OMAHA, Neb. – The 2022 campaign ended on Friday (April 29) morning as the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team fell at the hands of College of Saint Mary in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals played at Genesis Health Club in Omaha, Neb. The Flames advanced to the semifinal round while taking a 4-0 decision on the strength of wins at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles and Nos. 1, 3 and 5 singles. The match was halted once the team score was decided.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad had earned the No. 5 seed in the GPAC tournament after going 3-4 in conference play during the regular season. The Bulldogs concluded the 2022 season with an overall record of 6-11.
“We played fine – I just think it was a tough draw,” Long said. “CSM had their No. 1 player back after she was hurt most of the conference season. They had the talent to push the teams ahead of them when she was healthy. That makes a huge difference for them. I thought we played solid. We hit the ball well – they just had a little too much talent.”
The contest on Friday morning was a rematch of the Concordia-CSM battle in Seward on April 5 when the Flames won by a 5-2 score. In that particular match, CSM was without reigning GPAC Player of the Year Renee Acena. This time around, Acena defeated the Bulldogs’ Sofia Morales at No. 1 singles, 6-1, 6-4, and contributed to a 6-0 decision at No. 2 doubles. Acena’s victory at No. 1 singles clinched the team score and sent the Flames (11-6) to the semifinals for a matchup with top-seeded Midland.
Before doubles came to an end, Morales and Tessa Blough appeared poised to win at No. 1 doubles. They owned a 5-2 lead. In singles action, Concordia’s Megan Hakes was in a third-set battle with Kaia Chiasson at No. 4 when the match was called. The singles lineup for the Bulldogs also included Blough at No. 2, Tara Ferrel at No. 3, Brooke Hosick at No. 5 and Kylie Freudenburg at No. 6.
The 2022 season marked Long’s first as head coach. During the regular season, Concordia earned GPAC wins over Mount Marty, Northwestern and Hastings. Morales went 6-1 in GPAC singles matches at the No. 1 spot and led the team in overall singles wins with 10. Morales also teamed up with Blough on six doubles victories at No. 1. The Bulldogs project to be a more experienced squad in 2022-23 considering this year’s roster included only one senior in Hakes.