2013 - Tennis schedule/results
Women: 12-7 Overall, 5-2 GPAC
FEBRUARY | |||
| Feb. 8 | Bethany College | Lincoln, Neb. | W, 5-4 |
| Feb. 15 | William Jewell College | Seward, Neb. | L, 0-9 |
MARCH | |||
| March 1 | Kansas Wesleyan University | Seward, Neb. | W, 6-3 |
| March 2 | Tabor College | Seward, Neb. | W, 6-3 |
| March 22 | Kansas Wesleyan University | Salina, Kan. | Canceled |
| March 22 | Bethany College | Lindsborg, Kan. | Canceled |
| March 23 | Bethel College | North Newton, Kan. | Canceled |
| March 23 | Baker University | North Newton, Kan. | Canceled |
| March 26 | Doane College | Seward, Neb. | W, 9-0 |
APRIL | |||
| April 3 | University of Nebraska-Kearney | Kearney, Neb. | L, 0-9 |
| April 4 | Midland University* | Fremont, Neb. | W, 9-0 |
| April 5 | Grand View University | Seward, Neb. | W, 9-0 |
| April 13 | Morningside College* | Fremont, Neb. | L, 2-7 |
| April 13 | Mount Marty College* | Fremont, Neb. | W, 7-2 |
| April 16 | Nebraska Wesleyan University* | Lincoln, Neb. | L, 2-7 |
| April 19 | Lindenwood University | St. Charles, Mo. | L, 1-8 |
| April 20 | Missouri Baptist University | St. Louis, Mo. | W, 7-0 |
| April 20 | McKendree University | Lebanon, Ill. | L, 1-8 |
| April 26 | Hastings College* | Seward, Neb. | W, 6-3 |
| April 27 | Northwestern College* | Fremont, Neb. | W, 7-2 |
| April 30 | Doane College* | Seward, Neb. | W, 7-2 |
MAY | |||
| May 3 | GPAC Quarterfinals vs. Mount Marty | Fremont, Neb. | W, 9-0 |
| May 3 | GPAC Semifinals vs. Morningside | Fremont, Neb. | L, 1-5 |
2013 Roster
| Name | Yr. | Hometown | Previous School |
| Mikaela Barz | Sr. | San Antonio, Texas | Lutheran |
| Chelsea Haack | Fr. | Columbus, Neb. | Columbus |
| Grace Hollenback | So. | Wheat Ridge, Colo. | Denver Lutheran |
| Elizabeth Kjellsen | So. | Centennial, Colo. | Arapahoe |
| Elyse Kohl | So. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln North Star |
| Katelyn Koll | Jr. | Wilber, Neb. | Wilber-Clatonia |
| Lindsea Vaudt | Sr. | Kalispell, Mont. | Glacier |
Head Coach: Amy Harms
Graduate Assistant: James Ingrahm
2013 tennis season preview
07 FEB 2013
At a glance
MEN
2012 Record: 8-11 overall, 3-3 GPAC (4th)
Head Coach: Amy Harms (6th year)
Record at School: 39-30 overall
Returning Starters: Nathan Wingfield, Cole Egger, Jon Heckman, Mike McCartney, Joe Vanderveld
Returning Letterwinners: Nathan Wingfield, Cole Egger, Jon Heckman, Mike McCartney, Joe Vanderveld
Other Key Returners: Joel Kaldahl
Key Losses: Jeremy Jank, Danny Frastaci
Key Newcomers: Jonathan Douglas
2012 GPAC All-Conference: Danny Frastaci (No. 2 singles); Nathan Wingfield (No. 3 singles, No. 1 doubles); Cole Egger (No. 1 doubles)
--Honorable mention – Jeremy Jank (singles, doubles); Cole Egger (singles); Danny Frastaci (doubles)
WOMEN
2012 Record: 7-10 overall, 3-4 GPAC (5th)
Head Coach: Amy Harms (6th year)
Record at School: 44-22 overall
Returning Starters: Katelyn Koll, Lindsea Vaudt, Grace Hollenbeck, Liz Kjellsen, Mikaela Barz
Returning Letterwinners: Katelyn Koll, Lindsea Vaudt, Grace Hollenbeck, Liz Kjellsen, Mikaela Barz
Key Losses: None
Key Newcomers: Chelsea Haack
2012 GPAC All-Conference: Katelyn Koll (No. 1 singles, No. 1 doubles), Lindsea Vaudt (No. 1 doubles)
--Honorable mention – Grace Hollenbeck (singles); Mikaela Barz (singles)
Outlook
After middle of the GPAC finishes for Concordia men’s and women’s tennis last year, the Bulldogs have experienced squads aiming to remain in the mix among the conference’s elites. Head coach Amy Harms enters her sixth year at the helm of both programs and carries a combined record of 83-52.
Harms’ Bulldog women put together a solid 2012 campaign despite a lineup infused with youth. Katelyn Koll, now a junior, jumped up from the No. 6 singles position as a freshman to No. 1 last season and proved almost unbeatable inside the conference. The Wilber, Neb., native went 10-6 overall in singles, including a 6-1 mark against conference opponents.
Behind the leadership and dependability of Koll at the top of the lineup, Concordia has much fewer question marks entering 2013 than it did this time a year ago.
“On the women’s side we were pretty inexperienced (last year). We had some quality freshmen,” Harms said. “We competed but we just didn’t have the experience to really overcome and get that many wins. I think having a season under their belt is big. Katelyn was also playing her first season at No. 1 after playing No. 6. That was kind of a big adjustment for her. We didn’t have a whole lot of experience in our lineup. I think they’ll be much improved this year and know what to expect.”
Koll’s style might be unconventional, but her hard work has allowed her to become one of the GPAC’s top performers. All-GPAC at No. 1 singles and doubles last season, the 6-foot Koll uses her height advantage to cover from line to line while possessing a powerful serve.
“She’s definitely not a traditional No. 1 player,” Harms said. “But yet she just kind of went about her work and came up with just short of an undefeated conference season against some very, very good players. She can just frustrate people. She’s able to play her game and have her style win out.”
Koll’s doubles partner and fellow All-GPAC honoree at No. 1 doubles returns in the form of Lindsea Vaudt. Koll and Vaudt went 5-2 when paired together in conference matches. Vaudt, a senior from Kalispell, Mont., and member of the Bulldog volleyball team, also held down the No. 2 singles spot last season.
Sophomores Grace Hollenbeck (8-8 Nos. 3/4 singles; 8-8 No. 2 doubles) and Liz Kjellsen (4-11 singles) and senior Makaela Barz (9-4 No. 5 singles; 8-8 No. 2 doubles) often made up spots 3 through 5 in last season’s lineup and again will be counted on in 2013. They also get some help with the arrival of freshman Chelsea Haack of Columbus, Neb.
“I think it’s pretty competitive because a lot of those girls are pretty similar,” Harms said. “If they played 10 times, they may split 5-5, 6-4, as far as who wins.
“Lindsea has come a long ways since being a freshman. She’s really developed herself with her strengths. She’s got good height on her too. She was more of a doubles specialist when she started playing and now she’s a pretty accomplished singles player as well.”
The doubles combo of senior Cole Egger and junior Nathan Wingfield headline the list of returnees on the men’s side. The duo went 9-8 while playing at both the Nos. 1 and 2 doubles spots. In singles, Wingfield posted an 8-10 overall mark at No. 3 and Egger racked up a 12-5 record at No. 5. Both earned All-GPAC status last season in leading the Bulldogs to a 3-3 conference record.
“Nathan and Cole – they’re really hard workers,” Harms said. “They’re very athletic. They played No. 1 doubles for a lot of the season last year so they know what they have to do to be successful at that spot. They’re a really good team. They’ve shown some leadership and really have stepped out and worked on their games. They’re always focused and willing to do whatever it takes to really put in the time.”
The fourth-place conference finish last season won’t be satisfying for the Bulldog men this time around. While they have lost key performers in Danny Frastaci and Jeremy Jank, they believe they have the nucleus to take another step forward in 2013.
“I thought we competed really well (last year),” Harms said. “I think so far this fall and winter the guys have really been focused on improving themselves. They have kind of an empty feeling from last year so I think they’re a little bit hungry, which is good. That’s why they’re so motivated for this year.”
Egger and Wingfield will be flanked in the lineup by holdovers like sophomore Jonathan Heckman (6-12 at No. 4 singles) and juniors Michael McCartney (8-9 at No. 6 singles; 5-6 at No. 3 doubles) and Joe Vanderveld (5-6 at No. 3 doubles). While an injury has limited Heckman this offseason, McCartney looks to make a bigger splash this season. Harms says McCartney has improved greatly.
Newcomer Jonathan Douglas has raised eyebrows with his play in doubles. The Fenton, Mo., native figures to be an immediate impact player.
“J.D. is a really hard worker,” Harms said. “Since he visited Concordia, he’s a much different player than he was at that point. He’s continually working on what he can do better. He’s got a really good doubles game as well. We won’t have a choice but to try to put him in and he will impact us there as well as possibly in the singles lineup.”
Harms and new assistant James Ingrahm, who hails from Barbados, will look to mesh both teams into GPAC contenders. Ingrahm, formerly an accomplished tennis player at Abraham Baldwin Argicultural College and Ouachita Baptist University, has made it a goal to get Bulldog tennis to the NAIA National Championships.
“He has a really good tennis background and a lot of experience working with players,” Harms said of Ingrahm. “What he has really helped us out with is working with the players in small groups or individually. He’s been with them on the court doing that. That’s been a huge help having him be able to run practices with his background.”
The season gets started on Friday for the women, who open with Bethany College (Kan.) in a match that will be played in Lincoln, Neb. The men welcome Bethany College to Seward on Saturday for their season opener. That match gets underway at 9 a.m. in the Fieldhouse.
Koll clinches match for Bulldogs in thrilling fashion
08 FEB 2013
LINCOLN, Neb. – The 2013 Bulldog tennis season got underway Friday night and ended in thrilling fashion. It all came down to No. 1 singles where Concordia junior Katelyn Koll outlasted Bethany College’s (Kan.) Monica Chapman in a super tiebreaker to eke out a 5-4 team victory for the Bulldogs.
“For not practicing on a hard court, we adjusted quickly,” Concordia head coach Amy Harms said. “Our focus was good tonight. Our doubles teams started well and then singles-wise, they are all above where we started out last year. We played a better thinking game and started to know what we were supposed to do.”
Koll, who went 10-6 at No. 1 singles in 2012 struggled in the first set, going down 6-2. She then rallied for a 6-1 win in set No. 2 before the intense final set that would ultimately decide the match. Unaware that the team score was tied 4-4, Koll calmly won 10-6 in the final set.
“She stays really even when she plays,” Harms said. “She started out well and I think her opponent kind of figured her out a little. After Katelyn lost the first set she stayed with it. She just doesn’t get down. She fights back. She took advantage of some opportunities coming into the net, being more aggressive and keeping her serve in play.”
Concordia took a 2-1 lead after doubles with wins at Nos. 1 and 3. The Bulldog duo of senior Mikaela Barz and sophomore Liz Kjellsen rallied back from a 7-4 deficit to take a 9-7 decision at No. 3. Meanwhile, the formidable combo of Koll and senior Lindsea Vaudt dominated with an 8-1 triumph at No. 1. The pair of freshman Chelsea Haack and sophomore Grace Hollenbeck narrowly fell, 8-6, at No. 2.
Haack impressed both Harms and assistant James Ingrahm with her play at No. 2 singles in her first collegiate match. The native of Columbus, Neb., dispatched of counterpart Kara Agamaite 6-1, 6-2. The Bulldogs other win came at No. 6 singles where Kjellsen defeated Michelle Rambo 6-1, 6-4.
Bethany College, a school located in Lindsborg, Kan., went 4-9 overall last season with a 2-4 mark in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.
The Bulldog women will be back in action at home on Friday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. when William Jewell College (Mo.) pays a visit to the Fieldhouse. The Concordia men’s team opens its season on Saturday at 9 a.m. against Bethany. The Swede men are ranked No. 10 in the national coaches’ poll.
Cardinals trump Bulldogs 9-0
15 FEB 2013
SEWARD, Neb. – Visiting William Jewell College (Mo.) remained unbeaten on the 2012-13 campaign by picking up a 9-0 victory over Concordia in the Fieldhouse on Friday night. The Bulldogs dropped to 1-1 on the season, a week after defeating Bethany 5-4 in the team’s 2013 opening match.
The Cardinals rolled through doubles as partners Conner and Loree Hazelrigg (No. 2) and Jaimie Baker and Hana Lindbloom (No. 3) improved their records to an unblemished 4-0. William Jewell cruised to 8-1 victories at Nos. 1 and 3 and recorded an 8-2 triumph at No. 2.
The visitors from Liberty, Mo., out of NCAA Division III’s Great Lakes Valley Conference carried their superb play over to singles. After Carli Bisesi’s 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 6 over Liz Kjellsen, the Cardinals clinched the team win at No. 1. That’s where William Jewell’s Kristen Stivers defeated Concordia junior Katelyn Koll 6-2, 6-0 to run her singles mark to 3-0 on the season.
A pair of Bulldog sophomores provided the most resistance against a solid William Jewell squad. Despite losing 6-1, 6-1 at No. 4 singles, Concordia’s Hollenbeck contested each game closely. The same goes for Elyse Kohl at No. 5. The Lincoln native showed vast improvements in her game compared to her freshman season while dropping a 6-0, 6-4 decision to Loree Hazelrigg.
“Grace (Hollenbeck) played really well tonight,” head coach Amy Harms said. “The score doesn’t reflect that, but she was really competitive within those games and was putting together some good points and hitting the ball well.”
Kohl was especially impressive considering lack of experience.
“She’s a new player and this was her first singles match out,” Harms said. “She’s a pretty scrappy player. She can work the point. I was happy with her effort tonight.”
At No. 2 singles, Lindbloom topped Bulldog freshman Chelsea Haack, 6-2, 6-0. Meanwhile, at No. 3 singles, senior Lindsea Vaudt fell 6-2, 6-0, to Katy Lehenbauer.
Concordia will now have a couple weeks off before returning to action on March 1 when Bethel College visits Seward for a 3:30 p.m. match. Both school’s men’s teams will follow that same day at 6 p.m.
The break in the schedule allows the Bulldogs a chance to fine tune some of their weaknesses.
“(We need to work on) just hitting a lot of balls in a point situation,” Harms said. “And finishing points where if you have an opportunity ball – putting it away. We also need to be a little bit more confident in our serve and consistently being able to hit a good serve to get into the point.”
Bulldogs split with KWU in women's, men's doubleheader
02 MAR 2013
By Taylor Mueller, Sports Information Assistant
SEWARD, Neb. – As the season continues to unfold, the men’s and women’s tennis teams squared off against Kansas Wesleyan in doubleheader action. It was a bittersweet night for Concordia, however, as the women rolled, while the men’s squad fell just short.
The women’s tennis squad notched their second victory of the season, winning five of six singles competitions and one doubles match en route to a convincing 6-3 overall victory over the coyotes.
Standout senior Lindsea Vaudt had a busy night, besting Tia Irwin in a hotly contested match, 7-6, 6-7, 10-8.
“I came out strong in the first set and ended up winning that tie-breaker, and the next one, (I) ended up losing,” Vaudt said. “I was down a lot and I knew I had to get back up. I just focused and got my serves in and finished the points.”
In their closely contested doubles match, Vaudt, along with junior Katelyn Koll came out on top to win 8-6.
“I love playing with Katelyn,” Vaudt said. “We’ve been playing together for three years now and it’s been a lot of fun. We just work really well together. We talk well together and I can always rely on her to have my back in everything and I always have her back. It’s been really great. We work well as a team.”
The Bulldogs took care of business in the singles matches as well, as Koll, sophomore Grace Hollenbeck, sophomore Elyse Kohl and sernior Mikaela Barz were all winners.
Head Coach Amy Harms shared her thoughts on the women’s performance.
“We started down 1-2 after doubles and the girls just kind of refocused after that and really got it done in singles,” Harms said. “We had Elyse Kohl in a third set tie-break, we had Lindsea in a tie-break for both sets and then the super tie-breaker.”
Harms added that while she was pleases with what she saw, there is still room to improve.
“We had a good performance in singles,” Harms said. “There’s a lot of stuff we need to work on in doubles and just getting used to playing together. Our doubles combinations are pretty new this year…so we’ve got some stuff to work on.”
On the men’s side, senior Cole Egger defeated Fernando Soto in three sets, 6-4, 6-7, 10-6, while sophomore Jonathon Douglas beat Scott Weber, 6-2, 6-0.
The Bulldogs mounted a comeback in the doubles matches, taking two of three, but it wasn’t enough to knock off Kansas Wesleyan.
Egger and junior Nathan Wingfield teamed up to take their match 8-3, while Douglas and junior Joe Vanderveld won their match 8-5.
“I’m really happy with our doubles,” Harms said. “I think our doubles teams are only going to get tougher. Nathan and Cole really excelled again. Number three doubles was really fun to watch. J.D. and Joe are becoming a really good team. They did some really good things tactically and with positioning on the court that I was really happy to see.”
As the season progresses, Vaudt sees a bright future for the Bulldog squads.
“I feel like we’re all getting so much better and improving so much,” Vaudt said. “We’re just working hard.”
Concordia hits the courts again when they host Tabor College on Saturday.
“Tabor is usually a solid tennis program,” Harms said. “I know the women’s beat us 0-9 last year so we should expect to have to compete with them hard. They’re always solid and we’ll just have to see what we can do.”
Both Bulldog tennis squads pick up wins over Tabor
02 MAR 2013
SEWARD, Neb. – The weekend of marathon tennis action in the Walz Fieldhouse continued Saturday morning and went late into the afternoon as both Concordia men’s and women’s squads notched exciting wins over visiting Tabor College. The Bulldogs also hosted a doubleheader with Kansas Wesleyan the night before and showed off their endurance after the quick turnaround.
“Our players attacked the morning start well,” head coach Amy Harms said.
The Concordia women got things started with first serve at 10 a.m. Just like Friday, they found themselves down 2-1 after doubles play as the Bluejays captured wins at Nos. 1 and 3. However, the Bulldogs got impressive outings from underclassmen in freshman Chelsea Haack and sophomore Grace Hollenbeck. The pair cruised to an 8-0 victory at No. 2 doubles to power the 6-3 team win.
“Chelsea did a really good job of putting those balls across court,” Hollenbeck said. “That made my job at the net a lot easier, just splitting them with that volley. We worked well as a team today.”
Hollenbeck had to sweat it out much more in her match at No. 4 singles, where she prevailed, 6-4, 2-6, 10-5.
“It was just kind of going back to the basics,” Hollenbeck said. “I won that last set by focusing on what I did in the first set to win it. I tried to be aggressive and come in at the net while trying to really focus on playing smart and getting the ball where I needed to, to win the point.”
The Concordia women dominated singles with victories at Nos. 1 through 4 and 6 to shake off the deficit after doubles. Sophomore Elyse Kohl went to a tiebreaker in the third set before winning 2-6, 6-3, 11-9 over Katie Becker. The Bulldogs’ No. 1, Kately Koll, also won a three-set match.
“There some struggles in singles but the highlight was Grace pulling out her third-set tiebreak,” Harms said. “She got a little bit tired, a little fatigued, started to lose some points but really fought back to get the win, which was big.”
Concordia’s men then completed the doubleheader sweep with a tight 5-4 victory over Tabor. Like the women, the Bulldog men fell behind 2-1 after doubles but recovered to win four singles matches to eke out the team victory.
Junior Joel Kaldahl came up big with a 4-6, 6-3, 10-7 win at No. 4 singles over Nathan Pantajja.
“Fresh in my mind is obviously Joel Kaldahl’s win. That was pretty big to get us the team victory,” Harms said. “His third-set tiebreak, he just found a way to win. He started playing really well to end of the match, which was awesome to see. I’m really proud of his fight.”
Senior Cole Egger also closed a solid weekend with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph at No. 2 singles. The Galva, Iowa, native now sits at 2-2 in both singles and doubles on the season.
“It was a lot of just keeping the ball in play,” Egger said. “I knew after a certain time he would probably make errors, but I still had to be strong in my play and know that I could pull it off in the end. So I was just able to execute and keep it in play.”
Concordia’s Nathan Wingfield notched a win at No. 1 singles when his opponent had to disqualify himself in the second set due to injury. Other victories for the Bulldogs came at No. 5 singles (Jonathan Douglas) and No. 3 doubles (Douglas and Joe Vanderveld).
The Bulldog men and women now enjoy a break of almost three weeks before returning to action March 22 with two matches each against Kansas Wesleyan University and Bethany College (Kan.). Those contests will take place in Salina, Kan.
Nelson named Concordia head tennis coach
25 MAR 2013
Effective March 4, local tennis pro Sam Nelson took over the role of head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Concordia University. The move allows six-year head coach Amy Harms to focus more of her efforts on her position as the university’s Director of Strength and Conditioning in addition to her roles as assistant women’s basketball coach and as a HHP instructor.
“I am very excited about the opportunity that lies in front of this program,” Nelson said. “I feel that this will be a very positive experience with great educators, a good student-athlete atmosphere and wonderful facilities. I am really looking forward to what the future brings for Concordia tennis.”
Nelson, currently the Director of Tennis at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln, began working with the Bulldog men and women at practices over the past two weeks. The Lincoln East High School product brings many years of high-level teaching experience to the profession having been USPTA certified for 11 years.
“We are excited to welcome Sam to Concordia University,” Director of Athletics Devin Smith said. “His background of extensive tennis teaching experience speaks for itself. His hiring has many benefits in that we get a coach who we know will positively impact our tennis programs, while lightening the burden on Amy. I look forward to working with Sam and watching him as he helps grow Concordia tennis.”
Nelson has served as the Director of Tennis at Hillcrest since 2007 and is also a teaching professional at the Lincoln Racquet Club. In addition, he has held positions as the Head of Junior Development at the Lincoln Racquet Club (1999-2008), Director of Tennis at the Nebraska Tennis Center (2008-09), Head Teaching Professional at the Nebraska Tennis Center (2009-2011) and Nebraska 14’s team coach (2007).
As a player, Nelson competed at No. 1 singles and doubles at Barton Junior College in Great Bend, Kan. As a prep at Lincoln East, he led the Spartans to four team state championships from 1991-95 and was a two-time individual state champion. In 1990 he received the Nebraska Junior of the Year award and rose as high as No. 5 in singles and No. 2 in doubles in the Missouri Valley five-state region, which includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and parts of Illinois.
Nelson and his wife Amber have two children: Hunter (five) and Sevaya (three months).
Bulldog women pick up victory over rival Doane
27 MAR 2013
SEWARD, Neb. – Bulldog tennis began a new era on Tuesday as Sam Nelson presided over his first matches at the helm of the program since taking over on March 4. Both the Concordia men’s and women’s squads played Doane inside the Fieldhouse in what were considered non-conference matches.
The Bulldog women salvaged the night with a 9-0 victory following the Concordia men’s 6-3 loss to begin the doubleheader of action. The women improved to 4-1 while the men fell to 2-3.
Nelson came away satisfied with how each of his teams competed and how they have responded to a new approach over the past few weeks.
“They all impressed me,” Nelson said. “I really appreciate what (assistant) James (Ingrahm) and Coach (Amy) Harms have instilled in their work ethic. It paid dividends today. They have been really solid with their work in the weight room and extra practice they’ve been getting in.”
The Concordia women, led by an 8-0 skunking at No. 1, swept right through doubles in impressive fashion. Junior Katelyn Koll and senior Lindsea Vaudt were focused at No. 1 in getting the Bulldogs off to a quick start.
That razor-sharp play continued on through Nos. 2 and 3 doubles where the Bulldogs won 8-4 and 8-2, respectively. With the wins, Concordia bumped its season doubles record to just under .500 (7-8).
It didn’t take long for the Bulldogs to clinch the team victory as Vaudt took a 6-3, 6-3 decision over Allison Pfeiffer at No. 3 singles. The freshman Chelsea Haack put the match in the win column early by breezing to a 6-1, 6-3 triumph at No. 2 singles as she pushed her singles mark to 3-2.
Haack, an accomplished prep at Columbus High School, used an attacking offensive style to get the best of the Tigers’ Jade Patterson.
“The girl I played didn’t really hit too many winners. She just kept it in,” Haack said. “So I was given a chance to try to hit a win or rally with her, and I kind of took my chances tonight. I tried to win more points and be more offensive instead of just defensive. It seemed to work pretty well.”
The entire singles lineup followed suit as Koll (6-3, 6-1), Grace Hollenbeck (6-3, 6-4), Elyse Kohl (2-6, 7-4, 10-1) and Mikaela Barz (8-1) contributed to the shutout of Doane. Kohl’s match, the final one to be completed on the night, was a battle of attrition and caught the attention of Nelson.
“She came back as we were up 8-0 and really showed some moxie, fighting and coming back,” Nelson said. “That’s really the motto we want to go with moving forward – that you’re never out of a match until the last point is played.”
The men fell to the rival Tigers despite jumping out to a 2-1 lead after doubles. The Bulldogs eked out tie-break wins at both Nos. 1 and 3. The Concordia duo of junior Nathan Wingfield and senior Cole Egger narrowly trumped their counterparts – Ross Schulenberg and Tyler Johnson – 9-8 (7-3) at No. 1. Using what they learned in a loss last season against that same pair, Wingfield and Egger came through with a better result this time around.
The duo forced their foes from Doane to play more back hands.
“Cole and I played real well today,” Wingfield said. “We played pretty consistently. We were able to hold our serve a lot and stay with them. We played the same team we played from Doane that we played last year and they beat us. So it was good to get a win over them.”
Similarly, sophomore Jonathan Douglas and junior Joe Vanderveld found a way to win at No. 3 doubles with a nearly identical score to the No. 1 result – 9-8 (7-4). That left Concordia in front with wins in two out of three matches in doubles.
However, Doane came back to dominate singles play with wins in five of six one-on-one battles. The lone singles win came from Douglas, who ran his record to 4-1 at both No. 3 doubles and No. 5 singles with two more victories on Tuesday. The Fenton, Mo., native won with a tidy 6-2, 6-0 effort.
Wingfield’s match against Schulenberg was the only singles dual to go to a third set. After taking the first set 6-4, Wingfield wound up falling 6-1 and 10-2 to his Tiger counterpart.
Concordia will continue play outside the conference next Wednesday, April 3 as both the men and women take on the University of Nebraska-Kearney (NCAA Division II). Both matches will take place in Kearney at 6 p.m.
In the meantime, the Bulldogs will continue to adapt to Nelson’s approach that includes increased fundamental drills in practice. The new Concordia leader says his teams have responded well to the changes.
Koll nets GPAC weekly honor
03 APR 2013
Concordia junior Katelyn Koll has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Tennis Player of the Week, the conference announced on Wednesday. Koll receives the honor after helping the Bulldogs to a dominant 9-0 victory over rival Doane last week.
Koll, a native of Wilber, Neb., has picked up where she left off last season when she went 6-1 in conference matches at No. 1 singles. In the March 26 victory over Doane, Koll teamed with Lindsea Vaudt for an 8-0 shutout of Jade Patterson and Allison Pfeifer at No. 1 doubles. Koll then picked up a 6-3, 6-3 win over Kendra Ritter at No. 1 singles.
Koll improved to 4-1 in singles and 3-2 in doubles in 2013. She has won three-consecutive singles matches as a key factor in Concordia’s 4-1 record as a team.
The Bulldogs are in action tonight (Wednesday) at the University of Nebraska-Kearney at 6 p.m.
Bulldogs wipe out Midland in GPAC opener
05 APR 2013
FREMONT, Neb. – Head coach Sam Nelson’s men’s and women’s tennis squads both started GPAC action in style with wins over Midland on Thursday night in Fremont, Neb. The Bulldogs put behind a rough outing at the University of Nebraska-Kearney on Wednesday as the women defeated Midland 9-0 and the men recorded a 6-3 victory.
The Concordia women boosted their record to 5-2 (1-0 GPAC), while the men improved to 3-4 (1-0 GPAC) on the season.
“The wins Thursday showed the resilience of the men’s and women’s teams,” assistant coach James Ingrahm said. “They were able to bounce back quickly after a hard loss to UNK and played great tennis to beat Midland.”
On the women’s side, the Bulldogs dominated the Warriors in every match. Concordia set the tone by cruising through doubles to take a 3-0 lead. The No. 1 doubles pair of junior Katelyn Koll, named the GPAC Player of the Week on Wednesday, and senior Lindsea Vaudt won most decisively in recording an 8-1 win.
In singles, Concordia found the most resistance at the No. 1 position where Koll defeated Jordane Warkentin 6-3, 6-1. At Nos. 4, 5 and 6, Grace Hollenbeck, Elyse Kohl and Mikaela Barz each breezed to 6-0, 6-0 victories.
Meanwhile, Chelsea Haack and Vaudt won their singles matches by scores of 6-1, 6-0 to help keep Midland (0-4) winless on the season.
The Bulldog men faced a tougher battle as Midland (1-5, 0-2 GPAC) came away with victories at No. 2 doubles and Nos. 1 and 5 singles. However, Concordia took control of the match as the combo of junior Nathan Wingfield and senior Cole Egger picked up an 8-2 triumph over counterparts Logan Meisinger and Stuart Booth of Midland. The duo of sophomore Jonathan Douglas and junior Joe Vanderveld notched an 8-4 win to put Concordia in front 2-1 after doubles.
In singles action, the Bulldogs picked up wins from Egger (No. 2), Mike McCartney (No. 3), Douglas (No. 4) and Vanderveld (No. 6). Douglas, now 5-2 this season in singles, played at the No. 4 position for the first time this season after performing at No. 5 in the first six matches of 2013. Nelson says Douglas has responded well to this change.
Ingrahm came away particularly impressed with Egger, who fought back from 3-0 deficits in both sets to claim victory over Midland’s James Enzler at No. 2 singles.
“This is a huge improvement because in the past when he was down early, he’d be really hard on himself,” Ingrahm said. “But in this match he showed great mental toughness and a warrior spirit to fight back and win in a manner I haven’t seen him do before.”
Both Concordia teams will play for the third day in a row as Grand View University (Iowa) visits Seward for a men’s and women’s doubleheader. Both matches will take place on the outside tennis courts on campus.
Concordia tennis sweeps Grand View
06 APR 2013
By Taylor Mueller, Sports Information Assistant
SEWARD, Neb. – For the first time all season, the Concordia men’s and women’s tennis teams competed on the outdoor courts, as the beautiful weather yet windy conditions provided a bitter-sweet environment for the Bulldogs. The faster courts also provided a new challenge, but regardless the conditions, Concordia made two solid statements between the two squads, as both teams won in dominating fashion over the visiting Vikings of Grand View University.
“Tonight was a good night for both of them,” head coach Same Nelson said. “I saw a lot of positives. The guys were able to get a victory and looked pretty strong and so did the girls. The wind was something that you’ve got to factor in and I thought our teams did really well with making the adjustments for that.”
The women cleaned house en route to a 9-0 team victory.Leading the charge was senior Lindsea Vaudt, who after a rocky start, defeated Angela Nims 6-4, 6-0.
“I started a little slow,” Vaudt said. “I had to get used to the wind a little more. It picked up after the doubles a little bit. I got my short shots in and they were pretty good.”
Vaudt later teamed up with junior Katelyn Koll to win a highly competitive doubles match 8-6.
“We started really strong, and then we just dropped our level a little bit,” Vaudt said. “It ended up being 4-5 and then we just picked it back up and were really encouraging each other and we won 8-5. It was good. We had each other and coach gave us some words and it helps just to have a good communication going.”
The men took care of business as they handled Grand View in a 7-2 overall team victory.
Junior Mike McCartney went undefeated for the night as he topped Ryan Gilbert in his pro-set singles match, 8-4.
“The guy was pretty solid,” McCartney said. “I was able to take advantage of his backhand a little bit and the wind behind me especially. I was able to get a couple breaks on that side. I was able to execute pretty well today and I hit my strokes pretty well. It was a pretty good day.”
McCartney went to work with junior Joel Kaldahl in their doubles match, besting their competition with a final score of 8-2.
“Today we were able to take advantage of their net play,” McCartney said. “They didn’t really have a strong net game. We were able to take advantage of that and get some free points that way. We switched some things up return wise. We kind of threw some new things in there and it worked out today. We’ll see how it works the rest of the season.”
Having played all his previous matches inside Walz Fieldhouse, McCartney explained the difference in the style of courts and how they affect the way the game is played.
“It’s a little different,” McCartney said. “Inside you have a little more time to set up your shot and out here at the higher level, you have to learn to hit the ball on the run and deal with bad situations a little better.”
Looking ahead, Nelson noted that Doane would provide challenging competition.
“Next week we play a big match against Doane,” Nelson said. “Wednesday and Thursday we’ll have some time to work on some things and we’ll go from there. It was good to get three matches in three days in a row.”
McCartney shared similar insight, and is hopeful that the team can make a solid run as the season progresses.
“We played Doane earlier this season,” McCartney said. “I felt we were pretty competitive. With the Midland win I think we should be up there with the top of the pack. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and seeing what we can do.”
The Bulldogs will look to continue their hot play when they host Doane on Wednesday, April 10 and Thursday, April 11.
Bulldog women split, men fall in Fremont
13 APR 2013
FREMONT, Neb. – Head coach Sam Nelson’s Bulldogs traveled to Midland on Saturday to test their mettle against GPAC rivals. The Concordia women bounced back from a 7-2 morning loss to Morningside to win 7-2 over Mount Marty in a matinee battle. Meanwhile, the Bulldog men were shutout 9-0 by Morningside.
The Concordia women now sit at 7-3 overall and 2-1 in GPAC matches. The men dropped to 4-5 overall, 1-1 GPAC.
“We spoke to the girls about what they were doing wrong and they turned it around in the second match,” assistant coach James Ingrahm said. “That was the silver lining on the day.”
After only capturing wins at No. 1 doubles and No. 2 singles in the loss to Morningside, the Bulldog women fell lost only two singles matches (Nos. 1 and 2) in the win over the fledgling tennis program at Mount Marty.
Concordia showed depth in its lineup with dominant victories by Mikaela Barz at No. 5 singles (6-1, 6-0) and by Liz Kjellsen at No. 6 singles (6-1, 6-0). Barz and Kjellsen also breezed to an 8-1 triumph as a doubles combo at No. 3.
In addition, the No. 1 doubles team of Katelyn Koll and Lindsea Vaudt ran their win streak to four by capturing an 8-5 win against Morningside and then an 8-6 victory over their counterparts from Mount Marty. They improved their doubles record to 7-3 on the season.
The Bulldog men failed to take a single match from Morningside in their only bout of the day. However, Cole Egger (No. 2 singles), Mike McCartney (No. 3 singles) and Jonathan Douglas (No. 4 singles) all pushed their opponents hard in three-set losses.
Ingrahm came away particularly impressed with McCartney considering his play against solid competition on Saturday.
“I thought Mike faced his toughest test since the Bethany match,” Ingrahm said. “He stepped up and won the first set and had his chances in the second set before losing the tiebreak in the third. He kept the pressure on and really played well.”
Concordia also narrowly lost at No. 3 doubles where Morningside’s Hunter Renn and Dillon Stane staved off the Bulldogs’ pair of Douglas and Joe Vanderveld, 9-7.
The Bulldogs return to action on Tuesday when they travel to Nebraska Wesleyan for a men’s and women’s doubleheader. First serve is set for 4 p.m. in Lincoln.
Both Bulldog tennis squads fall 7-2 at Nebraska Wesleyan
16 APR 2013
LINCOLN, Neb. – GPAC rival Nebraska Wesleyan dominated singles play as both the Prairie Wolf men and women defeated their Concordia counterparts by identical 7-2 scores on Tuesday evening in Lincoln. However, the Bulldogs did get positive outputs from Cole Egger at No. 2 singles on the men’s side and from their women’s No. 3 doubles pair of Mikaela Barz and Liz Kjellsen.
The Concordia women now sit at 7-4 overall and 2-2 in GPAC play. The Bulldog men are 4-6 overall and 1-2 in GPAC matches.
Egger captured the only singles win of the night for the Concordia men. The senior from Galva, Iowa, won a tightly-contested battle, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), over Rene Torti to even up his season mark at 5-5 in singles. Bulldog head coach Sam Nelson said it may have been Egger’s best match he’s seen him play.
While many of the singles matches were one-sided in favor of Nebraska Wesleyan, the Bulldogs got a victory at No. 3 doubles thanks to the efforts of Jonathan Douglas and Joe Vanderveld and could have easily claimed wins at Nos. 1 and 2. The Prairie Wolves prevailed 8-5 at No. 1 and 8-6 at No. 2.
“Overall we had good doubles play,” Nelson said. “I felt like we were moving in the right direction. All of the matches were really close. They could have gone either way.
“J.D. and Joe won as a team (at No. 3). They are able to function well together through positive reinforcement to overcome adversity.”
On the women’s side, Nelson was pleased with how Barz and Kjellsen outlasted No. 25 Nebraska Wesleyan’s No. 3 doubles team that included No. 1 singles player Maria Mota. Barz and Kjellsen won 9-7 to improve to 6-5 overall this season and 3-1 against GPAC competition.
Junior Katelyn Koll also picked up a big win at No. 1 singles by rallying after dropping the first set. Koll modified her approach and ended up winning (4-6, 6-2, 10-4) by holding off Mota in the super tiebreaker.
“Katelyn fell down a set and then changed strategies and really turned it around,” Nelson said. “That was exactly what she needed after a tough Saturday. This will give her confidence going into the weekend.”
Koll and doubles partner Lindsea Vaudt had their four-match winning streak at No. 1 doubles snapped by Erica Dickmeyer and Katherine Ternent. The combo of Dickmeyer and Ternent took an 8-2 decision.
Nelson believes improved mental focus will lead to better team results moving forward. The Bulldogs will look to put this into practice this weekend when they travel to St. Louis, Mo. The men are set to compete in the Concordia Invitational Tournament on Friday and Saturday while the women will also be in action on both days.
Concordia tennis concludes St. Louis trip
20 APR 2013
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Bulldog tennis ventured southeast to the hometown of Amy Harms (tennis operations) as both men’s and women’s squads went 1-2 on the weekend in St. Louis, Mo. On the men’s side, the Concordia Invitational Tournament played out Friday and Saturday with Greenville College (Ill.) taking the crown.
The Concordia women now stand at 8-6 overall on the season, while the men are 5-8.
The Bulldog men picked up their win with a 7-1 decision (No. 1 singles not played) on Friday over Concordia Seminary of St. Louis. Concordia swept through doubles and then got victories at singles Nos. 2, 4, 5 and 6. However, the team felt unsatisfied with their play in 8-1 defeats to both Greeneville and Concordia-Wisconsin on Saturday.
“They played well at times, but they certainly feel they’re not playing up to expectations,” Harms said. “It’s not about effort. Right now we’re trying to develop that consistency, but that’s not easy when we have not had consistent practice with the weather. We need to get to a point where we can grind out matches.”
The work of junior Nathan Wingfield and senior Cole Egger at No. 1 doubles served as a primary highlight on the men’s side. Wingfield and Egger went 2-1 on the weekend, including a victory over the duo from a steady Greenville squad. The Bulldogs’ No. 1 combo also showed toughness in winning four-straight games after falling behind 7-1 in their match against Concordia-Wisconsin.
The CIT tennis field proved to be exceptionally formidable this year.
“The CIT field has definitely risen,” Harms said. “The Seminary has their best team I’ve seen since I’ve been coming here. Mequon (CUW) has had a real strong team the last few years and Greenville is stronger than last year. There were no slouches.”
The Concordia women shook off an 8-1 loss to Lindenwood on Friday to take a 7-0 decision over Missouri Baptist in the first match on Saturday. The Bulldogs then fell 8-1 to McKendree University (Ill.) to finish up the weekend.
“The women played some really good competition,” Harms said. “With Lindenwood and McKendree they got some real tough tests. I thought we competed well. We beat Missouri Baptist and played solid and played well against a pretty good McKendree squad.”
The Bulldogs got good performances from senior Mikaela Barz and sophomore Liz Kjellsen at No. 3 doubles. The pair snagged Concordia’s only victory in the 8-1 loss to McKendree and came away pleased with their weekend effort.
The Concordia tennis teams have also taken some time this weekend to enjoy what St. Louis has to offer. Harms continued the tradition of taking the Bulldogs to the Spaghetti Factory. The team also has had a chance to go shopping and to hang out at the house of Harms’ parents for an evening that included a sloppy joe dinner on Saturday.
A return to conference play beckons on Tuesday as the Concordia women take on Hastings. The men will face the Broncos on Thursday. Both matches will be played at Concordia.
Barz stars in win over Hastings
26 APR 2013
SEWARD, Neb. – The back end of Concordia’s lineup continued to impress as the Bulldogs rolled to a 6-3 conference victory over Hastings (4-14, 3-4 GPAC) on the Concordia University campus on Friday evening. In particular, No. 5 singles player Mikaela Barz shined in a match Concordia clinched with three singles matches yet to be completed.
The Bulldogs improved to 9-6 overall and 3-2 in GPAC action as the regular-season winds down. The win allowed head coach Sam Nelson’s squad to climb into a tie for third place with Northwestern.
“We showed some great play on both sides of the coin with singles and doubles,” Nelson said. “We will look to continue that play against Northwestern on Saturday.”
Barz and No. 3 doubles partner Liz Kjellsen ran their winning streak to three by taking an 8-6 decision over Rachel Steffen and Sarah Zach of Hastings. Barz and Kjellsen appear beautifully in sync after playing well against tough competition last weekend in St. Louis, Mo. The duo is 7-3 in its last 10 matches.
“We started the season off a little slow and are finally hitting our stride,” Barz said. “A lot of it is just being aggressive and coming to the net and putting those points away.”
Barz, a native of San Antonio, Texas, then made quick work of Steffen at No. 5 singles as she won 6-1, 6-1 to improve her singles mark to 7-6 on the season.
“It’s a little windy so I just worked the ball up and back a lot and tried to keep her deep,” Barz said. “And then I tried to bring her up with drop shots to keep her moving. I also worked on going cross court and taking the down the line shot when I had it.”
The Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead after doubles with the win at No. 3 and then at No. 1 as Katelyn Koll and Lindsea Vaudt bumped their doubles record to 9-6 in 2013 by taking an 8-4 decision. Concordia carried that momentum into singles where it quickly clinched the match by triumphing at Nos. 2, 4 and 5.
Freshman Chelsea Haack upped her team-best singles mark to 9-6 with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Alexis Parade at No. 2. Haack has assimilated quickly to the college game after a terrific prep career at Columbus High School.
The Bulldog women will be back in action again Saturday when they travel to Fremont, Neb., to take on Northwestern (5-8, 3-2 GPAC). First serve is slated for 10 a.m.
Concordia completes 2-0 weekend of GPAC action
27 APR 2013
FREMONT, Neb. – Head coach Sam Nelson’s Bulldog women’s tennis squad wrapped up a big weekend of GPAC action by defeating Northwestern (5-8, 3-3 GPAC) to clinch third place in the league standings. Saturday morning’s match in Fremont, Neb., marked a quick turnaround after Concordia defeated Hastings 6-3 on Friday evening in Seward.
“We showed some great mental fortitude and had some good comebacks,” Nelsons said. “It’s encouraging to see that our girls never count themselves out even when they’re down within a set or even a game.”
Just like Friday, the Bulldogs clinched the match quickly by winning two of three doubles battles and then by hastily taking three singles bouts. Concordia clinched the match with Chelsea Haack’s 6-2, 6-3 triumph over Jamie Koens at No. 2 singles to put the Bulldogs up 5-1.
Concordia sophomore Liz Kjellsen and senior Mikaela Barz won for the fourth-straight time at No. 3 doubles by getting by Mallory Cunard and Hannah Stark fairly comfortably, 8-??. Kjellsen also impressed Bulldog coaches with her play at No. 6 singles. The Centennial, Colo., native breezed to 6-1 triumph in the first set and then found herself down 5-0 in the second set, only to rally for a 7-5 victory by winning seven games in a row.
The Bulldogs also notched wins at singles Nos. 1, 3 and 4 and at No. 2 doubles. Doubles matches at 1 and 2 were decided by a margin of just two games as Concordia won 9-7 No. 2 and lost 8-6 at No. 1.
“It would have been nice to get the win at No. 1 doubles as well,” Nelson said. “They are our most consistent doubles team, but I don’t think they lost any confidence or anything. Sometimes a loss can serve as a wake-up call and get you focused on the things that need work on.”
Assistant coach James Ingrahm noted the play of senior Lindsea Vaudt as standing out as particularly worthy of praise. Vaudt shook off a close loss in three sets on Friday and breezed to a 6-0, 6-1 win on Saturday over Hannah Stark at No. 3. Vaudt evened up her season singles record at 8-8.
Top singles player Katelyn Koll also had to come back to earn a win over Terry Odera in the super tiebreaker. After the first two sets went 4-6, 6-2, Odera took the upper hand in the tiebreaker before Koll won five games in a row at one point and ended up winning 10-8 to run her singles mark to 8-6.
The Bulldogs have just one regular-season match remaining – Tuesday April 30 versus Doane (5-13, 1-5 GPAC) – before the conference tournament gets underway May 3-4. Concordia has clinched the No. 3 seed, meaning it will draw the No. 6 seed – either Mount Marty or Doane – in the first round of the league tournament.
Bulldog women's tennis closes regular season strong
30 APR 2013
SEWARD, Neb. – Both men’s and women’s Concordia tennis squads wrapped up the regular season with home matches on Tuesday afternoon against rival Doane. The Bulldog women finished the regular season strong with a 7-2 victory to improve to 11-6 overall and 5-2 in GPAC matches, giving them the third seed in this weekend’s conference tournament. Meanwhile, visiting Doane captured an 8-1 victory in the men’s match to close out play for the evening.
The Concordia women rolled to victory at every slot in the lineup except No. 2 doubles and No. 6 singles. The No. 3 doubles pair of senior Mikaela Barz and sophomore Liz Kjellsen won for the fifth-straight time by eking out a 9-7 decision over Amy Gundvaldson and Nicole Beranko of Doane.
Barz and Kjellsen helped ensure that Concordia stayed focus even with the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament already secured entering Tuesday’s action.
“They really stayed focused even though our seed was set,” Bulldog head coach Sam Nelson said. “There were no let downs when it came to keeping sharp for the conference tournament starting on Friday.”
While the Bulldogs won for the fourth-consecutive time as a team, three individuals also extended their own singles winning streaks to three: Katelyn Koll (No. 1), Chelsea Haack (No. 2) and Grace Hollenbeck (No. 4). All three players now boast GPAC singles records of 5-2.
On the men’s side, Concordia’s only victory came at No. 3 doubles, where the combo of sophomore Jonathan Douglas and junior Joe Vanderveld improved to 10-5 on the season with an 8-4 decision over their Tiger counterparts.
“Our No. 3 doubles showed why they were the most consistent performers during the regular season,” Nelson said.
“In singles we had some close matches that did not favor CU today.”
Specifically, the competitive singles matches came at 2 and 3 positions. Senior Cole Egger, playing for the final time at home in his career, fell 6-2, 7-5 at No. 2. Junior Mike McCartney dropped his match at No. 3 by scores of 6-1, 7-6 (7-3).
Along with Egger, fellow seniors Barz and Lindsea Vaudt also graced the home courts on the Concordia University campus for the final time in regular-season matches.
Next up for both Bulldog squads is the GPAC Tournament on Friday and Saturday in Fremont, Neb. As the No. 3 seed in the conference, the women will take on sixth-seeded Mount Marty in a quarterfinal match at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Friday The No. 5-seeded Concordia men will play No. 4 seed Morningside in the quarterfinals at 9 a.m. on Friday.
NOTE: All GPAC tournament matches will take place indoors at either the Fremont YMCA or the Nebraska Tennis Center in Lincoln due to cold temperatures forecasted for the weekend.
Bulldog tennis eliminated from GPAC Tournament
03 MAY 2013
Head coach Sam Nelson’s Bulldog women’s tennis squad advanced to the semifinals of the GPAC Tournament where it was eliminated by second-seeded Morningside, 5-1, on Friday. The Concordia men fell 9-0 early in the day in a quarterfinal match, also against the Mustangs. All matches were single elimination. The men’s matches were held at the Nebraska Tennis Center in Lincoln and the women’s matches took place at the YMCA in Fremont, Neb.
The Bulldog women conclude the season at 12-7 overall while the men finish up at 5-11.
The Concordia women rolled to the semifinals by sweeping all matches in the quarterfinal battle with Mount Marty (4-7). The Bulldogs dominated at the back end of the lineup in singles and pulled out competitive matches at Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Concordia junior Katelyn Koll, who entered play with a record of 5-2 against GPAC opponents, came through in the super tiebreaker to defeat Vanessa Rockne, 1-6, 6-4, 10-3.
The Bulldogs burst out to a 3-0 lead after doubles by winning all three bouts by an identical 8-2 decision. The duo of senior Mikaela Barz and sophomore Liz Kjellsen stayed hot and ran their winning streak to six until having it snapped in the second match on Friday. The two combined for the top doubles mark on the team at 12-7.
“They played well as a team and really encouraged each other,” Nelson said of the doubles groups. “They played well together.”
Morningside then bounced the Bulldogs in the evening quarterfinal by taking two of three doubles matches and by grabbing victories at Nos. 2, 3 and 5 singles to end the match before the other three singles battles could conclude.
Concordia got on the board against Morningside with a 9-7 win at No. 2 doubles by Chelsea Haack and Grace Hollenbeck. The other two doubles matches could have went either way as the Mustangs won both by the score of 8-6.
Koll continued her superb play as she won the first set against Morningside’ Mary Horton prior to the match ending abruptly in the second set when the Mustangs clinched the team victory.
“Katelyn was on track to avenge both of the conference losses she had in the regular season,” Nelson said. “She performed very well today.”
In men’s action, Morningside quickly clinched the match over the Bulldogs by winning the first seven doubles/singles bouts to go final. Concordia picked up its wins at Nos. 4 and 5 singles in matches that were both decided in super tiebreakers.
With Fenton, Mo., native Jonathan Douglas’ 5-7, 6-4, 10-8 victory over Hunter Renn at No. 4, the sophomore finished his season singles record at an even 8-8 – tops on the team. Douglas also teamed with Joe Vanderveld on a 10-6 mark at No. 3 doubles in 2013.
“It was good to see J.D. toughing out his three-set match,” Nelson said. “I thought our work conditioning really paid off. Our guys seemed to hold up better in three-set matches than some other teams might.”
Meanwhile, junior Joel Kaldahl ended the season on a positive note by winning 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 10-7 over Alex Struck in another closely-contested match at the No. 5 position. Kaldahl finished the season with a mark of 4-11 while playing at Nos. 4 and 5.
Nelson, who took over as head coach on March 4, led the women to a record of 9-5 and the men to a mark of 3-9 since rising to the helm of the program. The Lincoln native is excited about what the future holds for Bulldog tennis.
“Hopefully the returning players will continue working on their games throughout the summer,” Nelson said. “I’m excited about working with them and implementing some different strategies after seeing the competition we go up against.”
Nelson also wished graduating players Mikaela Barz, Cole Egger, Joe Vanderveld and Lindsea Vaudt well in their future endeavors.
“It’s been a privilege working with both teams and I want to say good luck to all of our seniors,” Nelson said. “I wish them nothing but the best.”
Bulldog tennis places four on Scholar-Athlete list
17 MAY 2013
View NAIA men’s tennis Scholar-Athletes
View NAIA women’s tennis Scholar-Athletes
Four Concordia tennis student-athletes have been named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes, as announced by the NAIA on Friday. For the Bulldog men, senior Cole Egger and juniors Joel Kaldahl and Nathan Wingfield received the prestigious honor. On the women’s side, senior Mikaela Barz collected Scholar-Athlete recognition for the second-straight year.
Egger, a native of Galva, Iowa, majored in business administration with a finance concentration. Kaldahl hails from Spencer, Iowa, and is a business major. Wingfield found his way to Concordia via Greendale, Wis., and is majoring in pre-physical therapy. Finally, Barz, a San Antonio, Texas, native, majored in theology.
After adding the 38 combined Scholar-Athletes in the fall and winter sports, Concordia now has 42 Scholar-Athletes for the 2012-13 athletic season. Honorees for baseball, softball, track and field and women's golf have yet to be announced.
In order to be nominated by an institution's head coach, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved a junior academic status to qualify for this honor. Nationally, 119 women and 94 men were honored as Scholar-Athletes in the sport of tennis.
Nine Bulldog tennis players earn All-GPAC recognition
20 MAY 2013
GPAC Tennis All-Conference: MEN – WOMEN
A total of nine combined Bulldog men’s and women’s tennis players have been recognized as GPAC all-conference selections, as announced by the conference on Monday. The Concordia women lead the way with six honorees, as the entire lineup received at least honorable mention accolades. Meanwhile, the men placed three on the honorable mention list.
No. 1 singles player Katelyn Koll tops the list for Concordia, as she received all-conference honors for her work in both singles and doubles. The junior from Wilber, Neb., went 10-6 overall and 5-2 within conference regular-season singles matches. Koll avenged one of her regular-season GPAC losses in the conference tournament when she defeated GPAC Player of the Year Vanessa Rockne, 1-6, 6-4, 10-3, in a quarterfinal match.
Koll’s doubles partner Lindsea Vaudt also garnered all-conference acknowledgment in both singles (No. 3) and doubles. Vaudt (Kalispell, Mont.) went 10-9 overall and 4-3 in GPAC singles matches while combining with Koll on an 11-8 (5-2 GPAC) mark in doubles.
Freshman Chelsea Haack (Columbus, Neb.) nabbed all-conference at the No. 2 singles position and honorable mention at No. 2 doubles. Haack posted a singles record of 12-7, including 5-2 in GPAC matches, and teamed with sophomore Grace Hollenbeck on a 9-10 (3-4 GPAC) doubles mark.
Hollenbeck and senior Mikaela Barz were tabbed honorable mention choices in both singles and doubles. Sophomore Liz Kjellsen took honorable mention honors in doubles after pairing with Barz on a team best 12-7 (6-1 GPAC) record at the No. 3 spot.
For the men, senior Cole Egger (No. 2 singles), sophomore Jonathan Douglas (doubles) and junior Joe Vanderveld (doubles) all received honorable mention. Egger went 6-10 overall and 2-3 in GPAC singles matches. The combo of Douglas and Vanderveld posted an impressive 10-6 overall record and 3-2 GPAC mark at No. 3 doubles.
On the season, head coach Sam Nelson’s Bulldog women totaled a record of 12-7 (5-2 GPAC). The Concordia men went 5-11 (1-4 GPAC).
Concordia GPAC all-conference honorees:
WOMEN:
- Katelyn Koll - No. 1 singles / No. 1 doubles
- Chelsea Haack - No. 2 singles / honorable mention doubles
- Lindsea Vaudt - No. 3 singles / No. 1 doubles
- Grace Hollenbeck - honorable mention singles / doubles
- Mikaela Barz - honorable mention singles / doubles
- Liz Kjellsen - honorable mention doubles
MEN:
- Cole Egger - honorable mention singles
- Jonathan Douglas - honorable mention doubles
- Joe Vanderveld - honorable mention doubles