2018 Men's Tennis Schedule/Results

8-11 Overall | 1-4 GPAC | Season Stats

SEASON PREVIEW: 2018 men's tennis

Head coach: Joel Reckewey (4th year)
2017 record: 10-12, 2-3 GPAC (4th)
Key returners: Thomas Greeff (Jr.); Josh Miller (So.); Lucas Zoller (So.)
Key losses: Patricio Esquivel; Javier Moreno; Gabe Poling
Newcomers: Jeremy Berryman; Giovanni Borghi Camacho De Moraes; Jonathan Keith
2017 GPAC All-Conference: Javier Moreno (doubles); Gabe Poling (doubles; honorable mention singles)

Outlook
The return of No. 1 player junior Thomas Greeff along with the influx of newcomers such as Jason Berryman and Gio Moraes provide reason for optimism following a GPAC tournament semifinal appearance for Concordia men’s tennis in 2017. The Bulldogs already have a win under their belt this 2017-18 campaign having defeated Kansas Wesleyan University, 5-4, back in the fall.

In that season-opening match, Concordia mixed in some old and some new. The top four spots in the singles lineup were held down by Greeff and sophomores Alex Kaldahl, Josh Miller and Luke Zoller. Collectively, they have put together a solid offseason, according to fourth-year head coach Joel Reckewey, who now has help from assistant coach Nikita Kostikov.

“We had a great, strong offseason,” Reckewey said. “We came to play. I was just impressed with the way we were supporting each other and competing. I’m looking forward to our spring season coming up.”

Greeff has gotten comfortable at the top of the lineup since arriving at Concordia prior to the 2015-16 school year. The native of Pretoria, South Africa, turned in a record of 9-7 at the No. 1 singles spot in 2017. Not only did Greeff have to adjust to English schooling and a new culture, he had to quickly learn to compete against the best players from opposing NAIA schools.

Now with more than 40 college singles matches under his belt, Greeff has learned what it takes to win at this level. The aforementioned sophomore group has also had a chance to get its feet underneath it.

“Never be intimidated,” said Greeff of what he’s learned in his first two college seasons. “If someone has a ranking, it’s just a number. It doesn’t mean anything. If they’re a senior or freshman, that also doesn’t mean anything. It’s just about who wants to win.”

Two familiar faces have graduated and moved on: Morelia, Mexico, natives Patricio Esquivel and Javier Moreno. Both were fixtures in the lineup for all four years. The Bulldogs also lost Gabe Poling, who went 16-3 last season in singles play.

What that means is greater opportunity for everyone else on board. Both Reckewey and Greeff identified Berryman as someone who can help out immediately. Berryman, who hails from Broken Arrow, Okla., opened his college career in the fall with a victory at No. 5 singles. In practice, Greeff has been testing newcomers like Berryman and Moraes to see how they stack up.

“In practice I try to pick on them a bit and encourage them to beat me,” Greeff said. “The better they get, the more they will push me. The better I play against them, the more I’ll push them. I hope we can keep on pushing each other and breaking boundaries as we improve.”

The one victory back in the fall isn’t enough evidence to know for certain how Concordia will fare against the top of the league. Hastings, Doane and Morningside separated themselves as the top three in a six-team GPAC men’s tennis league in 2017. If the Bulldogs break into that elite grouping, it will mean that Greeff and company have significantly elevated their games.

In doubles action, Greeff and Zoeller played together all year long in 2017. On the other hand, the combos that were used in the fall against Kansas Wesleyan – Kaldahl/Miller and Berryman/Moraes – may need some time to put it all together.

A lot more will be learned about Bulldog men’s tennis during February, which includes five matches. The spring season will get started on Friday, Feb. 9 when Baker University makes a visit to the Fieldhouse.

Said Reckewey, “Every year is a new year. The team is improving. You have to control the things that you can control. You have to prepare throughout the offseason. We had a good fall. Hopefully we’ll be in fighting shape and ready to play at the highest level that we can play.”

Concordia bounces back with win over Grand View

LINCOLN, Neb. – As part of a busy opening weekend to its spring season, the Concordia University men’s tennis team edged Grand View University, 5-4, on Saturday (Feb. 10) in a match contested at Genesis Health Club in Lincoln, Neb. The victory followed a 6-3 home loss one day before to Baker University.

Fourth-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad is now 2-1 overall when factoring in its 5-4 win over Kansas Wesleyan University back in September.

“The men’s team did a great job setting the tone early on in doubles matches by capturing two of the three matches,” Reckewey said. “They came out ready to play and that was an important factor in the match.”

In Saturday’s action, Jeremy Berryman, Josh Miller and Lucas Zoller each won their singles and doubles matches to fuel the team victory. Berryman teamed with Zoller on an 8-6 win at No. 2 doubles while Miller combined with Gio De Moraes on a 9-8 (7-5) nailbiter. Zoller also had to gut out a tiebreaker at No. 3 singles to ensure that the Bulldogs came out on top. The Vikings dropped to 2-4 overall.

In Friday’s match, Thomas Greeff was the lone Concordia individual to pick up a win in a contested match. Greeff played at No. 2 singles this weekend.

The Bulldogs are slated to return to action next Saturday (Feb. 17) with a pair of matches in Pella, Iowa. Concordia will take on Knox College (12 p.m.) and Central College (3 p.m.) on that date. Both opponents are members of NCAA Division III.

Concordia bounces back with win over Grand View

Fourth-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad is now 2-1 overall when factoring in its 5-4 win over Kansas Wesleyan University back in September.

In Friday’s match, Thomas Greeff was the lone Concordia individual to pick up a win in a contested match. Greeff played at No. 2 singles this weekend.

Bulldogs blank Knox, fall to Central

PELLA, Iowa – While up against a pair of NCAA Division III foes in matches contested in the Pella, Iowa, the Concordia University men’s tennis team blanked Knox College, 9-0, and fell at the hands of host Central College, 8-1, in Saturday’s (Feb. 17) action.

Head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad now stands at 3-2 overall. The Bulldogs returned to the courts a week after edging Grand View University, 5-4, on Feb. 10.

Most matches with Knox were won handily by Concordia competitors. The doubles combo of Gio De Moraes and Josh Miller went a perfect 2-0 at the No. 3 spot while pulling out the team’s only win in the tussle with Central. The victorious singles lineup versus Knox included Thomas Greeff, De Moraes, Luke Zoller, Jeremy Berryman, Caleb Lauby and Miller.

Central moved to 5-3 while Knox slipped to 0-4 by the conclusion of Saturday’s contests.

The Bulldogs will be back in action next Friday (Feb. 23) when they take on Ottawa University at Genesis Health Club in Lincoln. First serve is set for 4 p.m. CT.

Bulldogs fall to Braves

LINCOLN, Neb. – In its first action since splitting a pair of matches in Pella, Iowa, on Feb. 17, the Concordia University men’s tennis team fell at the hands of Ottawa University, a squad receiving votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll. The Braves topped the Bulldogs, 8-1, in a match contested inside Genesis Health Club in Lincoln, Neb., on Friday (Feb. 23).

Fourth-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s team now stands at 3-3 overall. The wins have come over Kansas Wesleyan University, Grand View University and Knox College.

The lone victory on Friday was produced by the combo of Gio De Moraes and Josh Miller at the No. 3 doubles position. In a pro set at No. 6 singles, Caleb Lauby fell just short in a 9-8 (4) decision. Ottawa, a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference swept through singles without dropping a single set.

In order, Reckewey’s singles lineup included Thomas Greeff, De Moraes, Luke Zoller, Jeremy Berryman, Miller and Lauby. Alex Kaldahl also competed alongside Greeff at No. 1 doubles.

Concordia will be off for the rest of February before hosting Sterling College at 2 p.m. CT on Friday, March 2. The Bulldogs will also welcome Kansas Wesleyan University to Seward the following day.

Concordia splits pair of home matches

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University men’s tennis team went 1-for-2 while hosting opponents from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference in back-to-back days. The Bulldogs topped Sterling College, 8-1, on Friday (March 2) and then fell by that same score at the hands of Kansas Wesleyan University on Saturday (March 3). Both matches took place inside the Fieldhouse in Seward.

Fourth-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad stays level at .500, 4-4 overall with a spring break trip coming up next.

In Friday’s victory, Concordia swept through doubles play and then won five of six singles matches. The only defeat was a narrow one at No. 1 singles, where a tiebreaker was needed to decide the outcome. Sophomore Luke Zoller won both of his weekend matches at the No. 2 singles spot to lead the way. In the loss to Kansas Wesleyan, the Bulldogs dropped a match at No. 3 doubles for the first time all season. Concordia had defeated the Coyotes back in the fall, but the visitors brought a lineup that had a different look to it on this occasion.

In addition to Zoller, singles winners on Friday were Jeremy Berryman at No. 3, Gio De Moraes at No. 4, Caleb Lauby at No. 5 and Josh Miller at No. 6. In a successful run through doubles, Berryman and Zoller paired at No. 1, Greeff and Lauby teamed up at No. 2 and De Moraes and Miller collaborated at No. 3.

The team’s spring break journey will start with a match on Wednesday, March 7 at Tabor College. Concordia will also be in action March 8-10 against the likes of Bethel College, Hesston College and Friends University while making its way around the state of Kansas.

Bulldogs split first two matches on spring break

A busy spring break week continues for Concordia men’s tennis, which split its first two matches of four on the road this week. The Bulldogs topped Tabor College, 5-4, in Hillsboro, Kan., on Wednesday (March 7) and then fell to Bethel College, 5-4, on Thursday (March 8). Concordia is now 4-2 against Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference opponents.

Head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad is now 5-5 overall with two matches left this spring break.

In the victory over Tabor, the Bulldogs got singles wins from Thomas Greeff (No. 1) and Jeremy Berryman (No. 5) and swept through doubles via the combos of Luke Zoller and Berryman at No. 1, Greeff and Conner Works at No. 2 and Gio De Moraes and Josh Miller at No. 3.

In the team loss on Thursday, Concordia got victories in singles from Greeff, Zoller and Berryman and at No. 1 doubles from Berryman and Zoller.

The Kansas tour will continue on Friday at Hesston College and then on Saturday at Friends University.

Greeff completes perfect spring break singles run

WICHITA, Kan. – The Concordia University men’s tennis team wrapped up a solid spring break run on Saturday (March 10) with a 7-2 win at Friends University (Kan.). During a stretch of four-matches-in-four-days, the Bulldogs also earned wins over Tabor College and Hesston College as part of a 3-1 tour in the state of Kansas.

Fourth-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad is now 7-5 overall. Nine of its matches have come against institutions located in Kansas.

Junior Thomas Greeff starred at the top of the lineup, going a perfect 4-0 in singles play on the trip. His latest victory was a 6-2, 6-3 decision over Kerry Dunn of Friends. The Bulldogs took four of six singles matches and all three doubles contests while up against the Falcons. Reckewey used the same three doubles combos for all of this week’s matches: Jeremy Berryman and Luke Zoller at No. 1, Greeff and Conner Works at No. 2 and Gio De Moraes and Josh Miller at No. 3.

Seven Bulldogs posted at least one win on the week. Berryman turned in three and Miller, Lauby and Zoller notched two apiece. Berryman and Zoller teamed up on a 4-0 doubles mark over spring break. They had to earn it on Saturday, eking out a 9-7 win over their counterparts from Friends. The duos of Greeff/Works and De Moraes/Miller picked up a trio of wins over the past four days.

Collectively, Concordia put together records of 15-9 in singles and 10-2 in doubles for the week. The Bulldogs dropped only two matches over the final two days of the trip.

Concordia will be idle for two weeks until hosting Bethany College (Kan.) on March 24. Conference play is set to begin in April.

Greeff tabbed GPAC player of the week

GPAC release

SEWARD, Neb. – A nearly spotless spring break run paved the way for junior Thomas Greeff to earn GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Tennis Player of the Week. The conference announced the award on Wednesday (March 14).

A native of Pretoria, South Africa, Greeff enjoyed a 4-0 week at No. 1 singles and a 3-1 week at No. 2 doubles. Greeff swept his singles opponents while going up against competitors from Tabor College, Bethel College, Hesston College and Friends University. All matches occurred in consecutive days (March 7-10) over spring break. Greeff did not drop a single set during his singles matches. He teamed up with Conner Works in doubles play.

Greeff carries overall season records of 6-6 in singles and 5-7 in doubles for the Bulldogs, who sport a 7-5 team mark. Head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad will be idle until hosting Bethany College (Kan.) on Saturday, March 24 (12 p.m.).

Men's tennis blanked by Bethany

SEWARD, Neb. – One of the top teams from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference proved too much for the Concordia University men’s tennis squad on Saturday (March 24). While playing for the first time since spring break, the Bulldogs dropped a 9-0 decision to visiting Bethany College in a match contested inside the Fieldhouse.

Fourth-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad had beaten Friends University (Kan.) in its most recent action. Concordia now stands at 7-6 overall.

Currently ranked second in the GPAC poll, Concordia put up its best fight at the Nos. 2 and 4 singles spots and at No. 2 doubles. At the No. 2 singles spot, Luke Zoller fell by a 7-5, 6-3, score while Gio De Moraes endured a 6-0, 7-5, defeat at No. 4. The combo of Thomas Greeff and Conner Works slipped, 8-5, at No. 2 doubles.

The Bulldogs are slated to return to action on Thursday (March 29) against former GPAC rival Nebraska Wesleyan. First serve from Woods Park in Lincoln is set for 4 p.m. CT.

Rain halts play in Lincoln

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Concordia University men’s tennis team appeared to be closing in on a victory at Nebraska Wesleyan before rain halted Wednesday’s (March 28) match at Woods Tennis Center in Lincoln, Neb. The Bulldogs owned a 4-3 advantage in the team scoring when play ended abruptly. The match will not be completed.

As a result, head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad remains at 7-6 overall. Its most recent outing resulted in a 9-0 home loss to Bethany College (Kan.).

Before the rains came on Wednesday, Concordia had won two of three doubles battles. Wins were produced by the duos of Thomas Greeff and Conner Works at No. 2 and Gio De Moraes and Josh Miller at No. 3. The Prairie Wolves (2-10) won a close match at No. 3 doubles (9-7).

Unfortunately, what had been singles wins by Greeff at No. 2 and by Miller at No. 6 will not count because of the suspension of play. At No. 4 singles, Jeremy Berryman owned a 6-1 advantage and seemed on the brink of victory in a pro set.

Next week will bring the start of GPAC play. The Bulldogs will be at Doane (4-5, 0-0 GPAC) on Thursday, April 5 with first serve set for 4 p.m. CT.

Zoller captures singles win in GPAC team loss

CRETE, Neb. – The GPAC season opened for the Concordia University men’s tennis team on Thursday (April 5) with a 7-2 loss at Doane. The Bulldogs dropped five of six singles matches while falling to a Tiger squad that now owns a three-match win streak. Concordia notched one win apiece in singles and doubles action.

Fourth-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad slipped to 7-7 overall. The Bulldogs were in action for the first time since last week’s match at Nebraska Wesleyan that was cut short due to rain.

Sophomore Luke Zoller picked up a 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 win over Alejandro Benitez at No. 2 singles. On the down side, Josh Miller fell in a third-set tiebreaker at No. 6 singles. The lone Concordia win in doubles came via Gio De Moraes and Josh Miller at No. 3.

Doane (5-5, 1-0 GPAC) has also defeated Sterling College (Kan.) and Grand View University (Iowa) during its current win streak. The Tigers put together a strong 4-1 conference record last season.

Due to expected inclement weather, this Saturday’s scheduled match at Morningside has been postponed. As a result, the Bulldogs will next take the court next Thursday (April 12) when Midland (8-7, 0-0 GPAC) makes a visit to Seward. First serve is set for 4 p.m. CT. Men’s and women’s matches at Morningside will be made up on Friday, April 27.

Zoller picks up pair of wins in GPAC home defeat

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University men’s tennis team twice defeated Midland by 5-4 scores in 2017. On Thursday (April 12), the Warriors avenged those losses with a 7-2 victory over the host Bulldogs in a match contested on the Bulldog Tennis Courts.

Fourth-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad now stands at 7-8 overall and at 0-2 in conference play. A week earlier, Concordia endured a 7-2 loss at Doane.

The positives on Thursday came from sophomore Lucas Zoller. He and freshman Jeremy Berryman teamed up for an 8-5 victory for the lone Bulldog doubles win. Zoller then gutted out a triumph at No. 2 singles, outlasting Jack Fryer in a 10-point tiebreaker, 3-6, 7-6 (1), 10-7. Meanwhile at No. 1 singles, Thomas Greeff was edged by Salvador Almeida, 6-4, 2-6, 11-9.

Thursday marked Concordia’s first and only outdoor home match of the spring. The Bulldogs have claimed all seven of their wins outside of Seward, including five victories in true road matches.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to be idle until Tuesday, April 24 when they play at Hastings (9-6, 0-0 GPAC) at 4 p.m. CT. Only three matches remain on the regular-season slate that is set to end on April 27.

Concordia blanked at Hastings

HASTINGS, Neb. – The Concordia University men’s tennis team went up against the GPAC’s top-rated team on Tuesday (April 24) and left town with a 9-0 defeat. Listed as receiving votes in the NAIA national rankings, Hastings won all but one on the way to a second-straight shutout victory.

Head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad is still seeking its first win of the conference season. The Bulldogs are now 7-9 overall and 0-3 in GPAC play.

Sophomore Luke Zoller made a strong push for a victory at No. 2 singles. He forced a 10-set tiebreaker with Dakota Burns but ultimately fell, 6-4, 2-6 (10-3). The combo of Zoller and Jeremy Berryman also gave the Broncos a run at No. 1 doubles. The Hastings duo of Carter Mason and Adnan Mehmedovic held off Concordia, 8-6.

Reckewey’s singles lineup also included Thomas Greeff at No. 1, Berryman at No. 3, Gio De Moraes at No. 4, Josh Miller at No. 5 and Conner Works at No. 6.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to conclude their regular-season schedule in Sioux City, Iowa, on Friday. Concordia will take on Morningside (3-13, 1-2 GPAC) at 11 a.m. and then Mount Marty (0-5, 0-3 GPAC) at 3 p.m.

Bulldogs cruise past Mount Marty, fall to Morningside

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The regular season came to a close in Sioux City, Iowa, on Friday (April 27) for Concordia University men’s tennis. After a narrow 5-4 defeat suffered at the hands of host Morningside, the Bulldogs rebounded with a breezy 9-0 victory over Mount Marty to conclude the day.

Fourth-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad is now 8-10 overall and 1-4 in conference play. All five GPAC matches were played during the month of April.

Concordia made a valiant effort in singles after going down 2-1 by the end of doubles action in the tussle with the Mustangs (4-13, 2-2 GPAC). In singles play, Thomas Greeff (No. 1), Jeremy Berryman (No. 3) and Josh Miller (No. 6) claimed victories for the Bulldogs. At No. 5 singles, Conner Works fell in an especially close battle. Works and his doubles partner Greeff also just missed out on a win at the No. 2 spot (8-6). Berryman and Luke Zoller turned in an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles.

Mount Marty (0-7, 0-5 GPAC) made a serious push in only a couple of matches. Caleb Lauby (No. 4) fended off Melvin Gabel, 3-6, 6-3, 10-7, in the only singles match that required a 10-point tiebreaker. The rest of the singles lineup for Concordia included Greeff (No. 1), Zoller (No. 2), Berryman (No. 3), Works (No. 5) and Miller (No. 6). The doubles matches were blowouts with the Bulldogs winning by scores of 8-2, 8-1 and 8-2, respectively.

Concordia will be the No. 5 seed in the GPAC tournament that will be played next Friday and Saturday (May 4-5) in Fremont, Neb. Complete pairings will be announced when all conference regular-season matches have been finished.