Mar. 28, 2023
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad went 5-1 in March and has boosted its overall mark to 8-5. Concordia was coming off a 7-0 win over Hastings in its GPAC opener.
“We started off both singles and doubles play very strong and got up 3-0 quickly,” Long said. “We had a chance to put them away early, but Baker wouldn’t go away. Brooke (Hosick) played lights out in singles and it was just what the team needed to close out the win.”
The 3-0 lead in the team score was cut to 3-2 after the Wildcats claimed singles wins at the Nos. 2 and 3 positions. That’s when the bottom of the Bulldog lineup responded. Hosick won at No. 5 singles, 7-5, 6-1, while taking a tight first set. Then at No. 6, Gabrielle Heiser punctuated the victory with her decision in tiebreaker fashion, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 1-0 (8). Other winners in singles were Mariana Molano, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 1 and Ella Dean, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 4. The personal win streak for Molano (9-4 singles record) has moved to six.
Concordia did enough to get the doubles point as the Nos. 2 and 3 spots came through. Molano and Tara Ferrel did the trick at No. 2, 6-2, while Dean and Heiser took the decision at No. 3, 6-3. The combination of Dean and Heiser has been perfect at 5-0 on the season. Meanwhile at No. 1, the Bulldogs were defeated, 6-3.
Baker (0-5) has fallen at the hands of three GPAC opponents having also been beaten by Midland and Hastings. The Wildcats compete as a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
The Bulldogs will resume conference play on Saturday when they will welcome Morningside (10-5, 0-0 GPAC) to Seward for an 11 a.m. first serve in a men’s and women’s doubleheader. It should be noted that Tuesday’s scheduled men’s match with Baker was not played due to a lack of players for the Wildcats. Concordia will seek to have that counted as a forfeit victory.
Apr. 1, 2023
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad went 5-1 during the month of March before opening April against one of the GPAC favorites. The Bulldogs have dipped to 8-6 overall (1-1 GPAC).
Morningside went up 4-0 in the team scoring before Blough put an end to the shutout bid. The sophomore from Cody, Wyo., won a close one over Emily Clotfelter at No. 2, 7-5, 6-4. That was the only singles contest the Mustangs would surrender. In compelling drama at the No. 1 spot, Morningside’s Jil Hellerforth held off Mariana Molano, 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (9). The final four spots in Concordia’s lineup (in order) featured Alana Lopez Pagan, Ella Dean, Tara Ferrel and Brooke Hosick.
All three doubles matches ended in 6-3 final scores. The Mustangs took the team point while coming out on top at the Nos. 2 and 3 spots. Blough teamed up with Lopez Pagan on the victory at No. 1. The other Bulldog doubles combos were made up of Ferrel and Molano at No. 2 and Dean and Heiser at No. 3.
Morningside (10-4, 1-0 GPAC) was ranked No. 2 in the latest official GPAC poll. The Mustangs backed that ranking up on Saturday while pushing their win streak to four. Morningside went 6-1 in league play in 2022.
GPAC action will continue on Tuesday when the Bulldogs will welcome rival Doane (6-10, 2-0 GPAC) to town for a 4:30 p.m. CT first serve. Concordia will attempt to reverse last year’s result when it was defeated by the Tigers, 6-1, in Crete.
Apr. 2, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – GPAC play continues this week as the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team aims to shake off Saturday’s home loss to Morningside. The Bulldogs are readying to host rival Doane on Tuesday with first serve slated for 4:30 p.m. CT from the Bulldog Tennis Courts. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad picked up a 5-2 nonconference victory last week over Baker University (Kan.) before the 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Mustangs. Concordia will enter the week at 8-6 overall (1-1 GPAC) with the one GPAC victory coming over Hastings.
This Week
Tuesday, April 4 vs. Doane (6-10, 2-0 GPAC), 4:30 p.m.
By the numbers
· The Bulldogs went 5-1 in March with the only defeat being a 4-3 loss to Bethany College (Kan.). The wins came over Sterling College (Kan.), 7-0, Kansas Wesleyan University, 7-0, Central College (Iowa), 5-4, Hastings, 7-0 and Baker, 5-2. A tough slate in February appears to have sharpened Concordia, which played two strong JUCOs and No. 23 William Woods University (Mo.) earlier this spring. Among GPAC teams, the Bulldogs are currently ranked fifth behind Midland, Morningside, Doane and College of Saint Mary.
· In action with Baker, Concordia took four singles matches and two doubles contests on its way to victory. Singles winners were Mariana Molano at No. 1, Ella Dean at No. 4, Brooke Hosick at No. 5 and Gabrielle Heiser at No. 6. The doubles victors were Molano and Tara Ferrel at No. 2 and Dean and Heiser at No. 3. Positive results were harder to come by versus Morningside, but Tessa Blough managed to win at both No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles. Blough paired with Alana Lopez Pagan in doubles. Compelling drama came at No. 1 doubles as Molano was upset by Morningside’s Jil Hellerforth, 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (9).
· Through 14 matches, the Bulldogs have gone a combined 43-38 in singles and 26-15 in doubles play. At the top of the lineup, Molano saw her singles win streak ended at five. However, she continues to lead the team in singles wins with a 9-5 mark in dual meets. Four of her teammates have exactly five singles wins: Dean (5-3), Lopez Pagan (5-6), Blough (5-7) and Hosick (5-7). In doubles, Dean and Heiser have been near perfect with a 5-1 record as partners.
· The hope is to turn around last season’s 6-1 loss suffered at Doane. In the series, the Tigers have won three in a row. The most recent Concordia victory over Doane occurred in 2019 by a 9-0 score. That season was one of the best in program history as the Bulldogs finished with a school record 15 wins overall and reached the GPAC tournament final. The Tigers are 6-10 but have played a rigorous schedule. They defeated Northwestern, 6-1, to close out the month of March.
Next week
A busy stretch is coming up with Concordia slated to play April 12, 13 and 15 against the likes of Grand View, Mount Marty and Midland, respectively. As part of the home matches versus Mount Marty on April 13, the Bulldogs will honor senior Tara Ferrel.
Molano bounces back, Bulldogs defeated by Doane Apr. 4, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – It was a bounce-back individual performance from Mariana Molano as she again starred atop the singles lineup for Concordia University Women’s Tennis. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to pull the Bulldogs through in the team scoring. Visiting Doane came away from Seward with a 5-2 victory as the Tigers took two of three doubles and four of six singles decisions on Tuesday (April 4) evening.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad has dropped back-to-back home matches while up against Morningside and Doane. Concordia stands at 8-7 overall (1-2 GPAC).
“We have to be mentally tough,” Long said. “We just didn’t have enough energy. That was the biggest disappointment. We were a little too sluggish. Doane wanted to play and they played well. That was the biggest difference.”
Based on the most recent GPAC ratings, this was a matchup between the league’s No. 3 (Doane) and No. 5 (Concordia) teams. The match swung the Tigers’ way in doubles when they won the nail-biter at the No. 1 spot, 7-6 (7-3), as Ava Macke and Liz van der Torre eked it out over Tessa Blough and Alana Lopez Pagan. The Bulldogs had the most lopsided triumph in doubles, 6-2, thanks to the work of Molano and Gabrielle Heiser at No. 3. Doane also won a tight contest at No. 2, 6-4, over Ella Dean and Tara Ferrel.
Molano had her singles win streak snapped this past Saturday versus Morningside, but she got back into the win column on Tuesday by toppling the Tigers’ Macke, 6-4, 6-3. The one other team point for Concordia was delivered by Ferrel as she outlasted her opponent in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, at No. 5. The rest of the Bulldog lineup featured Blough at No. 2, Lopez Pagan at No. 3, Dean at No. 4 and Brooke Hosick at No. 6.
Said Long, “It was good to see Mariana bounce back. She played through some pain and won both singles and doubles. It was good to see her battle through that. Tara did a nice job winning a third set. Overall, we’ll have better days ahead.”
Doane (7-11, 3-0 GPAC) remains unbeaten in league play having also defeated Mount Marty and Northwestern. The Tigers have won three series meeting in a row over Concordia.
The Bulldogs will take the Easter weekend off from competition before returning to action with a home match versus Grand View University (Iowa) on April 12. First serve is set for 11:30 a.m. CT from the Bulldog Tennis Courts. Concordia will attempt to avenge the 7-0 defeat it was dealt by the Vikings last season.
Senior Ferrel set to be recognized in week packed with action Apr. 11, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – One of the busiest stretches of the entire regular season is coming up this week as Concordia University Women’s Tennis is slated to play Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The opponents will include Heart of America Athletic Conference foe Grand View University (Iowa) and then GPAC rivals Mount Marty and Midland. As part of the home matchup with Mount Marty on Thursday, the Bulldogs will recognize their lone senior, Tara Ferrel. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad is coming off a 5-2 loss last week to Doane and sits at 8-7 overall (1-2 GPAC).
This Week
Wednesday, April 12 vs. Grand View (7-4), 11:30 a.m.
Senior Day – Thursday, April 13 vs. Mount Marty (0-7, 0-3 GPAC), 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 15 at Midland (11-2, 2-0 GPAC), 12 p.m.
By the numbers
· Concordia has dropped back-to-back GPAC matches after going 5-1 during the month of March. So far in April, the Bulldogs have been defeated by Morningside, 6-1, and Doane, 5-2. In the new GPAC ratings released on Monday, the Bulldogs checked in at No. 5 behind No. 1 Midland, No. 2 Morningside, No. 3 Doane and No. 4 College of Saint Mary. The teams ranked 6 through 8 are Hastings, Northwestern and Mount Marty, respectively. Currently, there are three GPAC squads without a loss in conference play: Doane (3-0), Midland (2-0) and Morningside (1-0).
· The loss at Doane on April 4 was the lone outing of last week. Long came away feeling like his team is capable of competing at a higher level. The team points were generated from Mariana Molano at No. 1 singles and Tara Ferrel at No. 5 singles. It wasn’t enough to rally back from the 1-0 deficit after doubles. Concordia came up a hair short of taking that doubles point as Molano and Gabrielle Heiser got the job done at No. 3 (6-2) and Tessa Blough and Alana Lopez Pagan were edged at No. 1, 7-6 (7-3). Rival Doane has won three-straight series meetings.
· Through 15 matches this season, the Bulldogs have combined to go 45-42 in singles and 27-17 in doubles play. Five Concordia players have recorded at least five singles wins: Molano (10-5), Ella Dean (5-4), Lopez Pagan (5-7), Blough (5-8) and Brooke Hosick (5-8). The duo of Dean and Heiser has been particularly effective in going 5-1 as a pair. Blough and Lopez Pagan have gone a solid 4-4 at the No. 1 doubles spot.
· Ferrel is the only senior on a youthful roster. A Lincoln North Star High School alum, Ferrel helped the 2021 team share the GPAC regular season championship with a 6-1 league mark. In her career, Ferrel has compiled 19 singles wins and 20 doubles victories. She was named Honorable Mention All-GPAC in singles in 2021.
· Last season, the Bulldogs went 1-2 against this week’s opponents. They were defeated by Grand View, 7-0, earned a win over Mount Marty, 7-0, and fell to Midland, 7-0. The Vikings sport a record of 7-4 in 2023 while the Warriors are 11-2 and receiving votes nationally. Meanwhile, Mount Marty continues to search for its first win this season.
Next week
The regular season will conclude next week with two road matches: at College of Saint Mary on April 19 and at Northwestern on April 22. The GPAC tournament will take place April 28-29.
Bulldogs return to win column, defeat Grand View Apr. 12, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – In dipping outside of conference play for one final time this regular season, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team got back into the win column. The Bulldogs came through in two crucial singles tiebreakers in the process of defeating Grand View University (Iowa), 5-2, on Wednesday (April 12). The match was contested inside the Fieldhouse in order to avoid blustery conditions outdoors.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad improved to 9-7 overall thanks to its first win in April. Concordia had started the month with back-to-back GPAC losses to Morningside and Doane.
“Hopefully this is a confidence booster for us,” Long said. “Up and down the lineup, I was happy with the performance. Grand View has beaten some good teams. We were able to pull out some close matches and that only helps us moving forward. You have to learn how to win those types of matches.”
This was an impressive win for the Bulldogs, especially considering Grand View (7-5) owns wins over College of Saint Mary, Doane, Morningside and Northwestern. The team outcome essentially came down to the Nos. 1 and 3 singles positions. At No. 1, Concordia’s Mariana Molano shook off a defeat in the second set and edged Melanie Ortega, 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (9). At No. 3, Alana Lopez Pagan rebounded after dropping the first set and won, 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (8). Other singles winners for the Bulldogs were Ella Dean at No. 4 and Brooke Hosick at No. 6.
Prior to singles, Concordia gained the advantage by triumphing at the Nos. 2 and 3 spots. The combo of Dean and Tara Ferrel won at No. 2, 6-3, and the duo of Molano and Gabrielle Heiser was victorious at No. 3, 6-1. The Vikings managed to win at No. 1, 6-2, while up against Tessa Blough and Lopez Pagan.
Grand View competes as a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference and is located in Des Moines. Head Coach Austin Grundy is in his sixth season leading the program.
A GPAC doubleheader (men and women) will take place on Thursday inside the Walz Fieldhouse as the Bulldogs will host Mount Marty. The men’s match is set to get underway at 1 p.m. CT with the women to follow. The Lancers sport records of 1-9 (0-4 GPAC) on the men’s side and 0-7 (0-3 GPAC) on the women’s side. In between the two matches on Thursday, Concordia will honor its seniors.
A GPAC doubleheader (men and women) will take place on Thursday inside the Walz Fieldhouse as the Bulldogs will host Mount Marty. The men’s match is set to get underway at 1 p.m. CT with the women to follow. The Lancers sport records of 1-9 (0-4 GPAC) on the men’s side and 0-7 (0-3 GPAC) on the women’s side. In between the two matches on Thursday, Concordia will honor its seniors.
Senior Ferrel dominates in doubles as Bulldogs defeat Mount Marty Apr. 13, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – In an abbreviated match, Concordia University Women’s Tennis celebrated its lone senior and earned a victory over visiting Mount Marty on Thursday (April 13). In her final career home appearance, Tara Ferrel starred on the doubles court in what officially went down as a team victory via forfeit. The Bulldogs won each of the three singles contests and the one doubles match that were played against the short-handed Lancers.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad has won back-to-back days inside the Walz Fieldhouse, where it went to escape strong wind gusts. The Bulldogs have bumped their overall record to 10-7 (2-2 GPAC).
Said Long of the seniors (three total between the men’s and women’s programs), “They’ve never been on a bad team. They’ve always finished top half of the conference. The last two conference matches are coming up and they have a chance to do that again. The seniors have meant a lot, especially with how many freshmen and sophomores we have. They’ve been great fits for Concordia and have done a lot for the program.”
A Lincoln North Star High School alum, Ferrel notched the 22nd doubles win of her collegiate career while pairing with freshman Ella Dean. They won by a score of 6-1 in the only doubles match of the day. Then in singles, the Bulldogs won decisively. Tessa Blough took a 6-3, 6-2, decision at No. 1, Kylie Freudenburg won at No. 2, 6-3, 6-1, and Lauren Gottberg cruised to a 6-0, 6-2, victory at No. 3.
Concordia also defeated Grand View University (Iowa) by a 5-2 score on Wednesday. The Bulldogs are honing in on putting the pieces together for the stretch run of the conference season.
Said the Norfolk, Neb., native Freudenburg, “All the drills we’ve been doing at practice and playing matches have forced us to get more consistent. We continue to grow our skills.”
A freshman out of Lincoln East High School, Gottberg added, “We’re getting close to the conference tournament, so I think this win was really big for us. We’re building a lot of confidence going forward.”
The Bulldogs will close out the week by playing at conference leading Midland (11-2, 2-0 GPAC) on Saturday. First serve from Fremont, Neb., is set for 12 p.m. CT. Last year’s meeting in Seward went to the Warriors by a 7-0 score.
Molano sweeps singles/doubles in team defeat at Midland Apr. 15, 2023
FREMONT, Neb. – Up against defending conference champion Midland, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis knew it had to be at the top of its game on Saturday (April 15) afternoon. On the plus side, freshman Mariano Molano secured victories in both doubles and singles, however, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Warriors’ top-to-bottom depth. Midland walked away a 6-1 winner in a match played inside the Fremont, Neb., YMCA.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad went 2-1 this week and now stands at 10-8 overall (2-3 GPAC) with two matches remaining in the regular season.
In her first collegiate season, the Bogotá, Colombia, native Molano has established herself as one of the top players in all of the GPAC. Now 12-5 this season in singles (3-1 GPAC), Molano bounced back from a first-set defeat and knocked off Midland’s Ari Lumanog (reigning GPAC Player of the Year), 1-6, 6-0, 6-2, while ensuring the Bulldogs of one team point. In doubles, Molano teamed up with Gabrielle Heiser for a 7-5 triumph at the No. 3 spot. The Warriors managed to pick up the doubles team point via wins at the Nos. 1 and 2 positions (held down by Tessa Blough and Alana Lopez Pagan and Ella Dean and Tara Ferrel in the Concordia lineup).
Midland won each of the singles 2 through 6 matches in two sets. The Bulldogs entered the following competitors into singles play: Blough at No. 2, Lopez Pagan at No. 3, Dean at No. 4, Ferrel at No. 5 and Brooke Hosick at No. 6. From a score perspective, the most competitive match of those clashes took place at No. 4, where Dean was tripped up, 6-4, 6-1.
A national qualifier last season, the Warriors (13-2, 4-0 GPAC) own an 11-match conference win streak dating back to 2022. Midland is currently receiving votes in the NAIA national poll. So far in 2023, the Warriors have beaten each of their four conference opponents by scores of either 6-1 or 7-0.
Next week will be the final one for the 2022-23 regular season. The Bulldogs are slated to play at College of Saint Mary (3-6, 1-3 GPAC) on Wednesday and before heading to Northwestern (7-8, 2-2 GPAC) for the regular season finale next Saturday (April 22). At stake will be a chance to finish above .500 in GPAC play and improve positioning for the conference tournament.
Regular season's final week features road matches at CSM, Northwestern Apr. 17, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – An opportunity to place as high as fourth in the GPAC standings presents itself in the final week of the 2022-23 regular season. Concordia University Women’s Tennis is coming off a week that saw it go 2-1 with wins over Grand View University (Iowa) and Mount Marty. In closing the regular season, the Bulldogs will be headed to College of Saint Mary on Wednesday and to Northwestern on Saturday. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad enters the week at 10-8 overall (2-3 GPAC).
This Week
Wednesday, April 19 at College of Saint Mary (3-7, 1-4 GPAC), 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 22 at Northwestern (8-8, 3-2 GPAC), 11 a.m.
By the numbers
· At 2-3 in conference play, Concordia is looking up in the GPAC standings at Midland (4-0), Morningside (3-0), Doane (5-1) and Northwestern (3-2). Currently, the bottom three spots are held down by College of Saint Mary (1-4), Hastings (1-4) and Mount Marty (0-5). The Warriors are looking to secure back-to-back GPAC regular season titles. Midland (currently receiving votes nationally) won the 2022 conference title with a league mark of 7-0.
· In last week’s action, the Concordia women went a combined 11-7 in singles and 6-3 in doubles. Team results included a 5-2 win over Grand View, a forfeit win over Mount Marty and a 6-1 loss at Midland. Against Grand View, the Bulldogs won four of six singles and two of three doubles matches. Versus Mount Marty, Concordia won every single match. At Midland, the Bulldogs won one singles and one doubles match. It was a fine week for Mariana Molano, who defeated the reigning GPAC Player of the Year from Midland while going 2-0 in both singles and doubles. Gabrielle Heiser went 3-0 in doubles for the week. Two singles wins were also claimed by Ella Dean and Brooke Hosick.
· Collectively, the Concordia women are 56-49 in singles and 33-20 in doubles through 18 matches this season. Molano has improved to 12-5 in singles (nine doubles wins). Four of her teammates own six singles wins apiece: Dean (6-5), Lopez Pagan (6-8), Hosick (6-9) and Blough (6-10). The team’s winningest doubles combo has been Dean and Tara Ferrel, who have gone 6-4 when paired together. Heiser and Molano are a spotless 4-0 as a duo.
· The 10 overall wins by the 2022-23 team are equal to the number achieved by the 2020-21 squad that shared the GPAC regular season title. It also represents a significant improvement from 2021-22 when the Bulldogs finished at 6-11 overall. The school record for wins in a season is 15 by the 2018-19 squad that came up just shy of reaching the national tournament while placing as the GPAC tournament runner up.
· The Bulldogs will attempt to avenge the two defeats they suffered last season at the hands of College of Saint Mary (5-2 and 4-0) while aspiring to duplicate last season’s result versus Northwestern (a 5-2 win). The Flames boast perhaps the league’s top player in Renee Acena, named the 2021 GPAC Player of the Year. The matchup between Molano and Acena will be one to watch on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders have shown marked improvement in shaking off last season’s 4-12 overall record. The Concordia-Northwestern match may end up determining which team places fourth in the standings.
Next week
The 2023 GPAC tournament is scheduled to take place April 28-29 in Omaha. Seeding will be announced once all GPAC regular season matches have been completed.
Bulldogs overcome doubles deficit, rally to defeat CSM Apr. 20, 2023
OMAHA, Neb. – In a bid for a top-four GPAC finish in the final week of the regular season, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team rallied to win on the road. The Bulldogs overcame a deficit after doubles and defeated College of Saint Mary, 5-2, late on Thursday (April 20) in a match played at Genesis Health Clubs Westroads in Omaha. Concordia picked up the win while bumping everyone up in the lineup in the absence of No. 1 player Mariana Molano.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad has won three of its last four matches and has moved to 11-8 overall. At 3-3 in GPAC play, the Bulldogs are currently tied for fourth place in the league standings.
“Great team match,” Long said. “We fell behind in doubles and then early on in a couple singles matches, but we didn’t let that discourage us. We had the mindset that we were going to pull it out, and that’s what we did.”
The Flames gained the upper hand by winning at the Nos. 1 and 3 doubles spots. CSM is particularly difficult to match up with at the top of the lineup thanks to the presence of 2021 GPAC Player of the Year Renee Acena. She claimed wins in both singles and doubles in giving her side a shot. The one Concordia victory in doubles came at the No. 2 position (6-2) held down by Ella Dean and Tara Ferrel.
While Acena played impressively at the No. 1 singles spot, the Bulldogs swept their way through the Nos. 2 through 6 spots. Concordia’s first team point went on the board when Dean won at No. 3, 6-3, 6-1. That started a wave of Bulldog victories as wins were claimed by Alana Lopez Pagan at No. 2, 6-3, 6-4, by Ferrel at No. 4, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, by Brooke Hosick at No. 5, 6-4, 6-2, and by Gabrielle Heiser at No. 6, 6-4, 6-2. Sophomore Tessa Blough moved up to the No. 1 spot with Molano sidelined.
That was the regular season finale for College of Saint Mary (4-8, 2-5 GPAC). The Flames are locked into the No. 6 spot for the upcoming conference tournament. Concordia managed to earn a measure of revenge for the two losses it endured at the hands of CSM in 2022.
The regular season will reach a conclusion on Saturday when the Bulldogs will take on Northwestern (8-9, 3-3 GPAC). The match has been moved to the Fremont, Neb., YMCA with a first serve at 11 a.m. CT. Last year’s meeting with the Red Raiders resulted in a 5-2 Concordia victory. The men’s match against Northwestern has been rescheduled for Monday in Orange City, Iowa.
Dawgs pull out close matches, finish regular season with GPAC win Apr. 22, 2023
FREMONT, Neb. – Nail-biters in singles play became a theme on Saturday (April 22) as the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team wrapped up its regular season with a 4-3 win over Northwestern. The Bulldogs managed to persevere in two of the three singles matches that went to three sets in a contest that took place at the Fremont, Neb., YMCA. Concordia won two of three doubles matches and then split the six singles clashes with the Red Raiders.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad has won four of its last five matches and has locked up fourth place in the final GPAC standings. The Bulldogs will enter the GPAC tournament at 12-8 overall (4-3 GPAC).
“Another great win for our team,” Long said. “These close matches will help us next week in the tournament. We’ve really come together as a team and have been resilient this past week. We look forward to postseason play.”
Just as it did in Thursday’s win over College of Saint Mary, Concordia played without top player Mariana Molano, who it hopes to have back for the GPAC tournament. Everyone bumped up a spot in the lineup in her absence. The Bulldogs gained the advantage after doubles thanks to wins at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots. The combo of Tessa Blough and Alana Lopez Pagan won by a 6-1 score at No. 1 and Ella Dean and Tara Ferrel teamed up for a 6-4 triumph at No. 2. Northwestern came out on top at No. 3, 6-4.
The Red Raiders (8-10, 3-4 GPAC) led the team score by a count of 3-2 with two singles matches yet to go final. Both of those battles went to three sets as Lopez Pagan won at No. 2, 4-6, 6-0, 6-4, and Gabrielle Heiser outlasted her opponent at No. 6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. Prior to those matches, Northwestern had won in three sets at No. 5. Dean also came out on top at No. 3 with a 6-3, 6-3, decision. The remaining spots in the Concordia lineup were held down by Blough at No. 1, Ferrel at No. 4 and Brooke Hosick at No. 5.
The Bulldogs defeated Northwestern by a final of 5-2 in 2022. The Red Raiders have improved considerably from a year ago when they finished at 4-12 overall (1-6 GPAC). They own GPAC wins this season over Hastings, Mount Marty and College of Saint Mary.
The conference tournament is up next on the slate. The event will be held at Genesis Health Clubs in Omaha (on the women’s side) on April 28-29. The Bulldogs will be the No. 4 seed in the single-elimination tournament and will play the morning of Aril 28 in the first round.
2023 GPAC Women's Tennis Tournament Preview Apr. 26, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – Postseason play is up next for Concordia University Women’s Tennis. The fourth-seeded Bulldogs are preparing to match up with fifth-seeded Northwestern in the first round of the 2023 GPAC Women’s Tennis Tournament, which is slated to get underway on Friday from Genesis Health Clubs in Omaha, Neb. The tournament features the top six teams from the final regular season standings. Head Coach Cam Long’s squad wrapped up the regular season last week with wins over College of Saint Mary, 5-2, and Northwestern, 4-3. The Bulldogs enter the postseason at 12-8 overall (4-3 GPAC).
GPAC Tournament – First Round (full pairings at bottom)
Friday, April 28 vs. Northwestern (8-10, 3-4 GPAC), 9 a.m.
By the numbers
· With a youthful roster, Long’s program has made significant strides from the 2021-22 season when it finished at 6-11 overall (3-4 GPAC). The 2022-23 team’s 12 overall wins are the most for the program since the 2018-19 squad set a program standard for wins while going 15-6. The lone senior on this year’s roster is Lincoln North Star High School product Tara Ferrel. The lineup has regularly featured freshmen Ella Dean, Gabrielle Heiser, Alana Lopez Pagan and Mariana Molano, in addition to sophomores such as Tessa Blough and Brooke Hosick.
· In last week’s action, Concordia won five of six singles matches and one of three doubles matches at College of Saint Mary and three of six singles matches and two of three doubles matches versus Northwestern. Impressively, the Bulldogs won back-to-back GPAC matches despite top player Mariana Molano being sidelined. Freshman Ella Dean of Lincoln, Neb., stepped up and went 2-0 at both No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles last week. She teamed up with Tara Ferrel in doubles. The battle with Northwestern came down to the wire and required Alana Lopez Pagan (No. 2 singles) and Gabrielle Heiser (No. 6 singles) to pull out three-set victories. On the other hand, Concordia had its way with CSM in singles – after having gone down in doubles.
· Entering the conference tournament, the Bulldogs have produced combined records of 64-53 in singles and 36-23 in doubles. Molano has gone 12-5 in singles (all at the No. 1 spot) while enjoying a fine freshman season. Molano recently defeated two regionally ranked opponents: No. 11 Melanie Ortega of Grand View and No. 13 Arianna Lumanog of Midland. Three other Bulldogs have notched at least seven singles wins: Dean (8-5), Lopez Pagan (8-8) and Hosick (7-10). In doubles, Dean and Ferrel have teamed up for an 8-4 record. Dean possesses a sparking 14-5 doubles mark (with three different partners). The 14 doubles wins have equaled a school record for a single season. That record is shared with Allison Marshall and Kirsten Wagner (2018-19).
· Concordia will be looking to atone for last year’s early exit from the GPAC tournament. The Bulldogs were defeated in the first round by College of Saint Mary, 4-0. In the history of the GPAC tournament (first held in 2021), the program has reached the conference final three times (2008, 2011 and 2019). The ’19 team narrowly missed out on a GPAC tournament title and trip to the national tournament. That squad lost by a score of 5-4 versus Hastings in the championship match. In the 21 all-time GPAC tournaments, Concordia has reached at least the semifinal round 10 times.
· During the regular season, the Bulldogs captured GPAC wins over Hastings, 7-0, Mount Marty, forfeit, College of Saint Mary, 5-2, and Northwestern, 4-3. Midland emerged as the GPAC regular season champion with a perfect 7-0 league mark. Below are the national rankings for each GPAC squad, according to Massey Ratings:
o 34 – Midland
o 39 – Morningside
o 52 – Doane
o 54 – Concordia
o 64 – Northwestern
o 66 – Hastings
o 70 – College of Saint Mary
o 80 – Mount Marty
2023 GPAC Women’s Tennis Tournament
Friday matches will take place at Genesis Health Club in Omaha; Saturday’s championship match will be held at the Fremont YMCA in Fremont, Neb.
Friday, April 28 – Quarterfinals
Friday, April 28 – Semifinals
Saturday, April 29 – Championship
13-win campaign concludes with GPAC semifinal run Apr. 29, 2023
OMAHA, Neb. – Led by a lineup full of freshmen and sophomores, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team made a significant leap forward in 2022-23. Standout rookie Mariana Molano and company displayed that progress in advancing to the semifinals of the GPAC tournament, which took place at Genesis Health Club in Omaha, Neb., on Friday (April 28). The fourth-seeded Bulldogs got past fifth-seeded Northwestern, 4-1, in the quarterfinals before having its run end, 4-0, at the hands of top-seeded Midland.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad has concluded the 2022-23 season at 13-9 overall. Concordia more than doubled its win total from its 6-11 campaign in 2021-22.
“It was a good season overall,” Long said. “It was great to see the improvement as a team throughout the year. We learned some good lessons and will only use that to get stronger in the future.”
The contest with the Red Raiders was a rematch from the regular season finale played six days earlier. The margin was just as tight this time, but the Bulldogs pulled through while first taking the doubles point. At the No. 2 doubles spot, freshman Ella Dean became the program’s new record holder for most doubles wins in a single season (15) while combining with Tara Ferrel on a 6-0 victory. Then at No. 3, Concordia got the win it had to have when Molano and Gabrielle Heiser teamed up for a 7-5 decision. Northwestern won at No. 1, 6-3.
The team win was clinched when the Bulldogs prevailed in singles at the Nos. 1, 3 and 5 spots. Molano took care of business at the top of the lineup, 7-6 (2), 6-4. The team victory was eventually clinched with wins by Alana Lopez Pagan at No. 2, 6-2, 6-1, and Tara Ferrel at No. 5, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1. The Lincoln North Star High School product Ferrel came through in what was her final career singles victory. The remainder of the singles lineup included Tessa Blough at No. 2, Dean at No. 4 and Brooke Hosick at No. 6. The matches at 4 and 6 were unfinished when the team victory was sewed up.
The quarterfinal win pushed Concordia to the semifinals for a clash with a Warrior squad that ran through the regular season with an undefeated GPAC mark. Midland (17-2) motored to the championship by taking all five matches that were completed (two doubles and three singles). Midland won each of those matchups in decisive fashion. The Warriors will play Morningside in Saturday’s championship clash.
Ferrel is the lone senior on the 2022-23 roster. The GPAC tournament singles lineup featured three freshmen, two sophomores and Ferrel.
Molano headlines list of four all-conference Bulldogs May 9, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – In representing the Concordia University Women’s Tennis program, freshman Mariana Molano reeled in No. 1 singles all-conference recognition, as announced by the GPAC on Tuesday (May 9). Three Bulldogs joined her with Honorable Mention All-GPAC distinction in singles and/or doubles: Tessa Blough, Tara Ferrel and Alana Lopez Pagan. The sophomore Blough has picked up all-conference honors for the second year in a row.
2023 All-GPAC
· Tessa Blough (Cody, Wyo.): Honorable Mention Singles / Doubles
o 2023 GPAC records: 3-4 singles | 3-3 doubles
· Tara Ferrel (Lincoln, Neb.): Honorable Mention Singles
o 2023 GPAC records: 3-3 singles | 4-3 doubles
· Alana Lopez Pagan (Forney, Texas): Honorable Mention Doubles
o 2023 GPAC records: 3-3 singles | 3-3 doubles
· Mariana Molano (Bogotá, Colombia): No. 1 Singles
o 2023 GPAC records: 3-1 singles | 3-1 doubles
The Bogotá, Colombia, native Molano burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2022-23 while appearing in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association regional rankings. Molano went 13-5 (3-1 GPAC) in singles this season while playing every match at the No. 1 spot. Meanwhile, Blough was the lone Bulldog to earn recognition for both singles and doubles. Blough teamed up with Lopez Pagan for a 3-3 doubles record versus GPAC opponents. Lincoln North Start High School product Tara Ferrel was rewarded for her work in singles play. The lone senior on the roster, Ferrel collected two All-GPAC awards in her collegiate career.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad finished the season at 13-9 overall (4-3 GPAC). The season concluded with an appearance in the GPAC tournament semifinals.
Blough, Hosick named NAIA Scholar-Athletes May 15, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – A pair of sophomores have represented Concordia University Women’s Tennis on the list of 2023 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes announced on Monday (May 15) by the NAIA. The award winners are Tessa Blough and Brooke Hosick, two regulars in the Bulldog lineup in 2022-23. Blough is majoring in Behavioral Science and Psychology while Hosick studies Elementary Education and Special Education.
The 2022-23 list of women’s tennis honorees features 309 total student-athletes. In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.
Concordia University ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 2,121 entering the 2022-23 academic year. The school record for number of Scholar-Athletes in one academic year is 226 achieved in 2019-20. Concordia has been a regular national leader for both Scholar-Athletes and Scholar-Teams.
2023 Women’s Tennis NAIA Scholar-Athletes
· Tessa Blough (Cody, Wyo.)
· Brooke Hosick (Bellevue, Neb.)