OMAHA, Neb. – Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Tennis closed out its 2025-26 season with a runner-up finish in the GPAC Tournament Championship, falling to No. 16 Morningside, 4-1, on Saturday (April 25) at Genesis Westroads. The Bulldogs finished their season with a 16-6 overall record.
“Very proud of this group and how they represented Concordia throughout this season,” Head Coach Lisa Hart said. “We will miss our senior class very much.”
The Bulldogs faced a tall task against a Mustangs squad that entered the match 26-1 and nationally ranked. Morningside seized early momentum by sweeping the doubles point. The tandem of Line Jensen and Brooke Marshall topped Mariana Molano and Ishane Derman, 6-1, at No. 1, while Lara Heinrich and Helene Kreibich earned a 6-0 win over Chakira Derman and Alana Lopez Pagan at No. 2.
In singles play, Concordia found a spark at the No. 2 position. Chakira Derman delivered the Bulldogs’ lone point of the match with a decisive 6-2, 6-2 victory over Heinrich. The win marked another strong performance for Chakira, who has been a consistent presence in the lineup having won six in a row to total a 12-6 singles record.
Morningside, however, proved too deep across the remainder of the lineup. Jensen secured a 6-4, 6-0 win over Molano at No. 1 singles, while Kailee Bailey and Stefany Simplicio added straight-set victories at the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, respectively, to clinch the team title for the Mustangs. The Colombian Molano ends her career with 50 wins in singles – the most in the program’s history.
Two matches — at No. 3 and No. 4 singles — were left unfinished once the team result was decided.
It’s the end of the line for some Bulldogs that make up 130 career wins, leaving the lineup that includes Molano, Alana Lopez Pagan (43), Alexa Richert (37).
Despite the setback, Concordia wraps up a strong campaign that included a program-record 16 wins and a berth in the conference championship match. The Bulldogs showed resilience and growth throughout the season, positioning themselves as a contender within the GPAC.
Concordia will look to build on its success heading into the next season in 2027.