FULTON, Mo. – The Concordia University Men’s Tennis team ventured down to Fulton, Mo., for a pair of nonconference matches with NAIA opponents on Saturday (Feb. 25). The results were a 5-2 win over Tabor College (Kan.) of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and a 4-0 loss endured at the hands of 10th-ranked William Woods University (Mo.), a member of the American Midwest Conference. The Bulldogs had been idle since their 6-1 loss to Pratt Community College on Feb. 18.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad owns a record of 2-5 heading into a bit of a break in the schedule. The team’s other win came back in the fall over Bethel College (Kan.).
Said Long, “It was a great performance by the back half of our lineup versus Tabor. Our depth was on full display. We were glad to get that win and boost our overall confidence.”
In the victory to start the day, Concordia pulled out the doubles team point with the help of a close victory at the No. 1 spot where Juan Rabellino and Thomas Van Haaren edged their counterparts, 7-5. The other doubles win came courtesy of Manuel Rodriguez and Shawn Springer at No. 3, 6-1. The No. 2 doubles tandem was made up of Hugo Fuentes and Eduardo Rojas.
As mentioned by Long, the back half of the lineup played a central role in the win. Singles victories were claimed by Bulldogs in the Nos. 3 through 6 spots, via Hugo Fuentes, Santiago Abadia, Rodriguez and Van Haaren, in that order. Rodriguez fought through a tiebreaker to secure his win at No. 5. Meanwhile, the Bluejays got their two team points by taking the top two singles spots, winning by scores of 7-5, 6-3, at No. 1 and 6-2, 6-3, at No. 2. Those positions in Concordia’s lineup were manned by Rojas and Springer.
Match No. 2 gave the Bulldogs a look at one of the NAIA’s top 10 teams. The match was played out until the team score was decided (thus the 4-0 score). The Owls took wins at the Nos. 1 and 2 doubles spots and at the Nos. 1, 3 and 5 singles positions in claiming the win. Concordia’s duo of Abadia and Van Haaren put up a fight at No. 2 doubles, which ended at 6-4. William Woods moved its record to 5-1 on the season.
The Bulldogs will continue action next Saturday (March 4) with a 12 p.m. CT match at Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Sterling College (Kan.). Concordia will aim to duplicate last season’s result when it toppled the Warriors, 7-0, in Seward.