NU’s Gollner already making large impact on, off court

There he stood on the No. 3 court, the highest any freshman had played against a ranked opponent in years. Flanked on the right by the senior co-captain and No. 60 player in the country, and junior Eric Sock to his left. He wasn't nervous. I can't lose, he thought.

"Come on Steve!" his teammates shouted.

"Let's go, Gilbert!" they yelled.

But there was no Steve Gilbert — just a quiet German tennis player who played tennis across the Atlantic about two months ago. Just freshman Stefan Gollner, the player coach Kerry McDermott calls the ideal freshman.

He earned the nickname Steve Gilbert from senior teammate Drew Freeman at his first home match.

"I'm Americanizing your name," Freeman said to the confused freshman who wasn't sure if Freeman was talking to someone else or just didn't know the new kid's name. But Steve stuck. It rings out in the Nebraska Tennis Center when Gollner scores after attacking the net or returns a ball so fiercely his opponent barely gets a racquet on it.

But being good at tennis isn't good enough for McDermott.

"He never gives us coaches any trouble," McDermott said. "He does everything we ever ask."

It's Gollner's adaptability that impresses McDermott. He said it's hard not to like his demeanor as a tennis player or a person.

"He's so easy to get along with," McDermott said. "If you didn't get along with him I think you'd have to look at yourself as a person and figure what problems you may have."

Gollner said everything moves faster in college; not just the tennis. In the U.S., the ball bounces faster on the hard courts that Germany lacks. And words bounce off the brain faster when college courses are taught in your second language.

"I hope I can get used to it," Gollner said. "I think it's getting better."

He's getting used to just about everything else at a pretty good pace. He shoves and jabs his teammates at practice before and after matches. He said he's already comfortable enough with the team to poke fun at them on and off the court. Of course, it's easier to poke fun when he's secured a spot in the singles lineup in his second month in a new country.

"I didn't think that I'd make friends with them in such a short time," Gollner said. "On our team, everyone is positive toward each other. I think within the team we're perfect. There isn't anyone who doesn't like another."

His personality mirrors his work ethic on the tennis court, McDermott said. He said Gollner makes his job as a coach much easier.

"The kid's squeaky clean," McDermott said. "I'm hoping that his image and personality will keep rubbing off on guys that are already in the program. You can't say anything bad about the guy. Hopefully they can look at themselves and him and say, ‘Man, I'd like to be like that'."

They'd be aspiring to the freshman who's already played as high as the No. 2 singles court against unranked Creighton. He became a doubles mainstay with Sock before the season began.

And that match on the No. 3 court last Sunday against No. 66 Idaho?

Gollner clinched the match for NU when he beat Idaho's Cristobal Ramos Salazar in straight sets.

GrantMuessel@dailynebraskan.com