SEWARD, Neb. – Idle since March 31, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team looks forward to returning to action with two matches in a stretch of three days. The Bulldogs will be in Lawrence, Kan., today (April 8) for a matchup with Baker University. Concordia will then get back to GPAC play when it hosts Mount Marty on Saturday. Head Coach David DeSimone’s squad is coming off back-to-back conference wins.
This Week
Concordia (5-4, 2-0) at Baker (5-7)
Thursday, April 8 | 1 p.m.
Genesis Health Club | Lawrence, Kan.
Concordia (5-4, 2-0) vs. Mount Marty (2-3, 0-1)
Saturday, April 10 | 11 a.m.
Bulldog Tennis Courts | Seward, Neb.
In their most recent outing, the Bulldogs defeated Hastings, 6-1, while sweeping through singles play. Courtesy of her performance in wins at No. 1 singles and doubles, freshman Sofia Morales garnered GPAC Player of the Week honors. Morales was dominant at the top of the lineup in her 6-1, 6-2, triumph. The rest of the lineup (all singles winners) included Claudia Miranda Viera at No. 2, Tara Ferrel at No. 3, Katy Krejci at No. 4, Luisa Esquivel at No. 5 and Ansley Gates at No. 6. Morales teamed up with Miranda Viera on a 6-4 win at No. 1 doubles.
On the season, DeSimone’s squad has collected victories over William Jewell College (Mo.), Sterling College (Kan.), Bethany College (Kan.), Morningside and Hastings. Concordia sits alone atop the GPAC with a 2-0 mark while Doane is 1-0. In the official GPAC ratings, the Bulldogs rank No. 3 behind Doane and College of Saint Mary. Individually, Esquivel (6-3) tops Concordia in singles wins. Morales is one of three Bulldogs with four singles victories (joining Krejci and Miranda Viera).
Baker comes into play with a 5-7 overall record. The Wildcats could provide a push considering they own wins over both Midland and Hastings. Mount Marty sports a 2-3 mark that includes two wins over Northwestern (both designated as nonconference matches). The Lancers dropped a 6-1 decision at Midland on March 27 in their most recent outing.
Following this week’s action, four regular season matches (all against GPAC opponents) will remain on the schedule. Concordia will travel to College of Saint Mary on April 12 (match played at Koch Tennis Center) and then to Northwestern on April 17 before closing the regular season against Doane (April 21) and Midland (April 27).