Tennis squads drop conference opener at Morningside

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Due to a rain out on Thursday, both Concordia University tennis squads opened the conference season a day later than expected. On Friday the Bulldogs dropped matches played in Sioux City, Iowa. The women fell, 6-3, and the men were dealt a 7-2 defeat at the hands of the Mustangs.

Overall, head coach Joel Reckewey’s Bulldogs own records of 2-5 on the men’s side and 1-7 on the women’s side.

Up against the defending GPAC champion, the Concordia women gave Morningside (8-3, 1-0 GPAC) a significant push. Freshman Annie Horn enjoyed a 2-0 day (No. 1 singles/doubles) in keeping the match tight. Freshman Emily Meisinger (5-3) also picked up a win (6-4, 6-2) at No. 4 singles over Kathryn Jones.

“I’m extremely proud of the women,” Reckewey said. “We had some good wins at No. 1 doubles and 1 and 4 singles. Considering Morningside was last year’s conference champion, it was a good showing. Two matches went to 10-point tiebreakers, so we were right there. This should show the girls that they are capable of having a successful season.”

Horn, now 2-4 this season when playing at No. 1 singles, drew praise from her head coach. Said Reckewey, “Annie at No. 1 was a star. She really played well.”

The Mustang women have now won eight-consecutive conference matches. Last season they ran through GPAC action with a perfect 7-0 mark.

On the men’s side, the Bulldogs got wins from Patricio Esquivel (No. 3 singles) and from the No. 2 doubles pair of Daniel Apacible and Jonathan Douglas. The duo of Apacible and Douglas improved to 5-2 (4-0 at No. 2 doubles) on the season. Concordia also had a fighting chance at No. 1 singles, a spot held down by Javier Moreno. The native of Morelia, Mexico, was unable to finish his match after landing awkwardly in the second set.

Although Concordia dropped seven of the nine matches, many of the losses were closely contested. Reckewey saw progress in his group of six that took the court on Friday afternoon.

“The men competed well. The match was a lot more competitive than the team result indicates,” Reckewey said. “Three matches had split sets. I like the way we played and how we were putting ourselves in position to win.”

The Bulldogs will play host for the first time in conference play when Midland (men: 7-5, 1-0 GPAC; women: 5-8, 0-1 GPAC) visits Seward on Saturday for a men’s and women’s doubleheader on the Concordia University outdoor courts. First serve is set for 10 a.m.