SEWARD, Neb. – The slate is wiped clean for conference postseason play. The GPAC tennis tournaments have arrived a week earlier than they were typically contested in the past. The Concordia men’s tennis team made a big leap forward during the 2019 campaign and now has an opportunity to show it can compete with the best in the league.
The squad coached by David DeSimone and Nikita Kostikov will open up conference tournament action against Morningside (4-12, 2-4 GPAC) at 9 a.m. CT on Friday (April 26). It’s a matchup between the league’s Nos. 4 and 5 seeds. The winner will advance to that afternoon’s semifinals (complete schedule below).
In the regular season meeting, the Bulldogs (9-9, 3-3 GPAC) had their way with the Mustangs in an 8-1 decision. In that battle in Seward, Concordia took all three doubles matches and five of six singles contests. In GPAC matches only, freshman Isaac Howes and senior Conner Works both went 5-1 in singles play. Collectively, the Bulldogs went 25-11 in singles and 9-9 in doubles in their six conference matches.
Concordia saw its season end in the GPAC quarterfinals a year ago. The Bulldog men’s tennis team has never won a GPAC regular season or tournament title. If the 2019 team is to become the first, it will have to get past Morningside and then the conference’s No. 1 seed, Doane, in the semifinals. Doane, Hastings and Midland all tied for the GPAC regular season crown.
The conference tournament champion earns an automatic bid to the 2019 NAIA Tennis National Championships, which will take place May 14-18 in Mobile, Ala.
2019 GPAC Men’s Tennis Tournament
Friday, April 26 – Quarterfinals
No. 4 Concordia vs. No. 5 Morningside, 9 a.m.
No. 3 Midland vs. No. 6 Northwestern, 9 a.m.
Friday, April 26 – Semifinals
No. 1 Doane vs. No. 4/5 winner, 2 p.m.
No. 2 Hastings vs. No. 3/6 winner, 2 p.m.
Saturday, April 27 – Championship
10 a.m.