Head Coach Cam Long's squad now sits at 1-3 on the early season. Their single win came against Wartburg College in the fall. Coach Long did see some bright spots on the day.
Said Long, “Grand View was tough. There were some moments when we put some good points together. It was good to see Brooke (Hosick) and Julia (Phillips) play well and get a doubles win.”
Hosick and Phillips (No. 3 doubles) picked up the lone match win for the Bulldogs Wednesday, taking a 6-2 decision. The No. 1 pair of Sofia Morales and Tara Ferrel lost 6-4 and the No. 2 doubles pair of Tessa Blough and Megan Hakes lost 6-0.
Grand View went undefeated in singles matches on the day. Long’s singles lineup featured Sofia Morales at No. 1, Tara Ferrel at No. 2, Tessa Blough at No. 3, Hosick at No. 4, Megan Hakes at No. 5 and concluded with Kylie Freudenburg at No. 6. Hosick put up a tough fight but was unable to grab the win (6-4, 7-5 defeat).
The Bulldogs are hoping to be on the home courts looking for their first win of the spring on Saturday (Feb. 26). They are set to welcome Bethany College (Kan) to Seward. The first serve is set for 1 p.m. CT.
Feb. 26, 2022
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad now sits at 2-3 overall having also recorded a win over Wartburg College (Iowa) back in the fall.
“I’m glad to see us come out and take care of business right away,” Long said. “We led from the start and never looked back, so that’s something to be happy about.”
Starting off in doubles, Concordia took home wins from the combos of Tara Ferrel and Sofia Morales at No. 1, 6-3, and Megan Hakes and Julia Phillips at No. 2, 6-0. Bethany defaulted at No. 3 doubles, as it also did at Nos. 5 and 6 singles.
A native of Bogotá, Colombia, Morales looked sharp in No. 1 singles, winning by a breezy, 6-0, 6-0, score. The rest of the lineup followed as Tara Ferrel won, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 2, Tessa Blough claimed a 6-3, 6-1, win at No. 3 and Brooke Hosick defeated her counterpart at No. 4, 6-0, 6-1.
The Swedes are now 0-5 and have also dropped to decision to GPAC opponents in Hastings, Midland and College of Saint Mary. In last season’s matchup, the Bulldogs toppled Bethany, 5-2, in Lincoln.
The Bulldogs will return to action next Saturday (March 5) for a road trip to Liberty, Mo., and a clash with NCAA Division II William Jewell College. First serve is set for 1 p.m. CT. Back on Oct. 9, the Cardinals came away from Seward with a 7-0 victory. Concordia defeated William Jewell, 5-2, in the fall of 2020.
Mar. 14, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – A tough run last week, in terms of being unable to play any matches, leads into a week that should showcase three outings for Concordia University Women’s Tennis. A busy stretch begins on Tuesday with Sterling College (Kan.) paying a visit to Seward. The Bulldogs will also host Bethel College (Kan.) on Wednesday and then travel to Missouri Valley College on Saturday. Both home matches will take place on Concordia’s outdoor campus courts. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad currently stands at 2-3 overall.
This Week
Tuesday, March 15 vs. Sterling (1-3), 3 p.m.
Wednesday, March 16 vs. Bethel (2-3), 11 a.m.
Saturday, March 19 at Missouri Valley (1-8), 1 p.m.
By the numbers
· Concordia has been idle since defeating Bethany College (Kan.), 7-0, on Feb. 26. The season ledger also includes a 5-2 win over NCAA Division III Wartburg College (Iowa). The three defeats have all come by 7-0 final scores – at the hands of William Jewell College (Mo.), Colorado College and Grand View University (Iowa).
· Through five matches, three Bulldogs have produced exactly two singles wins: Tessa Blough (2-3), Tara Ferrel (2-3) and Sofia Morales (2-3). Two doubles combos are currently 1-0: Brooke Hosick and Julia Phillips and Magan Hakes and Julia Phillips. Ferrel and Morales have held down the No. 1 spot in doubles and are 1-3.
· In the most recent GPAC ratings released on Feb. 28, Concordia was placed at No. 3 behind Morningside and Doane. The squads ranked four through eight were Midland, Hastings, College of Saint Mary, Northwestern and Mount Marty.
Next week
The Bulldogs are slated to be on the road twice next week with a trip to Kansas Wesleyan University for an 11 a.m. first serve on March 22. Conference play will then get started with a 12 p.m. match at Morningside on March 26.
Morales, Hakes earn singles wins in team defeat Mar. 15, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Following a hiatus in the schedule, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis teams retuned to the courts on Tuesday (March 15) and fell just short in a nonconference home matchup with Sterling College (Kan.). The Warriors emerged from the Bulldog Tennis Courts with a 5-2 victory in a contest that finished up underneath the lights. The evening marked the first time Concordia had played an outdoor home match this spring.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad had won its most recent outing – a 7-0 decision over Bethany College (Kan.) on Feb. 26. The Bulldogs own a record of 2-4 overall.
“Sofia (Morales) and Megan (Hakes) played pretty well today,” Long said. “It was a tough loss in general. All the matches we lost were pretty close scores. The two most lopsided matches in singles were the two that we won, so we definitely had opportunities to win – just not today. It’s a new day tomorrow. We’ll get back at it.”
Close victories for Sterling at No. 1 doubles (7-5), No. 3 singles (7-6, 6-4) and No. 6 singles (7-6, 3-6, 1-0) swung the match in favor of the visitors. The Warriors went up a point after doubles while also winning convincingly, 6-0, at No. 2 doubles. At the No. 3 position, the Concordia duo of Brooke Hosick and Julia Phillips collaborated on a 6-4 win.
In singles, Morles triumphed at the No. 1 spot, 6-3, 6-2, while Hakes came away with a 6-1, 6-3, win at No. 5 to lead the Bulldogs. The rest of the Concordia singles lineup featured Tara Ferrel at No. 2, Tessa Blough at No. 3, Hosick at No. 4 and Kylie Freudenburg at No. 6. Five Bulldogs competed in both doubles and singles on Tuesday.
Sterling bumped its overall record up to 2-3 after having also defeated Hastings, 4-3, on March 4. Prior to that match, the Warriors were beaten by Morningside, Midland and NCAA Division II Fort Hays State University (Kan.).
The Bulldogs will turn around and host Bethel College (Kan.) (2-4) at 11 a.m. CT on Wednesday. Concordia will attempt to avenge its 4-3 loss from last season at the hands of the Threshers, who also compete as a member of the KCAC.
Hakes emerges victorious in defeat at hands of Bethel Mar. 16, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Another learning experience came on Wednesday (March 16) as the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team hosted Bethel College (Kan.) in the midst of warm spring weather. Unfortunately, most of the close matches went the way of the Threshers, who left the Bulldog Tennis Courts in Seward with a 6-1 victory. The lone Concordia team point came courtesy of Megan Hakes at No. 5 singles.
Head Coach Cam Long’s young team also endured a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Sterling College (Kan.) on Tuesday. The run of tough matches could serve the Bulldogs (2-5) in a positive manner as they progress towards conference action.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Long said. “There are a lot of good players in the conference once we hit the conference schedule so playing a match like we did today is going to be really helpful. We were really competitive. Obviously Megan won her super tiebreaker at five, so that was good to see. Tara (Ferrel) has a super tiebreak at two that she couldn’t quite pull out. Those were two good matches. Sofia (Morales) and Tessa (Blough) played really well at one doubles too. It was probably one of the better teams we’ve faced all season. There were a lot of good takeaways.”
Concordia found itself in a hole after the doubles matches were swept by Bethel. The Bulldog duo of Blough and Morales were clipped at No. 1, 7-5. The Threshers won a bit more comfortably at the Nos. 2 (6-3) and 3 (6-1) spots while picking up the team point.
As Long mentioned, both Ferrel and Hakes were involved in intense battles. A native of Erie, Colo., Hakes found a way to come out on top in the super tiebreaker at No. 5. Ferrel was edged at the No. 2 position despite taking the first set. The other spots in the Concordia singles lineup were filled by Morales at No. 1, Blough at No. 3, Brooke Hosick at No. 4 and Julia Phillips at No. 6.
Hakes is one of the veterans trying to help bring along a young squad. Said Hakes, “It’s been a very interesting season. It’s a completely new team. I think we need to keep working in the weight room and keep supporting each other. I think we’ve been a little bit better about that this year compared to past years. We want to make sure everyone feels supported on and off the court.”
Bethel bumped its record to 3-4 on the season. The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member also owns wins over John Brown University (Ark.) and Missouri Baptist University. The Threshers were headed to take on Doane immediately after playing the Bulldogs.
Concordia will be on the road on Saturday for a 1 p.m. CT match at Missouri Valley College (1-8), located in Marshall, Mo. In their last time out, the Vikings dropped a 4-2 decision versus Milligan University (Tenn.) on March 11.
Doubles play the highlight of loss at Missouri Valley Mar. 20, 2022
MARSHALL, Mo. – The Concordia University Women’s Tennis team made a strong push in doubles as part of a challenging matchup with Missouri Valley College on Saturday (March 19). The Vikings persevered while earning the team doubles point and then won four of six singles matches in what added up to a 5-2 decision in Marshall, Mo. The Bulldog duo of Brooke Hosick and Julia Phillips earned a victory at the No. 3 doubles spot.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad has dropped three matches in a row as a youthful roster continues to grow. Concordia is now 2-6 overall.
“We played outstanding in doubles,” Long said. “They had a ton of talent and it shocked us a little bit right away, but we settled in and played very smart. Brooke and Julia are playing well as a team right now. It was a tough day in singles, but we played hard and made them work for it.”
The win for Hosick and Phillips at No. 3 doubles came by a 6-4 score. That happened to also be the score at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles, which were won by Missouri Valley. The Vikings were then able to emerge victorious at the Nos. 1 through 4 singles spots and clinch the team win.
Concordia was credited with wins at Nos. 5 and 6 singles via default. Those spots were held down in the Bulldog lineup by Kylie Freudenburg and Phillips. At the No. 1 position, Sofia Morales put up a good fight with Amy Henning in a 6-2, 6-4, decision.
The Bulldogs will be on the road on Tuesday for an 11 a.m. matchup with Kansas Wesleyan University, a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference located in Salina, Kan. The two programs have not met since the 2018 season.
Morales picks up lone match win in GPAC opener Mar. 26, 2022
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – In a matchup of fellow 2021 GPAC regular season co-champions, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team came up on the short end on Saturday (March 26). The host Mustangs swept through doubles and won all but one singles contest in a 6-1 team decision. The highlight for the Bulldogs was a victory at No. 1 singles by Sofia Morales.
Head Coach Cam Long continues to bring along a young squad with a much different look from a year ago when Concordia went 6-1 in conference regular season play. This year’s team is now 2-7 overall.
“Morningside won the conference last season, so we knew it was going to be tough from the start,” Long said. “They have a deep roster and all play smart tennis. I thought we came out ready to go and weren’t intimidated by them. We just made a few more errors than they did and that was the difference today.”
Indeed, the Mustangs backed up their share of the GPAC regular season title last season by going on to win the conference tournament championship, earning a bid to play at the national tournament. In Saturday’s doubles action, Morningside won by 6-2 scores at the Nos. 2 and 3 spots. The Bulldog duo of Morales and Tessa Blough was narrowly defeated at No. 1, 7-5.
A native of Bogotá, Colombia, Morales is hoping to prove she’s one of the very best in the GPAC. She went head-to-head with the Mustangs’ Emily Clotfelter at No. 1 and emerged with a 6-3, 6-3, victory. Morningside came out on top in the Nos. 2 through 6 spots, which were held down in the Concordia lineup by Blough, Tara Ferrel, Brooke Hosick, Megan Hakes and Kylie Freudenburg, in that order. At No. 4, Hakes nearly forced a super tiebreaker in a 6-0, 7-5, decision.
Morningside finished at 13-6 overall last season and is 7-5 (2-0 GPAC) to begin 2022. The Mustangs blanked Mount Marty, 7-0, on March 18 in their GPAC opener.
The Bulldogs will take on Mount Marty (0-2) in Yankton, S.D., at 1 p.m. CT on Thursday. Concordia will attempt to duplicate last season’s 7-0 win over the Lancers.
Concordia aiming for first GPAC win with Mount Marty, Northwestern up next Mar. 28, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – In the second week of GPAC action, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team hopes to get on the board with its first conference win of the 2022 season. The Bulldogs are aiming to bounce back from a 6-1 loss at Morningside this past weekend. Concordia will play at Mount Marty on Thursday before coming back home to host Northwestern on Saturday. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad enters this week sporting a 2-7 overall record.
This Week
Thursday, March 31 at Mount Marty (0-3, 0-3 GPAC), 1 p.m.
Saturday, April 2 vs. Northwestern (3-6, 0-0 GPAC), 11 a.m.
By the numbers
· With the loss at Morningside on March 26, the Bulldogs fell short in their attempt to avenge a 4-0 loss to the Mustangs in the 2021 GPAC semifinals. Concordia did manage to knock off Morningside, 4-3, in the 2021 regular season. The ’21 Bulldogs made history by sharing the GPAC regular season title, marking the program’s first ever conference championship. This year’s team is much different. Only two of the six players from the lineup used in the 2021 GPAC tournament lineup remain on the active roster.
· In doubles action this past week, Morningside won by 6-2 scores at the Nos. 2 and 3 spots. The Bulldog duo of Sofia Morales and Tessa Blough was narrowly defeated at No. 1, 7-5. A native of Bogotá, Colombia, Morales is hoping to prove she’s one of the very best in the GPAC. She went head-to-head with the Mustangs’ Emily Clotfelter at No. 1 and emerged with a 6-3, 6-3, victory. Morningside came out on top in the Nos. 2 through 6 spots, which were held down in the Concordia lineup by Blough, Tara Ferrel, Brooke Hosick, Megan Hakes and Kylie Freudenburg, in that order. At No. 4, Hakes nearly forced a super tiebreaker in a 6-0, 7-5, decision.
· Morales also edged Clotfelter last season. Morales went 8-7 in singles last season and is now 4-5 this season. She was immediately thrust into a role at the top of the lineup as a freshman in 2021. Morales owns a career GPAC singles record of 6-2. Morales and Tara Ferrel are by far the most experienced players in the lineup. Ferrel went 4-12 in singles last season while playing mostly at the No. 3 position. Freshmen Tessa Blough, Kylie Freudenburg and Brooke Hosick have played key roles in 2022 for the new-look Bulldogs.
· While Morales owns four singles wins this season, three of her teammates have collected two singles wins: Blough, Ferrel and Hakes. The best results in doubles have come from the duo of Hosick and Julia Phillips, who have combined to go 3-2. Overall as a team, Concordia is 17-37 in singles and 7-20 in doubles matches.
· The schedule this week includes two conference opponents the Bulldogs defeated by 7-0 scores last season: Mount Marty and Northwestern. The Lancers have opened conference play with losses to Morningside, Midland and Hastings. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders will open conference play at Midland on Friday. Northwestern owns three nonconference wins with them coming over three NCAA Division III opponents: Buena Vista University (Iowa), Wartburg College (Iowa) and Simpson College (Iowa).
Next week
Bulldogs blank Mount Marty while earning first GPAC win Mar. 31, 2022
YANKTON, S.D. – The Concordia University Women’s Tennis team got on the board with its first GPAC victory of 2022 while winning in dominant fashion over host Mount Marty on Thursday (March 31). The Bulldogs swept through doubles and singles in a contest played at the National Field Archery Association in Yankton, S.D. The Lancers made their most significant pushes at No. 1 doubles and No. 2 singles.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad effectively bounced back from its 6-1 loss last week at Morningside. Concordia has improved to 3-7 overall.
Said Long, “We played well and very smart today. Tessa (Blough) and Sofia (Morales) both had big wins against tough opponents, and the rest of the team took care of business. We will prepare for Northwestern on Saturday.”
In contested doubles matches, Bulldog combos of Morales and Blough at No. 1 (7-5) and Tara Ferrel and Kylie Freudenburg (6-0) emerged with victories. It was a bit of a sweat at No. 1, but the doubles point was easily in hand with the Lancers defaulting at the No. 3 position.
Morales will be a challenge for anyone in the GPAC to knock off at No. 1 singles. The native of Bogotá, Colombia, toppled Tashlynne Badger, 6-2, 6-2, on Thursday. At the No. 2 spot, Blough bounced back after falling in the first set and triumphed in a tiebreaker. Meanwhile, Concordia won decisively at No. 3 and 4 with Ferrel (6-0, 6-1) and Megan Hakes (6-0, 6-0) breezing to victory. Mount Marty also defaulted at the Nos. 5 and 6 singles spots.
The Lancers are now 0-4 overall (0-3 GPAC). They also have a first-year head coach in Marissa Caballero.
After having Friday off from competition, the Bulldogs will return to action on Saturday by hosting Northwestern (3-6, 0-0 GPAC) at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday from the on-campus tennis courts. It will mark Concordia’s first home appearance since it welcomed Bethel College (Kan.) to town on March 16.
Seven Bulldogs notch wins in team victory over Northwestern Apr. 2, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – For the second time in three days, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team has claimed a GPAC victory. The Bulldogs pulled out the tight matches they needed towards the back half of the lineup while defeating Northwestern, 5-2, in Seward on a sunny Saturday (April 2). The likes of Tessa Blough, Sofia Morales and Megan Hakes each won both their doubles and singles matches.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad is hoping to get on a run now in conference play. Concordia moved to 2-1 within the GPAC (4-7 overall) with a win also coming over Mount Marty two days earlier.
“Going into it, I could tell how hard we’ve worked. We’ve been getting better all season,” Long said. “I told the team it was only a matter of time before we started coming out on top in some of these close matches. Today we did that. We won two of the three three-set matches in singles and we won both tiebreakers in doubles. It comes down to mental toughness in the big moments.”
The doubles point could have easily gone the other way on Saturday if not for the Bulldogs emerging victorious in tiebreakers at both Nos. 2 and 3 doubles – by respective scores of 7-6 (7-5) and 7-6 (7-1). The winning doubles combos for Concordia included Morales and Blough at No. 1 (6-3), Tara Ferrel and Hakes at No. 2 and Brooke Hosick and Julia Phillips at No. 3.
Morales continues on a path towards establishing herself as one of the GPAC’s top players. Morales pushed her conference singles mark to 3-0 while topping Julia Kurtz, 6-4, 6-1. When Morales’ match went final, the team score rested at 3-2 in favor of the Bulldogs. Next in line, Hakes clinched the team victory when she won the tiebreaker in the third set, taking it, 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5). The two additional singles winners for Concordia were Blough at No. 2 (6-3, 6-0) and Kylie Freudenburg at No. 6, 6-4, 4-6, 15-13. It took 15 points in a 10-point tiebreaker for Freudenburg to finally put away Emma Montenegro.
“I think today especially was a great confidence-booster,” Freudenburg said. “This is a match we needed to win and I think we’re going to keep that momentum going against Saint Mary … It just came down to consistency and keeping the ball in play. I tried not to just hit winners and keep it in play. My mindset was, ‘I can win this match.’”
Northwestern (3-8, 0-2 GPAC) also dropped a 6-1 decision at Midland on Friday. The Red Raiders have lost four in a row since their 8-1 win at Simpson College (Iowa) on March 18.
Conference action will continue next week as the Bulldogs will host College of Saint Mary (4-3, 0-1 GPAC) at 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday. In last season’s matchup in Omaha, Concordia eked out a 4-3 decision over the Flames. In its 2022 GPAC opener, CSM fell by a 6-1 score at Doane on March 26.
Back-to-back GPAC wins supply momentum heading into three-match week Apr. 4, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Confidence is growing for a Concordia University Women’s Tennis team coming off GPAC wins last week over Mount Marty and Northwestern. By the end of this week, the Bulldogs will have a real good idea of where they stand among their conference rivals. Concordia will host College of Saint Mary on Tuesday, head to Hastings on Wednesday and then welcome conference leader Midland to town on Saturday. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad sits at 4-7 overall (2-1 GPAC).
This Week
Tuesday, April 5 vs. College of Saint Mary (5-3, 1-1 GPAC), 5 p.m.
Wednesday, April 6 at Hastings (2-9, 1-2 GPAC), 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 9 vs. Midland (14-3, 3-0 GPAC), 11 a.m.
By the numbers
· One of three teams to share the 2021 GPAC regular season title, the Bulldogs are judged to be right in the middle of the pack this season. Concordia landed at No. 4 in the official GPAC ratings released last Monday (March 28). The top three in the ratings were Midland, Morningside and Doane. The Bulldogs dropped a 6-1 decision at Morningside on March 26 and still has yet to go up against Midland and Doane. Last season, Concordia went 6-1 in conference play with the only loss coming at the hands of Doane.
· The Bulldogs shook off the loss to Morningside and earned wins last week over Mount Marty, 7-0, and Northwestern, 5-2. Long was encouraged his team’s ability to pull out the close ones against the Red Raiders. In that match, Concordia won tiebreakers at the Nos. 2 and 3 doubles spots and also at the Nos. 5 and 6 singles positions. In other words, Northwestern wasn’t far from swinging the team result in the other direction. Long believes his squad has improved significantly after persevering through a four-match skid to begin the month of March.
· Combined in the wins over Mount Marty and Northwestern, the Bulldogs went 10-2 in singles and 6-0 in doubles. At the top of the lineup, Sofia Morales moved her singles record within GPAC play to 3-0. Morales went 2-0 last week in singles – so too did Tessa Blough, Kylie Freudenburg and Megan Hakes. In doubles, Long used five different combinations. At No. 1, Morales and Blough went 2-0 last week. Morales is now 8-2 all-time in GPAC singles contests.
· Cumulatively this season, the Concordia women are 27-39 (.409) in singles and 13-20 (.394) in doubles. The Bulldogs have been better within the GPAC – 11-7 in singles and 6-3 in doubles. Morales paces the squad with six singles wins. She’s also won three times in doubles. Next in line with the most singles wins are Hakes (4-3) and Blough (4-7). Concordia’s lineup is largely different from the one that pushed the program into a share of the 2021 GPAC regular season title.
· Based on the current GPAC ratings, the Bulldogs will be going up against the conference’s No. 6 team (CSM), No. 5 team (Hastings) and No. 1 team (Midland) as part of this week’s action. How this week turns out could again depend upon whether Concordia finds a way in the close matches. In 2021 regular season play, the Bulldogs defeated Hastings, 6-1, CSM, 4-3, and Midland, 4-3. Now receiving votes nationally, the Warriors have made a big leap forward from last season when they went 6-10 overall (4-4 GPAC). Midland’s lineup looks much different.
Next week
Conference play will wrap up on April 12 with a match at Doane. On the horizon are two nonconference contests – at Kansas Wesleyan University on April 19 and versus Nebraska Wesleyan on April 21.
Ferrel takes doubles and singles matches in team GPAC defeat Apr. 5, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Unlike the victory over Northwestern three days ago, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team came up a bit short in the close matches. The result on Tuesday (April 5) was a 5-2 home loss that came at the hands of College of Saint Mary. On a positive note for the Bulldogs, Sofia Morales kept up her winning ways at No. 1 singles while Tara Ferrel picked up victories in both doubles and singles.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad entered this week having won back-to-back GPAC matches. Concordia now stands at 4-8 overall (2-2 GPAC).
“As a team, CSM just didn’t make very many errors,” Long said. “We won a lot of points, but we didn’t a lot of deuce points or points in tiebreakers. We needed to win more of those points in big moments. If we had done that, it could have flipped our way. We played well in those situations on Saturday (April 2).”
The Flames (6-3, 2-1 GPAC) forged in front after doubles with victories coming at the Nos. 1 and 3 positions by respective scores of 6-3 and 6-1. As part of a standout performance Ferrel teamed up with Megan Hakes on a 6-2 triumph at No. 2 doubles.
In singles play, the Lincoln native Ferrel rebounded impressively after dropping the first set and won at No. 3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Meanwhile, Morales breezed to a 6-0, 6-0, win at No. 1 and is now 4-0 this season in GPAC singles matches.
Said Long, “Tara really took over the net and had a lot of big volleys and overheads. Singles-wise, she kind of did the same thing. She had an opponent that liked to stay back at the baseline and tried to grind it out in the first set. Tara started being more aggressive and won sets two and three pretty easily. It was good to see her flip the momentum and be strong all day … Sofia just played well today. She’s having a good year.”
However, CSM emerged with the team win by pulling out close matches at Nos. 2, 4 and 5 singles. At the No. 5 spot, Concordia’s Megan Hakes won the first set before slipping, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. The Flames picked up their second conference win in a row and did so despite the absence of 2021 GPAC Player of the Year Renee Acena.
Next up on the slate will be Saturday’s home matchup with conference leading Midland (14-3, 3-0 GPAC). First serve is set for 11 a.m. CT from the Bulldog Tennis Courts. A year ago, the Bulldogs squeaked by the Warriors, 4-3, in Fremont. Originally, Concordia was scheduled to be at Hastings on Wednesday, but strong winds in the forecast postponed that match until next Wednesday (April 13).
Morales/Blough doubles win a bright spot in loss to Midland Apr. 9, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Women’s Team knew it would have its hands full on Saturday (April 9) as it hosted GPAC leading Midland. The Warriors took care of business by sweeping through singles play in a 7-0 victory in Seward. It didn’t register in the team scoring, but the Bulldog duo of Sofia Morales and Tessa Blough claimed a win at No. 1 doubles.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad dropped two GPAC matches this week after having won back-to-back. Those results leave Concordia at 2-3 in conference play (4-9 overall).
Said Long, “We fought hard, but they showed why they’re at the top of the conference. Their talent was a bit too much to overcome today.”
Morales and Blough are now 3-2 as a doubles pair within conference play. They won at the No. 1 spot by a score of 6-4. However, Midland took the doubles team point by way of victories by scores of 6-0 at No. 2 and 6-3 at No. 3.
Morales also played Ari Lumanog to a tiebreaker in the second set at No. 1 singles. Lumanog held Morales off and the rest of her teammates fell in line. The most competitive contest two through six occurred at No. 4 singles with the Warriors’ Ivett Castaneda pulling it out, 6-3, 6-3, over Brooke Hosick. Other singles competitors for the Bulldogs were Blough at No. 2, Tara Ferrel at No. 3, Megan Hakes at No. 5 and Kylie Freudenburg at No. 6.
Midland (15-4, 4-0 GPAC) has emerged as a conference favorite after placing fourth in the GPAC last season. The Warriors also own conference wins over Mount Marty, Northwestern and Morningside.
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Tuesday for a 4 p.m. CT matchup at Doane (8-6, 3-1 GPAC). The Tigers fell in conference play for the first time this season with a 5-2 loss coming at Morningside on Saturday. Concordia’s lone GPAC regular season loss last season came at the hands of Doane, 6-1.
Matches at Doane, Hastings set to close conference schedule Apr. 11, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – The final week of GPAC regular season play is upon the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team. Back-to-back road tests are on the docket as the Bulldogs prep to play at Doane on Tuesday and at Hastings on Wednesday. Concordia is hoping to rebound from losses last week at the hands of College of Saint Mary and Midland. Mathematically, Head Coach Cam Long’s squad could still finish as high as third place in the GPAC. The Bulldogs enter the week at 4-9 overall (2-3 GPAC).
This Week
Tuesday, April 12 at Doane (8-6, 3-1 GPAC), 4 p.m.
Wednesday, April 13 at Hastings (2-9, 1-2 GPAC), 11 a.m.
By the numbers
· Entering the week, Concordia is looking up in the GPAC standings at Midland (4-0), Morningside (5-1), Doane (3-1) and College of Saint Mary (2-1). The Bulldogs have played each of those opponents with the exception of Doane. The Warriors are the clear frontrunners in the conference after placing fourth in 2021. A year ago, Concordia shared the conference regular season title with Doane and Morningside.
· The Concordia women were led in the match against CSM (April 5) by Tara Ferrel, who emerged victorious at the No. 2 doubles and No. 3 singles positions. In addition, Sofia Morales moved to 4-0 in GPAC singles matches at the time with her breezy 6-0, 6-0, win at the top. However, the Flames came away with the team victory by taking two doubles matches and four singles decisions. The Bulldogs had entered the week having won back-to-back GPAC outings before colliding with CSM and Midland.
· Combined this season, Concordia has posted records of 29-49 in singles and 15-24 in doubles. Morales did lose her unblemished GPAC singles mark in the matchup with Midland. She fell by a score of 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) while nearly forcing a third set. Overall this season, Morales tops the Bulldogs with seven singles wins. The winningest doubles duo has been Brooke Hosick and Julia Phillips, who are 4-4. The team of Morales and Tessa Blough are 3-5 at the No. 1 spot. In her career, Morales is 10-2 in GPAC singles matches (all at No. 1).
· Concordia dropped a 6-1 decision at Doane last season and will have its hands full on Tuesday. The Tigers are 3-1 in the GPAC with wins over College of Saint Mary, Hastings and Northwestern. The one loss came by a 5-2 score at Morningside. Meanwhile, the Broncos are 1-2 in conference action with a win over Mount Marty and losses against Doane and College of Saint Mary. The Bulldogs defeated Hastings twice last season, including the matchup in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals.
Next week
The season will continue next week with a pair of nonconference matches – April 19 at Kansas Wesleyan University and April 21 versus Nebraska Wesleyan University. The home match on April 21 will serve as senior day.
Bulldogs get back on track with win at Hastings Apr. 13, 2022
HASTINGS, Neb. – After having Tuesday’s match at Doane suspended due to a thunderstorm, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team played an indoor contest at Hastings on Wednesday (April 13). While taking all three doubles matches and five singles matches, the Bulldogs got back in the win column with a 6-1 victory over the Broncos. Five Concordia players came away with wins in both singles and doubles.
The only thing left in conference regular season play for Head Coach Cam Long’s squad will be the completion of the match at Doane. The Bulldogs are back to .500 in league play at 3-3 (5-9 overall).
“It was an all-around good win,” Long said. “We swept doubles and played well from the beginning. We played well throughout to earn the victory. It’s good to get another conference win and kind of solidify our spot in the conference tournament.”
Concordia swept through doubles on Wednesday as the combos of Sofia Morales and Tessa Blough at No. 1, Tara Ferrel and Megan Hakes at No. 2 and Brooke Hosick and Julia Phillips at No. 3 all came out on top. Ferrel and Hakes eked out a close decision while the Bulldogs won by scores of 6-3 at both Nos. 1 and 3. Morales and Blough improved to 4-2 as partners in GPAC matches.
Then in singles, Concordia pulled out wins at each of the Nos. 1 through 5 spots. Morales moved to 5-1 in GPAC singles matches with another dominant victory (6-2, 6-0). At No. 2, Blough responded after dropping the first set and won in three, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. Other winners for the Bulldogs were Ferrel at No. 3, Hakes at No. 4 and Hosick at No. 5. At the No. 6 position, Hastings got on the board with a team point via a win by Jenna Davison.
The win was an important one for Concordia in terms of solidifying a spot in the six-team GPAC tournament. At 1-4 in the GPAC (2-11 overall), Hastings is in danger of missing the conference tournament. The Broncos will finish their GPAC slate next week by playing at Northwestern.
Next up on the schedule is next Tuesday (April 19)’s makeup nonconference match at Kansas Wesleyan University. First serve is slated for 10 a.m. CT from Salina Central High School in Salina, Kan. The suspended match at Doane may also end up being completed next week. The most updated schedule can be found HERE .
Two matches on the slate for final week of regular season Apr. 18, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – This will be the final week of regular season action for Concordia University Women’s Tennis. At stake is a chance to earn a conference tournament seed as high as No. 3 and to improve the overall record against nonconference opponents in Kansas Wesleyan University and Nebraska Wesleyan University. In between those two outings, the Bulldogs will finish the suspended match with Doane and complete the GPAC regular season slate. A 6-1 win last week at Hastings pushed Head Coach Cam Long’s squad to 3-3 in conference play (5-9 overall).
Prior to first serve on Thursday with Nebraska Wesleyan, the program will recognize its lone senior, Megan Hakes, a native of Erie, Colo.
This Week
Tuesday, April 19 at Kansas Wesleyan (3-9), 10 a.m. - CANCELED (as of April 18)
Wednesday, April 20 at Doane (8-7, 3-1 GPAC), 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 21 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan (1-11), 4 p.m.
By the numbers
· A spot in the GPAC tournament is assured for Concordia, which owns GPAC wins this season over Mount Marty, 7-0, Northwestern, 5-2, and Hastings, 6-1. Midland (5-0 GPAC) and Morningside (6-1 GPAC) are the frontrunners atop the conference standings. At 3-1 in the GPAC, Doane still has a shot to crack the top two of the final standings. A top-two seed comes with the reward of having a bye in the first round of the conference tournament. The Bulldogs shared the GPAC regular season title in 2021 when they went 6-1 in conference play.
· A strong finish to 2022 would provide hope for a leap forward next spring. As mentioned, Hakes is the only senior on the roster. A World and Intercultural Studies major, Hakes has twice been named an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Her role has increased this season and she’s responded by going 5-5 in singles matches (3-3 GPAC). Hakes is 3-4 in doubles play when teaming up with Tara Ferrel. As a contrast, after last season, Concordia graduated five of the seven players who saw action in the 2021 GPAC tournament.
· In the win at Hastings, Concordia swept through doubles as the combos of Sofia Morales and Tessa Blough at No. 1, Ferrel and Hakes at No. 2 and Brooke Hosick and Julia Phillips at No. 3 all came out on top. Ferrel and Hakes eked out a close decision while the Bulldogs won by scores of 6-3 at both Nos. 1 and 3. In singles, Concordia pulled out wins at each of the Nos. 1 through 5 spots. A standout since arriving in Seward, Morales breezed to a 6-2, 6-0, win at No. 1. In the suspended match at Doane, the Bulldogs will face an uphill battle down 3-1 in the team scoring. The one victory came at No. 1 singles where Morales defeated Ava Macke in three sets, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. Morales and Blough also earned a win at No. 1 doubles, but the Tigers got the team point by triumphing at Nos. 2 and 3.
· Collectively through 14 matches in 2021-22, the Concordia has accumulated records of 34-50 in singles and 18-24 in doubles. Morales continues to star at the top of the lineup. Counting her win over Doane in the suspended match, the Bogotá, Colombia, native went 6-1 in GPAC singles matches at the No. 1 spot in 2022. Three of her teammates have notched five singles wins: Hakes (5-5), Blough (5-9) and Ferrel (5-9). The top doubles pair in terms of overall wins has been Hosick and Phillips, who are 5-4 as partners.
· Kansas Wesleyan enters this week at 3-9 overall. The Coyotes compete as a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. An NCAA Division III member, Nebraska Wesleyan sports a record of 1-11 overall. The Bulldogs last played the Prairie Wolves in 2019 and came away with a 7-2 win in Lincoln. Doane is 3-1 in conference play and is preparing to take on Mount Marty and Midland this week, in addition to completing the suspended match with Concordia.
Next week
The GPAC Tennis Championships will take place April 29-30 at Fremont High School. Concordia has secured a spot in the postseason. Seeding is still up in the air and will be based upon this week’s results.
Morales picks up GPAC Player of the Week award Apr. 20, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – One of the top players in the conference, Sofia Morales has been rewarded after leading Concordia University Women’s Tennis to a conference win last week over Hastings. On Wednesday (April 20), the league honored Morales as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Player of the Week. Morales has garnered the award for the first time this season and for the second time in her career (also honored on April 7, 2021).
A native of Bogotá, Colombia, Morales won twice last week at No. 1 singles. In the suspended match at Doane from April 12 (set to be finished on Wednesday), Morales rallied back to defeat Ava Macke, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. She also breezed past Hastings’ Theresa Price, 6-2, 6-0, as part of a 6-1 team win at Hastings on April 13. In doubles play, Morales teamed up with Tessa Blough for victories over their counterparts at No. 1 doubles against both Doane and Hastings. In her career in GPAC singles matches, Morales has gone a combined 11-3 (including a 6-1 record in 2022). Morales and Blough have gone 5-2 as a combo this season in GPAC doubles contests.
After finishing the match tonight at Doane (resumes at 5:30 p.m. CT in Crete), Morales and her teammates will host Nebraska Wesleyan University at 4 p.m. on Thursday in a nonconference tilt.
Morales stars as Concordia slips in completion of match at Doane Apr. 20, 2022
CRETE, Neb. – More than a week after it first began, the match between the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team and Doane came to a conclusion on Wednesday (April 20). The Tigers ran away with the team score while taking two of three doubles and five of six singles matches, amounting to a 6-1 decision in Crete, Neb. The contest had been suspended on April 12 due to severe weather.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad has concluded conference regular season action at 3-4 in the GPAC (5-10 overall). On the plus side, the Bulldogs had secured a spot in the GPAC tournament regardless of the result at Doane.
Named the GPAC Player of the Week earlier in the day, Sofia Morales had already finished her matches at No. 1 singles and doubles back on April 12. She won at No. 1 singles, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, over the Tigers’ Ava Macke. Morales also teamed up with Tessa Blough on a 6-3 triumph at No. 1 doubles. However, Doane had its way in all other matches. The Tigers won a third-set tiebreaker at No. 6 singles and eked out a close one at No. 5 singles.
After sharing the GPAC regular season title in 2021, Concordia could place as high as fourth this season when everything shakes out. In addition to Morales at No. 1, the Bulldog singles lineup at Doane featured Blough at No. 2, Tara Ferrel at No. 3, Megan Hakes at No. 4, Brooke Hosick at No. 5 and Kylie Freudenburg at No. 6.
The Tigers improved to 5-1 in the GPAC (11-7 overall). Doane could pull even for a share of the GPAC regular season title if it can win at Midland on Sunday.
The regular season will wrap up on Thursday as the Bulldogs are set to host former GPAC rival Nebraska Wesleyan University (current NCAA Division III member) at 4 p.m. CT. If the weather holds, the match will be played on the campus outdoor courts. The Prairie Wolves (1-12) dropped a 5-2 decision at Doane on Tuesday.
Hakes, Bulldogs celebrate Senior Day with win over Nebraska Wesleyan Apr. 21, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – In the final home match in the collegiate career of Megan Hakes, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team celebrated with a win. Hakes earned a victory at No. 4 singles as part of a 5-2 team triumph over NCAA Division III Nebraska Wesleyan University on Thursday (April 21). The Bulldogs took two of three doubles and four of six singles matches while closing out the regular season.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad moved to 6-10 overall while toppling the former GPAC rival. Graduate Assistant Mark Batoon oversaw the team while Long coached the men’s team at Doane on Thursday.
Said Batoon, “Overall, the women played well despite the windy conditions. I was pleased with the level of sportsmanship that they displayed during the matches as well. We hope to use this win as a confidence booster leading up to the GPAC tournament next week.”
The team outcome came down to the final two singles matches on the court – No. 1 and No. 6. With Concordia leading 3-2, freshman Kylie Freudenburg ran away with the second set and won, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 6 and ensured a Bulldog win. For good measure, Sofia Morales eked out the win at No. 1, taking a 10-point tiebreaker over Brooke Sailer. The win marked Morales’ 10th of the season. In addition, Hakes (No. 4; 7-6, 6-3) and Tara Ferrel (No. 2; 6-3, 6-4) were singles winners for Concordia.
The Bulldogs took the upper hand after doubles thanks to winning performances from the combos of Morales and Blough at No. 1 (6-3) and Ferrel and Julia Phillips at No. 3 (6-4). In sum, six Concordia players won in doubles and/or singles on the evening.
A native of Erie, Colo., Hakes has been a constant in the lineup this season after steadily improving throughout her career. She’s become an essential part of the team and has produced six singles wins in 2022.
Said Hakes, “I just wanted to make this match special and make the most of it and encourage my teammates to do the same thing. You’re going to realize these things go fast. It seems like a lot of matches – and then you’re done. You have to enjoy it. You have to embrace it … My freshman year I was nowhere near playing. The last couple years I was kind of in the lineup, but I wasn’t really playing a lot. The last year I was like, okay, I’m going to make the most of my experience.”
The Bulldogs will have more than a week to get ready for the GPAC tournament at Fremont High School in Fremont, Neb., April 29-30. The pairings are yet to be determined, but Concordia will be playing in a quarterfinal match on the morning of April 29. The Bulldogs reached the semifinals last season.
Preview: 2022 GPAC Women's Tennis Tournament Apr. 26, 2022
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
Friday, April 29 – Semifinals
Saturday, April 30 – Championship
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 .
Season ends with GPAC quarterfinal loss to CSM Apr. 29, 2022
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.
Morales, Blough pick up All-GPAC awards May 13, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – In representing the Concordia University Women’s Tennis program, sophomore Sofia Morales and freshman Tessa Blough garnered 2022 GPAC All-Conference accolades, as announced by the league on Friday (May 13). Morales was honored for her work at No. 1 singles and also for her collaboration with Blough at No. 1 doubles this spring.
2022 All-GPAC
· Tessa Blough (Cody, Wyo.): No. 1 Doubles / Honorable Mention Singles
o 2022 GPAC records: 3-4 singles | 5-2 doubles
· Sofia Morales (Bogotá, Colombia): No. 1 Singles / No. 1 Doubles
o 2022 GPAC records: 6-1 singles | 5-2 doubles
Morales has established herself as one of the GPAC’s top players. She went 6-1 in GPAC singles matches this season after going 5-2 in conference singles action as a freshman in 2021. Morales owns a career overall singles record of 18-14. She’s now a two-time All-GPAC honoree for both singles and doubles and is a two-time GPAC Player of the Week in her career. Morales played a starring role for the 2021 squad that shared the GPAC regular season title.
Morales and Blough teamed up for a 5-2 conference record in doubles action this season. The two standouts were doubles partners in 11 of the team’s 17 matches in 2022. Blough also went 3-4 in GPAC singles matches.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad finished the season at 6-11 overall (3-4 GPAC). The season ended with a loss in the quarterfinals of the GPAC tournament.
Five Bulldogs land on ITA Scholar-Athlete list Jul. 14, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Women’s Tennis program and five of its team members were honored on Thursday (July 14) by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). The organization recognized Head Coach Cam Long’s Bulldogs as an All-Academic Team for 2021-22 while five individuals were lauded with ITA Scholar-Athlete accolades.
2022 ITA Scholar-Athletes:
· Tessa Blough (Cody, Wyo.)
· Tara Ferrel (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Brooke Hosick (Bellevue, Neb.)
· Sofia Morales (Bogotá, Colombia)
· Julia Phillips (Lincoln, Neb.)
To be named an ITA Scholar-Athlete, one must meet the following requirements:
· have a grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year.
· be listed on the institutional eligibility form.
· have a team grade point average of 3.2 or above (on a 4.00 scale).
· all student-athletes included should be listed on the institutional eligibility form.
· all varsity letter winners should be factored into the cumulative team GPA for the current academic year.