but some of the off the court talk there and that one but we'll do that coming up next year on one on one on 93 seven the ticket watch live on facebook youtube or twitch you're listening to one on one with dp on 937 the ticket and the ticket fm dot com