Head Coach: Cam Long (1st season)
2021 record: 10-7 overall, 6-1 GPAC (T-1st)
Key returners: Tara Ferrel (So.); Sofia Morales (So.).
Key losses: Luisa Esquivel; Ansley Gates; Katelyn Krejci; Claudia Miranda Viera.
Key Newcomers:Tessa Blough; Kylie Freudenburg; Brooke Hosick.
2021 GPAC All-Conference: Luisa Esquivel (HM singles); Tara Ferrel (HM singles); Ansley Gates (HM singles); Katelyn Krejci (HM singles); Claudia Miranda Viera (singles, doubles); Sofia Morales (singles, doubles).
Outlook
In many ways, the 2022 team will be much different than the one from last year. Enter Head Coach Cam Long, who takes over the program after serving as the top assistant coach at NCAA Division III Centre College in Dansville, Ky. Long is tasked with developing a young roster that is in the process of replacing four starters from the ’21 squad that made history by sharing the GPAC regular season title. The Concordia University Women’s Tennis team landed at No. 3 in this preseason’s GPAC rating.
With the personnel losses due to graduation, Tara Ferrel and Sofia Morales remain as the most experienced returners on the roster. With their help, the Bulldogs came through in tight moments against GPAC foes last season. Concordia went 6-1 in conference play with 4-3 wins over Morningside, College of Saint Mary and Midland. The Bulldogs will have to grow up quickly if they are to duplicate those results this spring.
Said Long, “We have eight on the roster and four of them are freshmen and two are sophomores. Learning is the word I’ve been using with them. We need to keep learning as we go. This spring we’ll play a lot of tough teams and I think that will be really good for them, to see some different opponents and different styles of play. We want to learn how to win those matches against players with different styles. It’s going to be huge for our confidence moving forward. Ultimately, it will help us achieve our goals at the end of the spring when our conference season rolls around.”
Fortunately, this team can lean upon the talented Morales, a native of Bogotá, Colombia. She immediately stepped into the No. 1 singles spot last season and produced a 5-2 record within conference play. With a share of the GPAC title on the line last April, Morales came through with wins at No. 1 singles and doubles while up against Midland. Morales and Ferrel held down the top two spots this past fall when Concordia got the 2021-22 season underway. They helped lead the Bulldogs to a 5-2 win over NCAA Division III Warburg College (Iowa) in early October.
The fall lineup showcased plenty of fresh faces. Gone from last year’s GPAC championship roster are Luisa Esquivel, Ansley Gates, Katelyn Krejci and Claudia Miranda Viera. During the fall, Long inserted freshmen Tessa Blough, Brooke Hosick and Kylie Freudenburg into the lineup. A native of Cody, Wyo., Blough notched her first career collegiate win as part of the fall run.
According to the Lincoln North Star High School alum Ferrel, Concordia has made significant strides since the fall. Said Ferrel, “Practice has been more competitive. The level of play for each player has improved a lot. We’re able to push each other to be better, and I think that’s what has led to the progress … We definitely have some pressure to get that title again. We’re just going to go play and see what happens. We do have a lot of new girls.”
Morales will have a new doubles partner this season. She and Miranda Viera paired together and went 6-0 against GPAC competition. Long tested Morales alongside both Blough and Ferrel in the fall. No matter the circumstances, Long knows the Bulldogs are going to get a competitive match from Morales, who just might be one of the very best players in the GPAC this spring.
“The plan is having her near the top of the lineup again,” Long said. “She’s been working hard – they all have. They all have great shots from the baseline and can rally with anybody. The focus is on doubles play and hitting more volleys. That’s the stuff I think we’ve gotten better at and can still get better at. In terms of development, Sofia played a lot of close matches last year. Being thrown into No. 1 singles right away – there’s not going to be an easy match in the conference or even out of conference. She’s really strong mentally. I never have to worry about her giving her all and competing. That gives me some peace of mind. I can put my focus on the team as a whole and trust that she’s going to go out and give her all.”
Ferrel says the way the team has operated has remained similar despite the coaching change. After a long stretch of second semester preparation, the Bulldogs are ready to finally play another opponent. Concordia is scheduled to play 18 regular season matches throughout the spring.
Said Long, “It’s been a long preseason. We started back on January 10 and our first match is February 19. That’s a long time to practice, so I’m just looking forward to getting out there and playing. I’m looking forward to hopefully having some success too because that part will make it fun. We want to get out there and compete as a team and build that team chemistry. The schedule we’re going to play nonconference is pretty tough. That’s only going to help us in the long run. I think we’re going to be ready.”
The Feb. 19 spring opener will put the Bulldogs up against Colorado College in Seward. The conference season is slated to begin on March 26 with a trip to Morningside.