LINCOLN, Neb. – A layoff of more than three weeks did not stop the Concordia University women’s tennis team from claiming its fourth win in a row. In a match contested inside the Knight Fieldhouse in Lincoln, Neb., the Bulldogs edged former GPAC rival Nebraska Wesleyan, 5-4, on Wednesday evening.
Third-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad now stands at 5-8 overall. Included in the run of four-consecutive victories has been wins over Hesston College, Friends University, Bethany College and Nebraska Wesleyan.
“The girls stepped up in every way and I’m really proud of the way they competed,” Reckewey said. “Every match was hard fought, but we found a way to win. We never gave up. Annie Horn has really done a great job in her singles position. We had excellent singles performances from everyone on the team. It really was a team effort.”
Wednesday’s match wasn’t decided until freshman Kirsten Wagner pulled out a 6-2, 7-5 win over Victoria Van De Veer at the No. 5 singles position. Wagner dug out of a 4-1 deficit in the second set in a heroic effort. She was one of four Bulldogs to claim singles victories.
Junior Annie Horn has been on a tear. She’s now won six matches in a row after defeating the Prairie Wolves’ Torey Kogel, 6-4, 4-6, 10-4. Horn is 7-2 at the No. 2 singles spot this season. Additional Concordia singles winners were Katelinn Wurm (No. 3) and Kayla Smock (No. 6).
The Bulldogs had to come from behind after dropping two of three doubles matches. The combination of Smock and Wurm produced an 8-1 win at No. 3 doubles over their counterparts from Nebraska Wesleyan (3-16).
Concordia will open up conference play on Monday (April 3) when it plays at College of Saint Mary (6-1). First serve is set for 4 p.m. CT.