SEWARD, Neb. – A conference tournament semifinalist a year ago, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis program hopes to have an opportunity to get back to that point later this week. As the No. 5 seed in the 2022 GPAC tournament, the Bulldogs will take on fourth-seeded College of Saint Mary at 8 a.m. CT on Friday. All matches will take place indoors at the locations specified below. An automatic bid to the national tournament will be awarded to the team that wins the GPAC tournament. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad went 6-10 overall (3-4 GPAC) during the regular season.
GPAC Pairings
NOTE: The conference tournament was moved indoors to sites at the Genesis Health Club in Omaha, Miracle Hills Tennis Club in Omaha and the Fremont YMCA due to projected rain this weekend.
Friday, April 29 – Quarterfinals
(4) College of Saint Mary vs. (5) Concordia, 8 a.m. (Genesis Health Club – Omaha)
(3) Doane vs. (6) Hastings, 10 a.m. (Genesis Health Club – Omaha)
Friday, April 29 – Semifinals
(1) Midland vs. 4/5 winner, 12 p.m. (Genesis Health Club – Omaha)
(2) Morningside vs. 3/6 winner, 2 p.m. (Miracle Hill Tennis Club – Omaha)
Saturday, April 30 – Championship
10 a.m. (YMCA – Fremont, Neb.)
By the numbers
· The regular season concluded last week as the Bulldogs completed the suspended match at Doane (April 20) and then hosted Nebraska Wesleyan (April 21). Based on the way the match had started on April 12, Concordia knew it was facing an uphill battle. The Tigers wound up winning by a 6-1 final score. The very next day, the Bulldogs held off the Prairie Wolves, 5-2, while taking two of three doubles matches and four of six singles matches. Prior to the contest, Concordia recognized its lone senior, Megan Hakes of Erie, Colo. Hakes picked up a victory at No. 4 singles as part of the team triumph.
· Named the GPAC Player of the Week on April 20, Sofia Morales has clearly established herself as one of the top players in the conference. She went 6-1 in GPAC singles matches while playing at the No. 1 position each time out. Morales is the team leader with 10 overall singles wins this season. The native of Bogotá, Colombia, earned all-conference accolades last season in both singles and doubles. In her career, Morales has gone 11-3 in conference singles matches and owns 18 career overall singles wins.
· During the 2022 regular season, Concordia earned GPAC wins over Mount Marty, 7-0, Northwestern, 5-2, and Hastings, 6-1. Conference losses came at the hands of Morningside, 6-1, College of Saint Mary, 5-2, Midland, 7-0, and Doane, 6-1. The 3-4 mark in conference play followed GPAC records of 5-2 in 2019 and 6-1 in 2021.
· As a program, Concordia has enjoyed some recent success at the conference tournament. The Bulldogs reached the GPAC semifinals last season (after sharing the GPAC regular season title) and have advanced to at least the semis in each of the past five conference tournaments. The 2019 squad set a still intact school record with 15 wins and was the GPAC tournament runner up. During the GPAC era (2000-present), Concordia has played in the GPAC tournament final three times (2008, 2011, 2019) and has advanced to the semis nine other times. The program is still seeking its first-ever GPAC postseason championship.
· Collectively this season, the Bulldogs have gone 39-57 in singles and 21-27 in doubles matches. Three of Morales’ teammates have at least five wins: Hakes (6-6), Tara Ferrel (6-10) and Tessa Blough (5-11). In doubles, Morales and Blough have combined to go 6-5 while Brooke Hosick and Julia Phillips are 5-5 as partners.
· Concordia will aim to avenge the 5-2 loss to College of Saint Mary from April 5. In that match, the Flames won two of three doubles and four of six singles decisions. CSM collected GPAC wins this season over Hastings, Concordia, Northwestern and Mount Marty. The Flames feature the reigning GPAC Player of the Year in Renee Acena. Senior Tessa Hurst is also a returning all-conference player. The Concordia/CSM winner will advance to play GPAC regular season champion Midland in the semifinals.
NAIA National Championships
The 2022 NAIA Women’s Tennis National Championships will run May 17-21 at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala. More details on the national tournament can be found HERE.