Men's Tennis

2022-23 Men's Tennis Schedule/Results

12-9 overall | 3-3 GPAC (4th) | Season Stats | Roster

Date Opponent Location Result Record
Sep. 13 Bethel College (Kan.) North Newton, Kan. W, 4-3 1-0
Sep. 16-17 GPAC Fall Individual Tournament Woods Tennis Center | Lincoln, Neb.    
Sep. 24 Iowa Central Community College Seward, Neb. L, 2-5 1-1
Sep. 30 - Oct. 2 NAIA Central-West ITA Regional Championship Wichita, Kan. | Maine, HS    
Oct. 8 William Jewell College Seward, Neb. L, 2-5 1-2
Feb. 13 Barton Community College (KS) Seward, Neb. - Field House L, 2-5 1-3
Feb. 18 Pratt Community College (KS) Kearney, Neb. - Grundy Tennis Center L, 1-6 1-4
Feb. 21 University of Saint Mary (KS) Seward, Neb. - Outdoor or FH CANCELED  
Feb. 25 Tabor College (Kan.) Fulton, Mo. W, 5-2 2-4
Feb. 25 (10) William Woods University (Mo.) Fulton, Mo. L, 0-4 2-5
March 4 Sterling College (Kan.) Sterling, Kan. W, 7-0 3-5
March 12 Bethany College (Kan.) Lindsborg, Kan. W, 7-0 4-5
March 12 Kansas Wesleyan University Salina, Kan. | Salina Tennis Center W, 4-3 5-5
March 21 Central College (Iowa) Pella, Iowa W, 5-4 6-5
March 25 *Hastings College Seward, Neb. - Outdoor Courts W, 7-0 7-5, 1-0
March 28 Baker University (Kan.) Lawrence, Kan. W, Forfeit 8-5
April 1 *Morningside University Seward, Neb. - Outdoor Courts L, 1-6 8-6, 1-1
April 6 *Doane University Seward, Neb. - Outdoor Courts L, 1-6 8-7, 1-2
April 12 Grand View University Seward, Neb. - Fieldhouse W, 5-2 9-7
April 13 *Mount Marty University Seward, Neb. - Fieldhouse W, 5-2 10-7, 2-2
April 15 *Midland University Fremont, Neb. L, 0-7 10-8, 2-3
April 24 *Northwestern College Orange City, Iowa W, 6-1 11-8, 3-3
  GPAC Tournament: April 28-29      
April 28 Northwestern College (Quarterfinals) Fremont, Neb. | Fremont YMCA W, 4-3 12-8
April 28 Midland University (Semifinals) Fremont, Neb. | Fremont YMCA L, 0-4 12-9

2022-23 Roster

Name Ht. Yr. Hometown Previous School
Santiago Abadia 5-9 Fr. Bogota, Colombia Colegio Nueva York
Hugo Fuentes 6-0 Fr. Denia, Spain IES Sorts De La Mar
Luke Johnson 5-9 So. Kansas City, Kan. Shawnee Mission North HS
Hunter Ness 5-11 Fr. Holdrege, Neb. Holdrege HS
Juan Rabellino 5-9 Jr. La Barra, Uruguay Uruguayan Argentine Institute
Manuel Rodriguez Berdud 5-11 So. Jerez de la Frontera, Spain La Salle Buen Pastor
Eduardo Rojas 5-11 Jr. Bogota, Colombia San Jose Parish College
Shawn Springer 6-3 So. Aurora, Colo. Cherokee Trail HS
Thomas van Haaren   Fr. Australia  

STAFF

Cam Long, Head Coach (2nd Year)

Back half of lineup keys win in fall opener at Bethel

Sept. 14, 2022

NORTH NEWTON, Kan. – The depth of the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team made the difference on Tuesday (Sept. 13) afternoon as the Bulldogs began the fall portion of the 2022-23 season. The Concordia players earned wins in both singles and doubles as part of the 4-3 team triumph at Bethel College in a match played in North Newton, Kan. Two Bulldogs made their collegiate debuts on the court.

This is year two for Cam Long as head coach. He unveiled a new-look lineup after graduating a group of seniors that made a significant impact on the program.

“It’s great to come out on top to open the fall,” Long said. "I think our depth as a team is our biggest strength and it showed today winning in the back of the lineup. This match will be extremely beneficial for us heading into the GPAC tournament this weekend.”

The three Concordia players to earn wins in both doubles and singles were Santiago Abadia, Manuel Rodriguez and Shawn Springer. The Bulldogs got the upper hand in doubles thanks to the work of Abadia and Springer at No. 2 (6-2) and Rodriguez and Eduardo Rojas at No. 3 (6-1). Hugo Fuentes and Juan Rabellino teamed up at the No. 1 doubles spot and fell by a 6-3 score.

Concordia trailed the Threshers, 3-1, in the team scoring after the first three singles matches went final. The Bulldogs rallied back thanks to wins by Springer at No. 4 (6-0, 7-6, 1-0), Abadia at No. 5 (6-4, 6-0) and Rodriguez at No. 6 (7-6, 6-0). Long’s singles lineup also featured Rojas at No. 1, Fuentes at No. 2 and Rabellino at No. 3.

This was also the opener for Bethel, a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member that went 7-10 overall in 2021-22. Meanwhile, Concordia is coming off a 9-9 record last season.

The Bulldogs will be back in action this Friday and Saturday for the GPAC Fall Tournament that is formatted as an individual bracket style event. The tournament will be held at Woods Tennis Center in Lincoln and is slated to get underway at 9 a.m. CT both days.

Rabellino reaches singles semifinals in highlighting GPAC individual tournament

Sept. 19, 2022

LINCOLN, Neb. – The entire Concordia University Men’s Tennis roster got a taste of what GPAC dual competition will be like in the spring of 2023. As part of a bracket-style GPAC singles/doubles tournament held Sept. 16-17 at Woods Tennis Center in Lincoln, Neb., Juan Rabellino starred for the Bulldogs. Rabellino reached the semifinals of the singles flight C as the most significant highlight for Concordia.

Nine Bulldogs competed at the event while representing Head Coach Cam Long’s squad. The fall season had started a few days earlier with a 4-3 victory at Bethel College (Kan.).

Said Long of what he saw from the conference opposition in Lincoln, “A lot of teams made big strides and brought in some talented players. From what I saw this weekend, there are a handful of teams that could potentially win the conference in the spring. We have the talent to be one of those teams. It’s going to take a lot of work and willingness to improve.”

Full results were not readily available, but the brackets for the GPAC tournament included the following Bulldogs:

·        A singles: Hugo Fuentes (2 seed)

·        B singles: Eduardo Rojas, Shawn Springer, Santiago Abadia

·        C singles: Juan Rabellino, Manuel Rodriguez, Luke Johnson

·        D singles: Hunter Ness

·        A doubles: Fuentes/Rabellino, Springer/Abadia, Rojas/Rodriguez

·        B doubles: Johnson/Ness

Up next, Concordia will host Iowa Central Community College on Saturday. First serve is set for 12 p.m. CT from the Bulldog Tennis Courts on campus. The two programs also met last fall in Seward with the result being a 6-1 victory for the Tritons.

Tritons get the best of Bulldogs with strong singles play

Sept. 24, 2022

SEWARD, Neb. – Despite having the advantage after doubles play, the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team fell at the hands of Iowa Central Community College, 5-2, on Saturday (Sept. 24) afternoon. The visiting Tritons spoiled the Bulldog home opener by winning five of six singles matches. In a starring role, Concordia freshman Santiago Abadia claimed victories in both singles and doubles.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad slipped to 1-1 this fall. The win came back on Sept. 13 by a 4-3 score at Bethel College (Kan.). Most recently, the Bulldogs competed at the GPAC Fall Individual Tournament on Sept. 16-17.

Concordia went up 1-0 on Saturday after the duos of Abadia and Juan Rabellino at No. 2 and Manuel Rodriguez and Shawn Springer at No. 3 took decisions by identical 6-4 scores. Unfortunately, the lead didn’t hold as Iowa Central won all singles match other than No. 5. That’s where Abadio emerged with a 6-2, 7-6 (3) win.

The rest of the Bulldog singles lineup featured Hugo Fuentes at No. 1, Eduardo Rojas at No. 2, Springer at No. 3, Rabellino at No. 4 and Rodriguez at No. 6. Fuentes and Rodriguez were both tripped up in tiebreakers. This marked the second year in a row that the Tritons have won in Seward. They took last year’s meeting by a 6-1 decision.

Next on the fall slate is the NAIA Central-West ITA Regional Championship coming up next Friday through Sunday (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) in Wichita, Kan. The fall portion of the season will then wrap up with a home match versus William Jewell College (Mo.) on Oct. 8.

Five Bulldogs represent program at ITA regional tournament

Oct. 3, 2022

WICHITA, Kan. – Five Bulldogs took to the courts in Wichita, Kan., this past weekend (Sept. 30 – Oct. 2) as the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team tested itself against some of the very best NAIA competition in the region. A doubles victory for Hugo Fuentes and Juan Rabellino was the major highlight for the Bulldogs as part of the ITA Central-West Regional Championships.

Head Coach Cam Long has led the Bulldogs into action for two tournaments and two dual meets so far this fall. Concordia stands at 1-1 in dual action with the win coming over Bethel College (Kan.).

In addition to Fuentes and Rabellino in doubles, the Bulldogs entered Shawn Springer and Santiago Abadia in doubles and three individuals in singles: Fuentes, Rojas and Springer. The consolation doubles win for Fuentes and Rabellino came over Adam Hanson and Jacob Phelps, 9-8 (7-4). In singles bracket play, Concordia competitors were eliminated after going winless while up against strong opposition.

The Bulldogs will close out the fall this Saturday while hosting NCAA Division II William Jewell College (Mo.). First serve from the on-campus courts is slated for 11:30 a.m. CT. Concordia will look to avenge its 7-0 loss to the Cardinals last season.

Fall season wraps up with 5-2 loss to William Jewell

Oct. 9, 2022

SEWARD, Neb. – The final event of the fall season arrived on Saturday (Oct. 8) as the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team entertained NCAA Division II William Jewell College (Mo.) on campus. The Cardinals took two of three doubles matches and four of six singles decisions while winning the team scoring, 5-2. At the bottom of the lineup, Juan Rabellino and Manuel Rodriguez claimed a singles win apiece for the Bulldogs.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad stands at 1-2 overall in dual meets. The fall portion of the 2022-23 slate also included two tournaments.

Said Long, “That was a very talented team we played. We got behind early and could’ve folded, but we made a match out of it. That was the best we’ve played collectively as a team and had a lot of positive energy throughout the match. I’m hoping we can bring this mentality into the spring.”

The depth of the Concordia lineup gave it a chance of hanging with William Jewell. In doubles play, the duo of Santiago Abadia and Eduardo Rojas defeated their counterparts, Evan Acuff and Cory Conley, 6-3, at No. 3. However, the Cardinals came out on top at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots to take the team point.

In singles, Rabellino won a tiebreaker at the No. 5 position and Manuel Rodriguez topped his opponent at No. 6, 8-6. The rest of the Bulldog singles lineup featured Hugo Fuentes at No. 1, Rojas at No. 2, Shawn Springer at No. 3 and Abadia at No. 4.

As part of its stay in Nebraska, William Jewell also beat Doane, 7-0, on Saturday. The Cardinals finished the 2021-22 season at 7-15 overall.

The Bulldogs will resume action in the spring of 2023 when all official GPAC matches will take place. The spring slate will be announced in the near future.

Schedule Release: 2023 Concordia Men’s Tennis

Jan. 7, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The spring portion of the 2022-23 Concordia University Men’s Tennis schedule has been unveiled. Head Coach Cam Long will take his Bulldogs into action for 17 regular season matches throughout the course of the spring. The slate includes six contests versus GPAC foes. Concordia is slated to resume the 2022-23 campaign on Feb. 11 when it will host Grand View University (Iowa) inside the Fieldhouse.

Long’s squad got things started in the fall with three dual meets and two tournaments. The Bulldogs stand at 1-2 with the victory coming over Bethel College (Kan.). Concordia was defeated by Iowa Central Community College and William Jewell College (Mo.). The Bulldogs are coming off a 2021-22 season that saw them place third in the GPAC while finishing at 9-9 overall (4-2 GPAC). Concordia has a different looking lineup in 2023 after it said goodbye to four key seniors from last year’s roster. The most experienced returners include the likes of Juan Rabellino, Eduardo Rojas and Shawn Springer.

The spring 2023 schedule is heavy on opponents from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference as Concordia will go up against Bethany College, Kansas Wesleyan University, the University of Saint Mary, Sterling College and Tabor College. Three nonconference matches will take place at home. GPAC play will get started on March 25 when Hastings will make a visit to the Bulldog Tennis Courts. The Bulldogs will face defending GPAC champion Midland in Fremont on April 15.

The GPAC Men’s Tennis Championships will be held in Fremont on April 28-29. National qualifiers will advance to play at the 2023 NAIA Tennis National Championships in Mobile, Ala., May 16-20.

Season Preview: 2023 Concordia Men's Tennis

Feb. 6, 2023

Head Coach: Cam Long (2nd season)
2021-22 record: 9-9 overall, 4-2 GPAC (3rd)
Key returners: Juan Rabellino (Jr.); Eduardo Rojas (Jr.); Shawn Springer (So.).
Key losses: Jeremy Berryman; Joseph Bindl; Isaac Howes; Jack Kitson.
Key Newcomers: Santiago Abadia; Hugo Fuentes.
2022 GPAC All-Conference: Jeremiah Berryman (HM doubles); Joe Bindl (HM singles/doubles); Isaac Howes (singles); Eduardo Luzzi (singes; HM doubles); Juan Rabellino (HM doubles).

Outlook

Of the five Bulldogs who garnered some form of all-conference recognition in 2022, four graduated and moved on from the program. In other words, the lineup this spring will have a fresh look as Head Coach Cam Long enters his second season leading the Concordia Men’s Tennis program. The Bulldogs began the process of redefining themselves during the fall when they competed in two tournaments and three dual meets. They picked up a win over Bethel College that they hope they can build upon as action picks back up in the month of February.

The 2021-22 squad finished the campaign at 9-9 overall and placed third in the GPAC. In the conference’s ratings this spring, Concordia landed at No. 3 behind Midland and Doane.

“We’ve gotten good leadership from the group of people who have been through it at least once,” Long said. “The men have a couple more upperclassmen than the women. I think the seniors on the men’s team are really helping the team along. I think we can do really well, and I want the team to believe that. With such a young team, sometimes you don’t know what you’re up against. It’s about giving them confidence. We want to peak at the right time and have a good season.”

The Bulldogs have had time to put some pieces together since their final outing of the fall resulted in a 5-2 home loss to NCAA Division II William Jewell College. Juan Rabellino returns after he garnered honorable mention all-conference honors in doubles last season. At the top of the lineup, veteran Eduardo Rojas and freshman Hugo Fuentes took turns at the No. 1 singles spot. No longer can Concordia rely on the quartet of Jeremiah Berryman, Joe Bindl, Isaac Howes and Jack Kitson, which helped lead the program to the GPAC championship match in 2021.

It's time for a new wave of Bulldogs to make their mark. The top returners include not only Rabellino and Rojas, but also Manuel Rodriguez and Shawn Springer. Luke Johnson also takes on a leadership role within the program. Rodriguez went 6-0 while playing four different singles spots last season. In fall dual action, Rodriguez and freshman Santiago Abadia both went 2-1 in singles play in headlining the team’s performances. Long will certainly count on the development of Abadia (Bogota, Colombia) and Fuentes (Denia, Spain) moving forward.

One theme that has emerged has been the parity that exists throughout the lineup. There may not be a lot that separates players one through six, but there are some advantages that depth can give the Bulldogs, who believe they can be in the thick of things near the top of the conference standings. Based on last year, Concordia has some work to do to in order to catch up to the likes of Midland and Doane.

Said Long, “I think we have a solid squad throughout the lineup. Everybody’s pretty equal with one another, which makes it really competitive for practices. Everyone has their own different styles. As for the fall season, we started out with a win against Bethel and avenged a loss from last season. It was good to come out of the gates like that and see what we could do. Hopefully it gives us some confidence moving forward and shows us that we can be a competitive team and beat some quality opponents. We have a lot of freshmen still trying to figure things out. We have to keep it day-by-day and keep growing. There’s some talent there and we showed that in the fall.”

Also a Bogota, Colombia, native, Rojas sees a group that has mixed well from a relationship standpoint. That dynamic will be a key to meshing the doubles teams. Long tinkered with seven different doubles combinations during the fall portion of the season.

Said Rojas, “We had a lot of seniors leave last spring. This fall when the new guys came, I felt a really strong bond with the team. We’ve built strong relationships and have a good chemistry. We train a lot on court and try to do things off the court together. We want to have that chemistry together on and off the court. I know the lineup looks different but so far, all our players are at about the same level. We really support each other and because of that, we’re going to be secure in what we’re doing.”

The Bulldogs will have an opportunity to show how much they’ve grown since the fall when they host Grand View University inside the Fieldhouse on Saturday (Feb. 11). Concordia is scheduled to play 11 nonconference matches before opening GPAC play versus Hastings on March 25. Long will have an extended look at his full roster before the most significant contests of the campaign unfold.

Said Long, “It gives them a chance to see what they can do and allows us to figure out our doubles and singles lineups. It’s a little hard to make a lineup when you have a lot of players who are similar in talent level. There might be a little shifting around. By the end of the year, the lineup kind of figures itself out. I’m not super worried about it. I know we’ll get there. It’s good to step back and let it play out.”

Spring season opens with competitive loss to Barton

Feb. 13, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The spring portion of the 2022-23 season for Concordia University Men’s Tennis got underway on Monday (Feb. 13) afternoon as the Bulldogs hosted Barton Community College inside the Walz Fieldhouse. Concordia took two team points thanks to a pair of singles wins but fell short in a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Cougars, who are located in Great Bend, Kan. Barton swept through doubles and won four singles decisions.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad stands at 1-3 overall with three of the matches having taken place back in the fall. The Bulldogs were scheduled to play this past Saturday, but the matchup with Grand View University (Iowa) was postponed until a date to be determined.

Said Long, “I thought we competed very well and gave ourselves a good place to start the season at. Doubles wasn’t our best, but we still battled in singles and got a couple points. We can use that as momentum for the future.”

Lineup depth will make Concordia tough to beat in the back half of singles play. The Bulldogs got on the board via close wins notched by Hugo Fuentes at No. 4 and Juan Rabellino at No. 6. Fuentes won by a score of 7-6 (0), 5-7, 14-12 (10-point tiebreaker), while Rabellino got past his opponent, 6-4, 7-6 (5). The remainder of the Bulldog lineup included Eduardo Rojas at No. 1, Shawn Springer at No. 2, Santiago Abadia at No. 3 and Manuel Rodriguez at No. 5. The closest battle among those matches was the 6-3, 6-2, defeat endured by Abadia.

While Barton won relatively comfortably at the Nos. 1 and 3 doubles spots (6-2 scores for both), Concordia was narrowly edged at No. 2. At that spot, the combo of Shawn Springer and Thomas Van Haaren was edged, 7-6 (4), by the duo of Barnabas Kalaba and Prince Tsiang. The other doubles partners for the Bulldogs were Fuentes and Rabellino at No. 1 and Abadia and Rojas at No. 3.

The Bulldogs will return to action on Saturday for a 1:45 p.m. CT matchup with Pratt Community College. The contest will be held at Genesis Health Club in Lincoln, Neb. Concordia has nine more nonconference matches slated before GPAC play gets underway on March 25.

Rodriguez earns lone team point in loss to Pratt

Feb. 19, 2023

KEARNEY, Neb. – A second straight significant challenge from a junior college foe came on Saturday (Feb. 18) as the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team went up against Pratt Community College out of Pratt, Kan. In action at Grundy Tennis Center in Kearney, Neb., the Bulldogs were defeated by the Beavers, 6-1. Manuel Rodriguez pulled out the lone victory for Concordia.

This marked the second outing of the spring for Head Coach Cam Long’s squad, which now sits at 1-4 overall.

“Mentally, we battled well and kept ourselves in the match even though I know a lot of guys thought they could've played better,” Long said. “I'm happy with how competitive we kept it, and we will hit the practice courts again this week to keep improving.”

Pratt swept through doubles, although the competition was tight at No. 2. That’s where the Bulldog duo of Hugo Fuentes and Eduardo Rojas was edged out, 7-6 (9-7), in a tiebreaker. The Beavers won at Nos. 1 and 3 spots by respective scores of 6-2 and 6-1.

Rodriguez kept Concordia from being blanked thanks to his 6-4, 7-5, triumph over Nathaniel Moore at No. 6 singles. Pratt won all other sets during singles play, although Alex Ballinger had to work hard to beat Fuentes at No. 3, 7-6 (4), 6-3. The remaining singles spots in the Bulldog lineup were held down by Rojas at No. 1, Shawn Springer at No. 2, Santiago Abadia at No. 4 and Juan Rabellino at No. 5.

Concordia was originally scheduled to host University of Saint Mary (Kan.) on Tuesday, but that match has been postponed (makeup date is to be determined). Next on the slate are two matches next Saturday (Feb. 25) in Fulton, Mo., against Tabor College (Kan.) and William Woods University (Mo.).

Bulldogs earn win over Tabor, fall to No. 10 William Woods

Feb. 25, 2023

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.

Concordia takes clean sweep of Sterling

Mar. 4, 2023

STERLING, Kan. – There were matches that forced the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team to dig a little deeper, but it got the job down throughout the lineup on Saturday (March 4) afternoon in Sterling, Kan. The Bulldogs swept through doubles and singles on their way to a 7-0 win over Sterling College. Concordia has now defeated a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference opponent twice this spring.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad bumped its overall record to 3-5. The Bulldogs are 2-3 during the spring portion of the campaign.

Said Long, “It was a great day of tennis for our guys. Sterling is a good team and the team score does not show how tough this match was. I’m proud of how tough we stayed mentally in the tight moments, which helped everything go our way.”

There were five Concordia players who emerged victorious in both singles and doubles. Starting with doubles, the winning pairs for the Bulldogs were Juan Rabellino and Thomas Van Haaren at No. 1, Hugo Fuentes and Shawn Springer at No. 2 and Santiago Abadia and Eduardo Rojas at No. 3. The No. 1 matchup was a tight battle that finished in a score of 7-6 (7-5). Concordia won the final two spots in the lineup by respective scores of 6-3 and 6-2.

In singles, the Nos. 2 and 3 clashes could have easily gone the other way, but Fuentes and Springer were just a little bit better than their counterparts while pulling out victories. Additional singles wins were claimed by Rojas at No. 1, Abadia at No. 2, Rabellino at No. 5 and Manuel Rodriguez at No. 6. Abadia had the most lopsided match in taking it by a score of 6-0, 6-2.

Sterling’s record slipped to 2-2. Three days earlier, the Warriors traveled to Hastings, Neb., and knocked off the Broncos, 6-1. Concordia has beaten Sterling by 7-0 final scores in back-to-back years.

The Bulldogs will have most of the spring break week off before returning to action next Saturday (March 11) for a match with another two more KCAC foes in Tabor College and Kansas Wesleyan University and Tabor. First serve at Tabor is slated for 11 a.m. CT from Lindsborg, Kan., while the clash with Kansas Wesleyan is set for a 2:30 p.m. start in Salina, Kan.

Bulldogs go 2-0 in road trip to KCAC territory

Mar. 12, 2023

LINDSBORG / SALINA, Kan. – The road trip into Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference territory was a fruitful one for the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team. In a pair of Sunday (March 12) afternoon matches, the Bulldogs emerged with wins by scores of 7-0 at Bethany College of Lindsborg, Kan., and 4-3 at Kansas Wesleyan University of Salina, Kan. For the day, Concordia cleaned up in singles play by going a combined 10-2 versus the Swedes and Coyotes.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad has evened up its overall record at 5-5 on the season. The Bulldogs are 3-0 during the month of March.

“It was a great day of tennis for the guys,” Long said. “We looked great from the start against Bethany and pulled out a couple close matches. We showed a lot of toughness to come back against a good KWU team after dropping the doubles point. Our confidence should be high right now.”

The 7-0 decision over Bethany duplicated the score from the matchup held a year ago. Concordia got the upper hand in doubles while triumphing at the No. 2 (Hugo Fuentes and Shawn Springer) and No. 3 (Santiago Abadia and Eduardo Rojas) positions. The Bulldogs took both of those matches by scores of 6-2. The Swedes (1-3) managed to get the win at No. 1, 6-4.

Then in singles, Concordia earned a clean sweep while taking tight decisions with Rojas at No. 1 and Juan Rabellino at No. 4. Other victors were Fuentes at No. 2, Springer at No. 3, Manuel Rodriguez at No. 5 and Thomas Van Haaren at No. 6. A native of Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, Rodriguez has run his season singles record to 7-2 while getting consistent results at the bottom of the lineup.

The second match of the day provided more drama as the Bulldogs had to rally back from a deficit after doubles. Kansas Wesleyan (3-3) won close matches at the Nos. 1 and 2 doubles spots to steal the team point. Concordia got a 6-0 doubles win from Abadia and Rojas at No. 6. The Bulldogs fought back in singles with wins from Fuentes at No. 2, Abadia at No. 4, Rabellino at No. 5 and Rodriguez at No. 6. All six singles contests were decided in two sets.

Concordia managed to defeat a Coyote squad that picked up a 5-2 win over Doane on Saturday. The Tigers were rated above the Bulldogs in the official GPAC poll released on NAIA.org on March 6. Concordia is currently listed as the GPAC’s No. 3 rated squad.

Nonconference play will continue next Saturday (March 18) with a trip to Baldwin City, Kan., home to Baker University. First serve is set for 1 p.m. CT. The two programs last met in 2021 with the result being a 4-0 win for the Wildcats.

Fuentes chosen as GPAC Player of the Week

Mar. 15, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – For his performances in a pair of Sunday victories over KCAC opponents, Hugo Fuentes has been honored as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Tennis Player of the Week, as announced by the conference on Wednesday (March 15). Fuentes has garnered the GPAC weekly honor for the first time in his career. This marks the first GPAC Player of the Week announcement from the GPAC for the 2022-23 season.

A freshman from Denia Spain, Fuentes went 2-0 at the No. 2 singles position this past Sunday while claiming wins in matches at Bethany College (Kan.) and Kansas Wesleyan University. In singles, Fuentes won by a 6-1, 6-3, score in his first match and then took a 6-3, 6-3, decision in match No. 2. Fuentes also paired up with Shawn Springer at No. 2 doubles and went 1-1 on the day. As a team, the Bulldogs defeated Bethany, 7-0, and Kansas Wesleyan, 4-3. Overall this season, Fuentes has gone 5-4 in singles within dual matches.

Fuentes and Concordia Men’s Tennis (5-5) are slated to return to action at Baker University (Kan.) at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday.

Rodriguez, Springer pull out tiebreakers to lift Concordia at Central

Mar. 21, 2023

PELLA, Iowa – It was anyone’s ballgame on Tuesday (March 21) as the Concordia University Men’s Tennis squad battled to the finish with NCAA Division III Central College. The team decision ultimately came down to the No. 6 singles position, where the Bulldogs’ Manuel Rodriguez outlasted his counterpart. Concordia eked out the victory, 5-4, in Pella, Iowa, home to the Dutch. In a shift from the norm for the Bulldogs, all three doubles matches counted in the team scoring (per NCAA D-III rules).

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad has gone 4-0 in the month of March while improving to 6-5 overall. As Long noted, “Shawn (Springer) and Manuel were tough at the end to get through their matches and put this in the win column for the team.”

After taking a 2-1 lead at the conclusion of doubles, Concordia needed to find a way to split the six singles clashes. Based on the order that matches went final, Central never trailed by more than one point in the team scoring. It was 4-4 after the Dutch’s Ayden Fletcher triumphed at No. 4. That put the pressure on Rodriguez at No. 6. He came through in the clutch, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 1-0 (7) over Matthew Den Adel. Other singles winners for the Bulldogs were Santiago Abadia at No. 2, 6-1, 6-1, and Springer at No. 4, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 1-0 (7), in another razor thin margin. In the remaining singles matches, Hugo Fuentes at No. 1, Eduardo Rojas at No. 2 and Juan Rabellino at No. 3 came up short. Rodriguez owns a sparkling 8-2 singles mark in 2023.

Concordia took the upper hand in doubles thanks to the combinations of Fuentes and Rabellino at No. 1 (8-4) and Rojas and Abadia at No. 3 (8-4). In other words, the Bogotá, Colombia, native Abadia enjoyed a 2-0. At the No. 2 doubles spot, Central took an 8-6 decision over Springer and Thomas Van Haaren. Even under the NAIA rules that award one total team point for doubles, the Bulldogs would have managed a 4-3 triumph.

Central slipped to 4-7 on the season. The Dutch compete as a member of the American Rivers Conference. Central did manage to close the gap a bit compared to last season’s 7-0 loss endured in Seward.

The start of conference play is up next. The Bulldogs will welcome Hastings (1-6, 0-0 GPAC) to Seward for an 11 a.m. CT first serve on Saturday. Concordia will attempt to duplicate its 5-2 road win over the Broncos in 2022.

GPAC opener matches Concordia and Hastings

Mar. 22, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – After playing its first 11 matches of the 2022-23 season versus nonconference opponents, the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team is readying for the start of GPAC play on Saturday. The Bulldogs will welcome Hastings to Seward for an 11 a.m. CT first serve in the conference opener for both sides. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad is fresh off a 5-4 win over NCAA Division III Central College (Iowa). Concordia will carry an overall record of 6-5 into Saturday’s match.

Saturday vs. Hastings (1-6, 0-0 GPAC), 11 a.m.
--Location: Bulldog Tennis Courts (Seward, Neb.)

By the numbers

·        The Bulldogs were pegged third in the GPAC preseason rankings and have remained in that position in the polls that have been released by the NAIA throughout the spring. The favorites entering conference play are Midland and Doane. The Warriors went 6-0 in league play last season and represented the GPAC at the national tournament. The first GPAC match of this season was played this past Sunday and resulted in a 6-1 win for Doane over Mount Marty.

·        Long’s squad has gotten on a roll during the month of March with a 4-0 record that includes wins over Sterling College (Kan.), 7-0, Bethany College (Kan.), 7-0, Kansas Wesleyan University, 4-3, and Central College, 5-4. Those four wins followed Concordia’s 1-3 mark during the month of February. The Bulldogs also played three dual matches during the fall portion of the season and went 1-2.

·        The win streak was on the line on Tuesday in Pella, Iowa, home to Central. Concordia managed to pull out the win in a fight to the finish. Shawn Springer and Manuel Rodriguez emerged victorious while winning tiebreakers at the Nos. 4 and 6 singles positions, respectively. Santiago Abadia also triumphed at No. 3 singles. The split of the six singles matches was enough to get the job done after the Bulldogs took two of three doubles clashes. The winning doubles combos were Hugo Fuentes and Juan Rabellino at No. 1 and Abadia and Eduardo Rojas at No. 3.

·        Through the first 11 dual matches, Concordia players have combined to go 32-31 in singles play and 15-17 in doubles action. There are four individuals who have claimed at least five singles wins: Rodriguez (8-2), Abadia (6-3), Fuentes (5-5) and Rabellino (5-5). The most successful doubles tandem has been Abadia and Rojas, who have gone 5-1 when paired at the No. 3 spot.

·        Hastings has started out 1-6 with its lone win being a 4-3 decision over Baker University (Kan.) on Feb. 19. The Broncos are currently rated sixth out of the seven teams in the GPAC. They finished last season at 4-10 overall, 2-4 GPAC. In last year's meeting, Concordia won at Hastings, 5-2.

Next week

In a rescheduled match, the Bulldogs will play at Baker University on March 28 before turning around to host Morningside on April 1.

Bulldogs rout Broncos in GPAC opener

Mar. 25, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – It was chilly and breezy on Saturday (March 25) as the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team opened conference play on the home courts. The weather did not rattle the Bulldogs, who snappily sent visiting Hastings packing in a 7-0 decision. Concordia swept through both doubles and singles with the closest calls coming at No. 1 doubles and No. 6 singles. Five Bulldogs emerged with victories in both doubles and singles.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad (7-5 overall) has rolled through the month of March with a 5-0 record that includes four nonconference wins. This was just a start in Concordia’s aim to exceed last season’s third place GPAC finish.

“It was a good all-around team win,” Long said. “We came in and did exactly what we needed to do to take care of business. We have three more matches over the next week-and-a-half, so this is a great way to begin that stretch.”

It would not have made a difference in the team score, but the duo of Hugo Fuentes and Juan Rabellino managed to squeak out the victory at No. 1 doubles, 7-6 (7-1), to ensure a clean sweep for the afternoon. The action was less competitive at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles where the tandems of Santiago Abadia and Eduardo Rojas and Manuel Rodriguez and Shawn Springer, respectively, came away with 6-2 decisions.

The momentum carried over into singles as the Bulldogs won all but one set. At the No. 6 spot, Luke Johnson shook off a 6-0 defeat in the first set and took the match, 0-6, 6-1, 1-0 (1), keeping a goose egg in the score column for Hastings. At the Nos. 1 through 5 spots, wins were claimed by Fuentes, 6-3, 6-3, Abadia, 6-1, 6-0, Rojas, 6-2, 6-0, Rodriguez, 6-2, 6-0, and Rabellino, 6-0, 6-1. Near the bottom of the lineup, Rodriguez continues to clean up. He now has a seven-match singles win streak and has run his personal record to 9-2 this season.

Hastings (1-7, 0-1 GPAC) has had a tough run through its schedule. Its lone victory was a 4-3 decision over Baker University on Feb. 19. Concordia has won each of the past three series meetings with the rival Broncos.

A makeup match at Baker University is coming up on Tuesday in Baldwin City, Kan. First serve is set for 1 p.m. CT. The two programs last met up in 2021 when the Wildcats took a 4-0 decision.

Five-match win streak leads Bulldogs into clashes with Baker, Morningside

Mar. 27, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – A chance to finish out a perfect month of March awaits the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team on Tuesday. The Bulldogs will open this week with a trip to Baldwin City, Kan., to play Baker University in a rescheduled match. Then on Saturday, Concordia will welcome Morningside to Seward for a resumption of conference play. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad dominated Hastings, 7-0, this past week in the GPAC opener for both sides. The Bulldogs enter this week at 7-5 overall (1-0 GPAC).

This Week

Tuesday, March 28 at Baker (0-4), 1 p.m.
--Location: Sports Pavilion (Lawrence, Kan.)

Saturday, April 1 vs. Morningside (10-5, 0-0 GPAC), 11 a.m.
--Location: Bulldog Tennis Courts (Seward, Neb.)

By the numbers

·        The Bulldogs were pegged third in the GPAC preseason rankings and have remained in that position in the polls that have been released by the NAIA throughout the spring. The favorites entering conference play were Midland and Doane. As of the beginning of the week, only two conference matches have been played. Concordia defeated Hastings and Doane defeated Mount Marty. In terms of overall wins, the Bulldogs rank third among GPAC teams, following Morningside (9-4) and Midland (8-2).

·        In last week’s action, Concordia earned a 5-4 win over Central College (Iowa), in addition to the rout of Hastings. In the victory over the Broncos, the Bulldogs swept through doubles and singles. There were five Concordia players who earned wins in doubles and singles: Hugo Fuentes, Santiago Abadia, Eduardo Rojas, Manuel Rodriguez and Juan Rabellino. At No. 6 singles, Luke Johnson responded after dropping the first set and triumphed in a tiebreaker. It was also a close call at No. 1 doubles, a spot held down by the combo of Fuentes and Rabellino.

·        The tough schedule during the month of February (which includes a match versus No. 10 William Woods University and two against community colleges) appears to have paid off for the Bulldogs, who are 5-0 in the month of March. During the win streak, Concordia has beaten Sterling College (Kan.), Bethany College (Kan.), Kansas Wesleyan University, Central and Hastings. The combined team score in those victories has been 30-7.

·        Through the first 12 dual matches, Concordia players have combined to go 38-31 in singles play and 18-17 in doubles action. There are four individuals who have claimed at least six singles wins: Rodriguez (9-2), Abadia (7-3), Fuentes (6-5) and Rabellino (6-5). The most successful doubles tandem has been Abadia and Rojas, who have gone 6-1 when paired at the No. 3 spot. In singles play, Rodriguez (seven) and Abadia (five) have put together lengthy winning streaks.

·        The contest with Baker was originally slated to be played on March 18. The Wildcats sit at 0-4 with two losses coming at the hands of GPAC opponents: Midland, 6-1, and Hastings, 4-3. As for Morningside, it has started out 10-5 and has won three matches in a row. The Mustangs have defeated a long line of NCAA Division III opponents and are ranked No. 4 in the GPAC (right behind Concordia). The Mustangs are coming off a 2022 season that saw them finish at 11-8 overall (2-4 GPAC).

Next week

The lone outing of next week will be a home battle with Doane on April 5. First serve is slated for 4:30 p.m. CT from Seward.

Abadia voted GPAC Player of the Week

Mar. 29, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Tennis team has gone a perfect 5-0 during the month of March. Naturally, one of its players was recognized as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Tennis Player of the Week. That award was handed out to freshman Santiago Abadia on Wednesday (March 29). Abadia is the third Bulldog tennis player this season to be named GPAC Player of the Week, joining Hugo Fuentes (March 15) and Mariana Molano (March 15).

While Abadia and the Bulldogs earned a win on Tuesday over Baker University (Kan.), the weekly award was based on performances in matches against Central College (March 21) and Hastings (March 25). In those outings, Abadia went a combined 2-0 in both doubles and singles. Abadia was particularly dominant in singles, winning by scores of 6-1, 6-1, over Central’s AJ Wilkins at No. 3 and 6-1, 6-0, over Hastings’ Ryan Hunter at No. 2. Abadia also paired up with Eduardo Rojas on two doubles wins last week. Heading into this week’s action, Abadia’s overall season records stood at 7-3 in singles and at 8-3 in doubles. Abadia is a native of Bogotá, Colombia, and is studying Business Administration.

Abadia and the Bulldogs (7-5, 1-0 GPAC) will resume conference play on Saturday when they are scheduled to host Morningside at 11 a.m. CT. Last week, Concordia blanked Hastings, 7-0.

Win streak ends at hands of Morningside

Apr. 1, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Not since Feb. 25 had the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team tasted defeat. However, the win streak concluded on Saturday (April 1) as visiting Morningside dealt the Bulldogs a 6-1 loss on a sunny spring afternoon in Seward, Neb. A new-look Mustang squad won five of six singles and two of three doubles matches in cooling off Concordia.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad slipped to 7-6 overall (1-1 GPAC). The loss came after the Bulldogs went a perfect 5-0 during the month of March.

One streak did continue on Saturday as Manuel Rodriguez managed to capture his eighth singles victory in a row. The sophomore from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, defeated Abhishek Mohapatra, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4, in a three-seat clash. That result prevented a potential shutout in the team scoring. Morningside ran away with the win with the help of tight first-set decisions at the Nos. 1 and 3 singles spots, held down in the Concordia lineup by Hugo Fuentes and Eduardo Rojas, respectively. The rest of the Bulldog singles lineup included Santiago Abadia at No. 2, Shawn Springer at No. 3 and Juan Rabellino at No. 6.

The positive result for the Bulldogs in doubles came from the duo of Fuentes and Spring at No. 2. They won by score of 6-4 over Eduard Cardelus and Maza Martin. Morningside triumphed at No. 1, 6-3, and at No. 3, 6-2. Those spots were manned by Concordia competitors in Rabellino and Thomas Van Haaren and Abadia and Rojas.

Morningside (11-5, 1-0 GPAC) appears poised to make a jump within the GPAC after it placed in a tie for fourth in 2022 (2-4 in the conference). The Mustangs lead all GPAC teams in terms of overall victories and have won four matches in a row.

GPAC action will continue on Wednesday when the Bulldogs will welcome rival Doane (6-10, 2-0 GPAC) to town for a 4:30 p.m. CT first serve. Concordia will attempt to reverse last year’s results versus the Tigers, who won both meetings – 5-2 in the regular season and 4-1 in the GPAC tournament semifinals.

Bulldogs preparing for rivalry matchup with Doane

Apr. 2, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – After having its win streak snapped by Morningside, the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team will look to start a new one as it prepares to host rival Doane on Wednesday. First serve is set for 4:30 p.m. CT from the Bulldog Tennis Courts. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad owns an overall record of 7-6 (1-1 GPAC) while having defeated Hastings within conference play. The remainder of the April slate in the regular season features four GPAC matches and one outside of league play versus Grand View University (Iowa).

This Week

Wednesday, April 5 vs. Doane (6-10, 2-0 GPAC), 4:30 p.m.
--Location: Bulldog Tennis Courts (Seward, Neb.)

By the numbers

·        The win streak for the Bulldog men was halted at five. They went a perfect 5-0 during the month of March. Another win may come in the form of a forfeit since Baker failed to inform Concordia of its lack of players prior to departure on the day the match was scheduled. During the win streak, the Bulldogs toppled the likes of Sterling College (Kan.), 7-0, Bethany College (Kan.), 7-0, Kansas Wesleyan University, 4-3, Central College (Iowa), 5-4, and Hastings, 7-0. Prior to the meeting with Morningside, Concordia had not lost since a 4-0 defeat at the hands of 10th-ranked William Woods University (Mo.) on Feb. 25.

·        Morningside checked in at No. 4 in the GPAC preseason rating (one spot behind the Bulldogs), but the Mustangs are clearly improved. Their new-look team gave Concordia fits on Saturday. Morningside (11-5, 1-0 GPAC) took five of six singles matches and two of three doubles contests on the way to the 6-1 victory in Seward. At No. 5 singles, Manuel Rodriguez prevented the shutout by picking up a 6-0, 4-6, 6-4, victory for the Bulldogs. Concordia also managed to triumph at No. 2 doubles, 6-4, behind Hugo Fuentes and Shawn Springer.

·        Through 13 matches, the Concordia men have gone a combined 39-36 in singles and 19-19 in doubles play. Rodriguez continues to clean up at the back end of the lineup and has won eight singles matches in a row to push his overall season record to 10-2. Three of his teammates have notched at least seven wins: Santiago Abadia (7-4), Fuentes (6-6) and Juan Rabellino (6-6). In doubles, Abadia and Eduardo Rojas have gone 6-2 as a tandem. Abadia was just named the GPAC Player of the Week on March 29. Fuentes won that same distinction on March 15.

·        The Bulldogs would like to be able to avenge the two defeats they endured at the hands of Doane last season. In the 2022 matchups, the Tigers won by scores of 5-2 in the regular season and 4-1 in the semifinals of the GPAC tournament. Those results marked a reversal of the previous year (2021) when Concordia twice defeated Doane. The two sides have met in the GPAC semifinals in each of the past two seasons. Though the Tigers are 6-10 overall, they have played a challenging slate.

Next week

A busy stretch is coming up with Concordia slated to play April 12, 13 and 15 against the likes of Grand View, Mount Marty and Midland, respectively. As part of the home matches versus Mount Marty on April 13, the Bulldogs will honor their seniors, Juan Rabellino and Eduardo Rojas.

Van Haaren prevails as Bulldogs fall short in team scoring versus Doane

Apr. 6, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – An opportunity to knock off the opponent that ended its 2022 season presented itself on Thursday (April 6) evening as the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team hosted Doane underneath sunny skies. As the GPAC’s second-rated team, the Tigers walked away from the Bulldog Tennis courts with a 6-1 victory. In the very last match to go final, the Bulldogs avoided the shutout thanks to Thomas Van Haaren’s triumph at No. 6 singles.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad slipped to 1-2 in conference play (7-7 overall) heading into a break in the action.

“I thought we played well actually,” Long said. “Doubles maybe not quite as much. I think our mentality was good. We were present and we were focused. In doubles, I don’t think we played our best. We will get back to work on it. In singles, I thought we played pretty well. Hugo (Fuentes) had a close match at No. 1 against the top player in the conference and Thomas won his match at six. There were also several close matches. Some of them just didn’t go our way.”

Doane picked up the first team point by sweeping its way through doubles, winning by respective scores of 6-0, 6-2 and 6-4. The combos for Concordia were made up of Van Haaren and Juan Rabellino at No. 1, Fuentes and Shawn Springer at No. 2 and Santiago Abadia and Eduardo Rojas at No. 3.

Those results left little margin for error in singles. The Australian Van Haaren turned away Donat Beke, 6-3, 6-3, as all players on both teams looked on. Earlier in the evening, the Tigers clinched the team victory by winning at the Nos. 5, 3 and 4 singles positions. The battle at No. 5 went to a third set as Doane’s Diego Infante defeated Springer, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. Notably, the Bulldogs’ Manuel Rodriguez had his singles win streak snapped at eight when he was beaten at No. 4, 6-1, 7-5. Concordia’s singles lineup also included Fuentes at No. 1, Abadia at No. 2 and Rojas at No. 3. Fuentes was edged in a first-set tiebreaker and lost, 7-6 (5), 6-3.

Said Long, “Hopefully we can build some momentum next week and learn from the points we lost. We were that close. It just comes down to the critical points – finishing games and finishing sets.”

Doane (7-11, 3-0 GPAC) remains unbeaten in GPAC play having also defeated Mount Marty and Northwestern. The Tigers have won each of the past three series matchups over Concordia.

The Bulldogs will take the Easter weekend off from competition and will regroup next week with an April 12 home match versus Grand View University (Iowa). First serve from the Bulldog Tennis Courts is set for 2:30 p.m. CT. Concordia will attempt to avenge the 4-3 defeat it endured at the hands of the Vikings last season in Des Moines, Iowa.

Seniors Rabellino, Rojas to be honored during three-match week

Apr. 11, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – One of the busiest stretches of the entire regular season is coming up this week as Concordia University Men’s Tennis is slated to play Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The opponents will include Heart of America Athletic Conference foe Grand View University (Iowa) and then GPAC rivals Mount Marty and Midland. As part of the home matchup with Mount Marty on Thursday, the Bulldogs will recognize seniors Juan Rabellino and Eduardo Rojas. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad is coming off a 6-1 loss last week to Doane and sits at 7-7 overall (1-2 GPAC).

This Week

Wednesday, April 12 vs. Grand View (1-6), 2:30 p.m.
--Location: Walz Fieldhouse (Seward, Neb.)

Senior Day – Thursday, April 13 vs. Mount Marty (1-9, 0-4 GPAC), 1 p.m.
--Location: Walz Fieldhouse (Seward, Neb.)

Saturday, April 15 at Midland (10-7, 1-0 GPAC), 12 p.m.
--Location: Bulldog Tennis Courts (Seward, Neb.)

By the numbers

·        After going 5-0 in the month of March, Concordia has gone 0-for-2 in April while up against two of the GPAC’s top squads. The Bulldogs were beaten by scores of 6-1 by both Morningside and Doane. In the new GPAC ratings released on Monday, Concordia landed at No. 4 behind Midland, Doane and Morningside. Teams 5 through 7 in the rankings were Northwestern, Hastings and Mount Marty, respectively. Currently, there are three GPAC teams without a loss in conference play: Doane (3-0), Morningside (1-0) and Midland (1-0).

·        The loss to Doane on April 6 represented the only outing of last week. While the Bulldogs earned just a single team point, they were competitive in several matches. The team point came via a win from Thomas Van Haaren at No. 6 singles, 6-3, 6-3. At the No. 1 spot, Hugo Fuentes played tight with Jorge Chevez (7-6, 6-3), one of the GPAC’s top players. In addition, Concordia’s Shawn Springer was defeated in three sets at No. 5. In doubles, the Tigers won by respective scores of 6-0, 6-2 and 6-4.

·        Through 14 matches this season, the Bulldogs have produced combined records of 40-41 in singles and 19-22 in doubles play. Four Concordia players have secured at least six singles wins: Manuel Rodriguez (10-3), Santiago Abadia (7-5), Juan Rabellino (6-6) and Fuentes (6-7). Rodriguez had an eight-match singles win streak snapped last week versus Doane. In doubles, Abadia and Rojas have been a successful tandem in going 6-3 as partners. Rodriguez and Springer have gone 3-1 as a combo.

·        Rabellino and Rojas are the lone seniors on the roster. They will be honored on Thursday as part of senior day festivities. Rabellino arrived in Seward via La Barra, Uruguay, while Rojas hails from Bogota, Colombia. Rabellino has notched win totals of 19 in singles and 24 in doubles in his collegiate career. As for Rojas, he’s claimed win totals of 20 in singles and 27 in doubles. They contributed to the 2021 team that placed second in the GPAC and placed as the conference tournament runner up.

·        Last season, the Bulldogs went 1-2 against this week’s opponents. Concordia was edged by Grand View, 4-3, defeated Mount Marty, 6-1, and was shut out by Midland, 7-0. So far in 2023, both the Vikings and the Lancers have won just one match apiece. On the other hand, the Warriors are looking to repeat as GPAC champions. They are receiving votes nationally.

Next week

The regular season will conclude on April 22 with a visit to Northwestern in Orange City, Iowa. The GPAC tournament will take place April 28-29.

Concordia tops Grand View in nonconference clash

Apr. 12, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – For the final time this 2022-23 regular season, Concordia University Men’s Tennis went outside of conference play. The Bulldogs took four of six singles and two of three doubles matches on Wednesday (April 12) while toppling visiting Grand View University (Iowa), 5-2. The match was contested inside the Fieldhouse in order to avoid blustery conditions outdoors.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad effectively shrugged off back-to-back losses to GPAC opponents while returning to the win column. Concordia sits at 8-7 overall.

“We had a lot of close matches at the top of the lineup, which will help us moving forward,” Long said. “We have some big matches coming up to finish out the conference schedule. We need to carry over that mentality when we go up against some of the better teams in the GPAC.”

There was the potential for Wednesday's tussle to go either way, though the Vikings put themselves in a hole with a lineup including five players. That meant a Bulldog victory at No. 2 doubles, 7-5, by Shawn Springer and Thomas Van Haaren was enough to give the home team an early advantage. Grand View triumphed at the No. 1 spot, 6-4, while faced with Hugo Fuentes and Juan Rabellino. Credit for the doubles win at No. 3 went to Luke Johnson and Manuel Rodriguez.

Three of the first four singles matches to go final went in favor of Concordia, sewing up the team win. At the No. 4 spot, Rodriguez outlasted Abbot Haner, 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-8), after dropping the first set. Soon after, Santiago Abadia won at No. 2, 6-4, 7-5, to tack on the Bulldogs’ fourth team point. Other singles wins were captured by Van Haaren at No. 5, 6-0, 6-1, and by Johnson at No. 6 (forfeit). Some of the most compelling action took place at No. 1 with a highly-competitive battle between Concordia’s Fuentes and Grand View’s Igor Theodorakopoulos. It ultimately went Theodorakopoulos’ way, 7-6 (17-15), 6-7 (5-7), 1-0 (8-6). Meanwhile, Eduardo Rojas played at No. 3 for the Bulldogs.

Grand View slipped to 1-7 overall having also been defeated by GPAC foes Midland and Morningside. The Vikings went 3-9 during the 2021-22 season.

A GPAC doubleheader (men and women) will take place on Thursday inside the Walz Fieldhouse as the Bulldogs will host Mount Marty. The men’s match is set to get underway at 1 p.m. CT with the women to follow. The Lancers sport records of 1-9 (0-4 GPAC) on the men’s side and 0-7 (0-3 GPAC) on the women’s side. In between the two matches on Thursday, Concordia will honor its seniors.

Rabellino, Rojas celebrate senior day with win over Mount Marty

Apr. 13, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Visiting Mount Marty proved a worthy adversary at the top of the lineup, but the depth of the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team ultimately made the difference. The Bulldogs emerged with a 5-2 victory on Thursday (April 13) while celebrating seniors Juan Rabellino and Eduardo Rojas. Concordia swept its way through doubles and then sewed up the victory with four singles triumphs.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad has won back-to-back days inside the Walz Fieldhouse, where it went to escape strong wind gusts. The Bulldogs have bumped their overall record to 10-7 (2-2 GPAC).

“We played really well in doubles,” Long said. “One doubles came back from being down 2-5. The back of our lineup has been coming through, and that’s good to see.”

Rabellino and Rojas went out winners in the final home matches of their careers. Both took care of business in both singles and doubles. Starting with doubles, Rabellino paired with Hugo Fuentes on a close win, 7-5, at the No. 1 spot. Everything else fell in line as Shawn Springer and Thomas Van Haaren dominated at No. 2, 6-1, and Rojas and Santiago Abadia cruised at No. 3, 6-2.

The team score moved to 3-0 after Rojas and Manuel Rodriguez polished off singles wins at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. Rojas won going away, 6-1, 6-1, while Rodriguez was on the right side of a 6-4, 6-2, score. Mount Marty then won at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots to close within 3-2 in the team scoring. Concordia followed by slamming the door shut via the work of Van Haaren (6-0, 6-1) at No. 5 and Rabellino (6-3, 6-2) at No. 6. The top two spots in the Bulldog singles lineup were held down by Fuentes and Abadia.

While Concordia has endured two losses within conference play, members of the team hope to show how they’ve learned and grown from those experiences. Said Springer, “We played two really good teams to start off conference play, Morningside and Doane. Even though the results looked not as close, the matches were. It came down to a couple points here and there. I believe we have fine-tuned some consistency-based skills and have come together to support each other more. We’re right there.”

Added Rodriguez, “We’re going to learn from the mistakes and we’ll be ready for Saturday against Midland. If we can win over Midland, we’ll have an opportunity to improve our position in the GPAC.”

The Bulldogs will close out the week by playing at conference leading Midland (10-7, 1-0 GPAC) on Saturday. First serve from Fremont, Neb., is set for 12 p.m. CT. Last year’s meeting in Seward went to the Warriors by a 7-0 score.

Springer/Van Haaren pull out doubles win in team loss to Warriors

Apr. 15, 2023

FREMONT, Neb. – It remains a tall task for Concordia University Men’s Tennis and the rest of the GPAC to wrestle away Midland’s stranglehold on the top of the conference standings. The Warriors extended their GPAC regular season win streak to 16 on Saturday (April 15) while upending the Bulldogs, 7-0, at the Fremont, Neb., YMCA. Concordia’s lone win came at No. 2 doubles, though it wasn’t enough to avoid a blanking in the team score.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad put together a 2-1 week that included wins over Grand View University (Iowa) and Mount Marty. The Bulldogs will enter their regular season finale at 10-8 overall (2-3 GPAC).

Concordia was not far from taking the upper hand in doubles on Saturday. Midland took care of business at the No. 3 spot, 6-2, but the Nos. 1 and 2 matches turned into battles. At No. 2, Shawn Springer and Thomas Van Haaren combined on a 7-5 victory. The doubles point then came down to No. 1, which featured a tiebreaker (won 8-6 by the Warriors). Hugo Fuentes and Juan Rabellino gave Midland’s top pair all it could handle.

Overall, the match was much closer than the final team score indicated. In singles, Eduardo Rojas very nearly pulled it out at No. 3 before falling, 5-7, 6-1, 1-0 (7-5). Concordia also dropped set tiebreakers at the Nos. 1 and 5 positions. Beyond Rojas, the Bulldog singles lineup included Fuentes at No. 1, Santiago Abadia at No. 2, Manuel Rodriguez at No. 4, Van Haaren at No. 5 and Springer at No. 6.

National qualifiers three years running, the Warriors (12-7, 3-0 GPAC) have won each of their first three conference matches this season by 7-0 scores. Midland is one of three conference teams still without a GPAC loss in 2023.

The regular season is scheduled to conclude next Saturday (April 22) with a visit to Northwestern (10-7, 3-2 GPAC). First serve is set for 11 a.m. CT in Orange City, Iowa. A chance to place inside the top four of the GPAC regular season standings may be on the line, pending other conference results over the next week.

Bulldogs to close regular season at Northwestern

Apr. 17, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – All but one match remains in the regular season for Concordia University Men’s Tennis, which will have had roughly a week off by the time it travels to play Northwestern on Saturday. This past week, the Bulldogs went 2-1 with wins over Grand View University (Iowa) and Mount Marty while the loss came at the hands of Midland. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad enters the week at 10-8 overall (2-3 GPAC) while residing in fifth place in the GPAC standings.

This Week

Saturday, April 22 at Northwestern (9-7, 2-2 GPAC), 11 a.m.
--Location: NWC Tennis Courts (Orange City, Iowa)

By the numbers

·        Entering the week, the top four teams in the GPAC standings are Doane (5-0), Midland (3-0), Northwestern (2-2) and Morningside (1-1). The two teams situated behind Concordia are Mount Marty (1-4) and Hastings (0-4). The Warriors have either shared or won the GPAC title outright every season since 2018. Midland is currently receiving votes nationally.

·        In last week’s action, the Bulldogs went a combined 8-10 in singles and 6-3 in doubles. Team results included a 5-2 win over Grand View, a 5-2 win over Mount Marty and a 7-0 loss at Midland. Against Grand View, Concordia won four of six singles and two of three doubles matches. Versus Mount Marty, the Bulldogs won four of six singles and all three doubles matches. At Midland, Concordia won at only No. 2 doubles while getting shut out. Most notably, Shawn Springer and Thomas Van Haaren went 3-0 together at the No. 2 doubles spot. In singles, both Van Haaren and Manuel Rodriguez claimed two wins for the week.

·        Collectively, the Bulldogs have gone a combined 48-51 in singles and 25-25 in doubles through 18 matches. Rodriguez paces the team with a 12-4 singles mark. Santiago Abadia is next in line at 8-7 while Juan Rabellino is 7-6 and Hugo Fuentes is 6-10. The most successful doubles combo has been Abadia and Eduardo Rojas, who are 7-4 as partners. Rodriguez and Springer have gone 3-1 when paired together.

·        The 10 wins overall for Concordia in 2022-23 are an increase from the nine posted by the 2021-22 team. No Bulldog team has reached the 11-win mark since the ’10 squad coached by Amy Harms went 14-6 overall. That squad also went 4-3 in the conference (tied for third place) and reached the semifinals of the GPAC tournament. The program advanced to the GPAC tournament championship match for the first time ever in 2021.

·        Concordia would like to repeat last season’s result when it knocked off Northwestern twice, winning by scores of 6-1 in the regular season and 4-1 in the GPAC tournament. So far this spring, the Red Raiders have beaten the same two opponents the Bulldogs have defeated in GPAC play: Hastings and Mount Marty. Northwestern finished the 2021-22 season at 9-9 overall.

Next week

The 2023 GPAC tournament is scheduled to take place April 28-29 in Omaha. Seeding will be announced once all GPAC regular season matches have been completed.

Concordia concludes regular season with win at Northwestern

Apr. 24, 2023

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – In a match that was postponed for a couple of days, Concordia University Men’s Tennis got the job done on the road. The Bulldogs won two of three doubles matches and five of six singles matches in a 6-1 win at Northwestern on Monday (April 24). Three Concordia players emerged from Orange City, Iowa, triumphant in both doubles and singles.

At stake in this regular season finale was the No. 4 seed in this weekend’s GPAC tournament. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad will enter the postseason at 11-8 overall (3-3 GPAC). Said Long, “It was a strong end to the regular season against a quality team. This is the type of energy we need to bring to be successful in the tournament.”

Two of the doubles clashes were competitive. The Bulldog combo of Hugo Fuentes and Juan Rabellino pulled out a 6-4 win at No. 1 while Northwestern had the edge at No. 2 by the same score (versus Shawn Springer and Thomas Van Haaren). In showing the depth of Concordia’s lineup, Santiago Abadia and Eduardo Rojas cruised to a 6-0 win at No. 3.

In singles, the Bulldogs prevented any potential drama as wins at the Nos. 3, 4 and 1 spots (in that order) clinched the team victory. No tiebreakers or third sets were necessary. The singles winners for Concordia included Fuentes at No. 1, 7-5, 6-4, Rojas at No. 3, 6-3, 6-2, Manuel Rodriguez at No. 4, 6-4, 6-0, Van Haaren at No. 5, 6-3, 6-2, and Rabellino at No. 6, 6-1, 6-0. Inside of conference regular season play, Concordia went a combined 17-19 in singles and 27-26 in doubles.

Notably, the Bulldogs’ 11 overall wins are the most for the program since the 2010 squad went 14-6. It’s also a jump from the nine wins Concordia earned in Long’s first season as head coach.

Northwestern (9-9, 2-4 GPAC) earned GPAC regular season wins over Hastings and Mount Marty. The Red Raiders will be the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament. Concordia has won five series meetings in a row over Northwestern.

As the No. 4 seed in the GPAC tournament, Concordia will draw Northwestern again in the first round of the bracket. Official pairings will be released when all regular season matches have been played. In the 2022 GPAC tournament, the Bulldogs got past the Red Raiders, 4-1, and advanced to the conference semifinals.

2023 GPAC Men's Tennis Tournament Preview

Apr. 26, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Postseason play is up next for Concordia University Men’s Tennis. The fourth-seeded Bulldogs are preparing to match up with fifth-seeded Northwestern in the first round of the 2023 GPAC Men’s Tennis Tournament, which is slated to get underway on Friday from the Fremont YMCA in Fremont, Neb. The tournament features the top six teams from the final regular season standings. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad wrapped up the regular season on Monday with a 6-1 win at Northwestern. The Bulldogs enter the postseason at 11-8 overall (3-3 GPAC).

GPAC Tournament – First Round (full pairings at bottom)

Friday, April 28 vs. Northwestern (9-9, 2-4 GPAC), 9 a.m.
--Location: Fremont YMCA (Fremont, Neb.)

By the numbers

·        The men’s program has put together back-to-back solid seasons under Long’s direction. The 2021-22 placed third in the GPAC regular season standings and then reached the semifinals of the conference tournament. The 11 overall wins for this 2022-23 team are the most for the program in a single season since the 2010 squad (coached by Amy Harms) went 14-6. Since then, four Concordia editions have won exactly 10 matches (2011, 2017, 2019 and 2021). The program has hit the double-digit win mark eight times in the GPAC era. The program is in good hands considering the current roster has only two seniors, Juan Rabellino and Eduardo Rojas.

·        The men’s match on Monday went Concordia’s way in rather decisive fashion. The Bulldogs dominated the Red Raiders while taking two of three doubles and five of six singles matches. The Bulldog combo of Hugo Fuentes and Juan Rabellino pulled out a 6-4 win at No. 1 while Northwestern had the edge at No. 2 by the same score (versus Shawn Springer and Thomas Van Haaren). In showing the depth of Concordia’s lineup, Santiago Abadia and Eduardo Rojas cruised to a 6-0 win at No. 3. The singles winners for Concordia included Fuentes at No. 1, 7-5, 6-4, Rojas at No. 3, 6-3, 6-2, Manuel Rodriguez at No. 4, 6-4, 6-0, Van Haaren at No. 5, 6-3, 6-2, and Rabellino at No. 6, 6-1, 6-0.

·        Entering the GPAC tournament, the Bulldogs have produced combined records of 53-52 in singles and 27-26 in doubles. Near the back of the lineup, Rodriguez (13-4) continues to lead the team in singles victories. Three teammates have notched at least eight singles wins: Rabellino (8-6), Abadia (8-8) and Fuentes (7-10). In doubles, Abadia and Rojas have synched up nicely in going 8-4 as a combo. Abadia has won a total of 10 doubles matches (with four different partners). As a reference, program records for a single season are 16 singles wins (Jeremy Jank and Gabe Pohling) and 14 doubles wins (Glen Gutz and Tim Marshall).

·        Concordia has reached at least the semifinals in each of the past three GPAC tournaments. A year ago, the Bulldogs defeated Northwestern, 4-1, in the first round and then had their season end in the semifinals at the hands of Doane, 4-1. The ’21 Concordia team made history by becoming the first in program history to advance to the GPAC tournament title match. Concordia has reached the GPAC semifinals 10 times since the conference formed beginning with the 2020-21 season.

·        During the regular season, the Bulldogs captured GPAC wins over Hastings, 7-0, Mount Marty, 5-2, and Northwestern, 6-1. Midland emerged as the GPAC regular season champion with a perfect 6-0 league mark (Doane was the runner up at 6-1). Below are the national rankings for each GPAC squad, according to Massey Ratings:

o   42 – Midland

o   53 – Morningside

o   54 – Doane

o   56 – Concordia

o   67 – Northwestern

o   74 – Hastings

o   77 – Mount Marty

2023 GPAC Men’s Tennis Tournament

All matches held at the Fremont YMCA in Fremont, Neb.

Friday, April 28 – Quarterfinals
(4) Concordia vs. (5) Northwestern, 9 a.m.
(3) Morningside vs. (6) Mount Marty, 11 a.m.

Friday, April 28 – Semifinals
(1) Midland vs. 4/5 winner, 1 p.m.
(2) Doane vs. 3/6 winner, 3 p.m.

Saturday, April 29 – Championship
1:30 p.m.

Strong 2023 season ends in GPAC semifinals

Apr. 29, 2023

FREMONT, Neb. – A chance to reach the GPAC championship match for the second time in three seasons presented itself on Friday (April 28) as the 2023 conference tournament unfolded at the Fremont, Neb., YMCA. The fourth-seeded Concordia University Men’s Tennis team edged fifth-seeded Northwestern, 4-3, in the quarterfinals before falling at the hands of top seed Midland, 4-0 in the semifinals. Seniors Juan Rabellino and Eduardo Rojas polished off their collegiate careers.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad finished the campaign at 12-9 overall as the program posted its most victories in a single season since 2010.

“I know the guys were frustrated after the loss, but we emptied the tank in the second match,” Long said. “They gave Midland all they could handle early on but just didn’t have the energy after the long day. We will take the offseason to reflect and keep building stronger.”

Four days earlier, the Bulldogs took care of the Red Raiders decisively, 6-1, in the regular season finale. In the postseason matchup, Concordia got the doubles point after all three doubles matches were decided by 6-4 scores. The winning duos for the Bulldogs were Hugo Fuentes and Juan Rabellino at No. 1 and Santiago Abadia and Eduardo Rojas at No. 3. Shawn Springer and Thomas Van Haaren were narrowly defeated at No. 2.

It became a nail-biter in singles. Northwestern’s Brian VandenBerg outlasted Fuentes at No. 1, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, knotting up the team score at 3-3. That meant the outcome came down to No. 6 singles Rabellino sent the Bulldogs to the conference semifinals by taking a 6-4, 6-1, decision. Manuel Rodriguez also came through for Concordia with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-0, victory at No. 4 singles and Van Haaren produced a 6-1, 6-4, win at No. 5 singles. In other words, it was the back half of the lineup that lifted the Bulldogs.

Then in the semifinals, GPAC regular season champion Midland (17-7) showed off its might in ending the contest early. The Warriors picked up the doubles point with triumphs by scores of 7-5 and 6-2 at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots, respectively. Then in singles, Midland advanced to the championship match by way of victories at the Nos. 1, 2 and 4 positions. Just like the regular season meeting, Concordia wasn’t far off taking the doubles point. Abadia and Rojas owned a 6-5 lead before the match could be completed at No. 3.

The Concordia men’s program has reached at least the GPAC semifinal round in four straight GPAC tournaments. The Bulldogs had hoped to advance to the conference final just as the 2021 edition had done. Concordia has won a combined 21 dual matches in Long’s first two seasons as head coach.

Rodriguez named all-conference in singles; six Bulldogs honored by GPAC

May 9, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Six Bulldogs from the 2023 GPAC semifinalist Concordia University Men’s Tennis team have earned all-conference recognition, as announced by the GPAC on Tuesday (May 9). In highlighting the selections for the Bulldogs, Manuel Rodriguez landed on the All-GPAC team for his work at No. 4 singles. In addition, five Concordia players garnered Honorable Mention All-GPAC accolades in singles and/or doubles: Hugo Fuentes, Juan Rabellino, Eduardo Rojas, Shawn Springer and Thomas van Haaren.

2023 All-GPAC

·        Hugo Fuentes (Denia, Spain): Honorable Mention Singles / Doubles

o   2023 GPAC records: 2-4 singles | 4-2 doubles

·        Manuel Rodriguez (Jerez de la Frontera, Spain): No. 4 Singles

o   2023 GPAC records: 4-2 singles | 1-0 doubles

·        Juan Rabellino (La Barra, Uruguay): Honorable Mention Singles / Doubles

o   2023 GPAC records: 3-1 singles | 3-3 doubles

·        Eduardo Rojas (Bogotá, Colombia): Honorable Mention Singles

o   2023 GPAC records: 3-3 singles | 3-3 doubles

·        Shawn Springer (Aurora, Colo.): Honorable Mention Doubles

o   2023 GPAC records: 0-3 singles | 4-2 doubles

·        Thomas van Haaren (La Barra, Uruguay): Honorable Mention Singles / Doubles

o   2023 GPAC records: 3-1 singles | 2-3 doubles

A native of Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, Rodriguez went an impressive 14-5 overall in singles this past season. He posted a 4-2 singles mark in GPAC regular season competition. The lone two seniors on the roster, Rabellino and Rojas have achieved all-conference status for the second time in their college careers. Among the Bulldog honorees, three were named honorable mention all-conference for both singles and doubles: Fuentes, Rabellino and van Haaren. The duo of Fuentes and Rabellino went 3-1 in GPAC doubles matches. Springer and van Haaren won two of three doubles contests versus conference foes.

Head Coach Cam Long’s squad finished the season at 12-9 overall (3-3 GPAC). The season concluded with an appearance in the GPAC tournament semifinals.

Rabellino, Rodriguez chosen to CSC Academic All-District Team

May 9, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – In recognition of their work in the classroom and on the courts, Juan Rabellino and Manuel Rodriguez have been named to the 2023 Academic All-District® Men’s Tennis Teams, as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC) and announced on Tuesday (May 9). Both Concordia University student-athletes have received this recognition for the first time. Following the 2021-22 academic year, former Bulldog Joe Bindl was honored as both an Academic All-District and Academic All-American.

The 2022-23 Academic All-District® Tennis Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.

Also announced on May 9, Rodriguez and Rabellino were named to the 2023 GPAC All-Conference tennis teams. A native of Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, Rodriguez paced the Bulldogs in singles wins this past season while posting a 14-5 overall record (4-2 GPAC). Rodriguez is studying Mathematics and Physics and is also a member of the Concordia Men’s Soccer program. As for Rabellino, he concluded his collegiate career in 2022-23 and was named Honorable Mention All-GPAC in both singles and doubles. Rabellino studied Computer Science and is on track to become a three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Rabellino recorded 22 singles wins in his career with the Bulldogs.

Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced on June 1.

Four from men's tennis garner NAIA Scholar-Athlete status

May 15, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – A quartet of Bulldogs from Concordia University Men’s Tennis landed on the list of 2023 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes released on Monday (May 15) by the NAIA. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad was represented on the honor roll by Luke Johnson, Juan Rabellino, Manuel Rodriguez and Shawn Springer. Johnson and Rabellino are both repeat NAIA Scholar-Athlete award winners.

The 2022-23 list of men’s tennis honorees features 245 total student-athletes. In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.

In addition to earning Scholar-Athlete status, Rabellino and Rodriguez were also recently named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. Academic majors for the four Scholar-Athletes are Biology for Johnson, Computer Science for Rabellino, Mathematics and Physics for Rodriguez and Exercise Science for Springer. The Bulldogs excelled in the classroom while finishing the 2023 season as a GPAC semifinalist.

Concordia University ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 2,121 entering the 2022-23 academic year. The school record for number of Scholar-Athletes in one academic year is 226 achieved in 2019-20. Concordia has been a regular national leader for both Scholar-Athletes and Scholar-Teams.

2023 Men’s Tennis NAIA Scholar-Athletes

·        Luke Johnson (Kansas City, Kan.)

·        Juan Rabellino (La Barra, Uruguay)

·        Manuel Rodriguez (Jerez de la Frontera, Spain)

·        Shawn Springer (Aurora, Colo.)