Bulldog Weekly Report (Feb. 20)

By Jacob Knabel on Feb. 20, 2018 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Male: Deandre Chery, Wrestling

Chery, a native of Miami Gardens, Fla., took home a 174-pound GPAC title last week while earning an automatic bid to the national championships. During Chery’s run at the conference championships, he won a match by pin and by technical fall and upset the nation’s 12-ranked 174-pounder in the title bout.

Female: Samantha Liermann, Track & Field

Liermann, who hails from Wisner, Neb., claimed the second GPAC shot put title last week while competing at the conference indoor championships. Ranked second nationally in the shot put, Liermann also placed fourth in the weight throw and led the Bulldogs by contributing 15 team points.

Previous athletes of the week
Feb. 13 – Jerry Stepps III (wrestling) / McKenzie Gravo (track & field)
Feb. 6 – Michael Duffy (wrestling) / Colby Duvel (basketball)
January Athletes of the Month: Kyle Pierce (basketball) / Dani Hoppes (basketball)
Jan. 30 – Kyle Pierce (basketball) / Anna Baack (track & field)
Jan. 23 – Jacob Cornelio (track & field) / Dani Hoppes (basketball)
Jan. 16 – Josiah McAllister (track & field) / Brenleigh Daum (basketball)
Jan. 9 – Jared Woods (wrestling) / Philly Lammers (basketball)
December Athletes of the Month: Cordell Gillingham (basketball) / Philly Lammers (basketball)
Dec. 12 – Cordell Gillingham (basketball) / Taylor Cockerill (basketball)
Dec. 5 – Brevin Sloup (basketball) / Sydney Feller (basketball)
November Athletes of the Month: Tarence Roby (football) / Quinn Wragge (basketball)
Nov. 28 – Jake Hornick (basketball) / Quinn Wragge (basketball)
Nov. 14 – Cameron Devers (wrestling) / Jeannelle Condame (soccer)
Nov. 7 – Tarence Roby (football) / Emily Deschaine (cross country)
October Athletes of the Month: Ryan Durdon (football) / Lindsey Carley (soccer)
Oct. 31 – Ryan Durdon (football) / Kaitlyn Radebaugh (soccer)
Oct. 24 – Marcelo Hernandez (soccer) / Lindsey Carley (soccer)
Oct. 17 – Carlos Ferrer (soccer) and Grady Koch (football) / Sami Birmingham (soccer)
Oct. 10 – Micah Lehenbauer (soccer) / Kaitlyn Radebaugh (soccer)
Oct. 3 – Micah Lehenbauer (soccer) / Maria Deeter (soccer)
September Athletes of the Month: Tarence Roby (football) / Lindsey Carley (soccer)
Sept. 26 – Kordell Glause (football) / Emily Deschaine (cross country)
Sept. 19 – Lewis Rathbone (soccer) / Victoria Cera (soccer)
Sept. 12 – Tarence Roby (football) / Murphy Sears (golf)
Sept. 5 – Jack Bennett (soccer) / Lindsey Carley (soccer)

News and notes:

2018 football schedule announced: A 10-game 2018 football schedule was revealed last week. The second season of head coach Patrick Daberkow’s tenure will begin on Sept. 8 when NCAA Division III Buena Vista University (Iowa) makes a visit to Bulldog Stadium. Concordia will also venture up to North Dakota for Jamestown’s first-ever conference game as a GPAC member. Among other highlights, homecoming is set for Sept. 22 and the regular season will conclude with a game at Doane. View the complete schedule HERE.

Baseball season to open up on Friday: It’s about that time for fourth-year head coach Ryan Dupic’s baseball team to open up the 2018 season. The Bulldogs are slated to be at Evangel University in Springfield, Mo., for doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday. Concordia is coming off a GPAC regular-season championship run in 2017 that included the program’s first-ever trip to the national tournament. For a preview of the 2018 season, click HERE.

The rise of the men’s soccer program: Attention to detail. Ramped up international recruiting. Better facilities. A head coach finding his groove. An established winning culture. Due to a multitude of factors, Concordia men’s soccer continues to climb. Summed up by Lehenbauer, the prospect of competing for championships, “over time, became an expectation instead of a hope.” For more on the rise of the men’s soccer program, click HERE.

Cheer and dance teams ready for NAIA North Qualifier: Head coach Mandi Maser’s cheer and dance teams are making final preparations for Saturday’s NAIA North Qualifier hosted in Sioux City, Iowa, by Morningside. Bids to the NAIA Cheer and Dance National Championships (March 8-10) in Oklahoma City will be on the line. In their most recent competitions, Concordia cheer placed fourth at the GPAC championships while the dance squad finished eighth.

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its third year of existence. The show airs live for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT on KTMX-FM 104.9 Max Country. The weekly feature can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the Max Country app. Throughout the 2017-18 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Tyler Cavalli serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for football and basketball. Frank Greene is again calling volleyball action.

Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting http://www.cune.edu/csn at game time. Check team schedules/results pages for webcast dates. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.

Track & Field

  • The indoor season has concluded for the bulk of Concordia athletes. Seventy-six Bulldogs were listed on the conference championships roster that made its way to Doane last week (Feb. 16-17). From a team perspective, head coach Matt Beisel’s squads placed in a tie for fourth on the men’s side (71 points) and fifth on the women’s side (83 points). Concordia entered the meet with U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NAIA national rankings of 10th for the women and 24th for the men. For more information on Bulldog track and field, click HERE.
  • No athlete within the program has been more consistently excellent this season than junior Samantha Liermann, who emerged from the GPAC indoor championships as the shot put champion and a fourth-place finisher in the weight throw, allowing her to contribute 15 team points. A 2017 outdoor shot put national champion, Liermann has hopes of competing for another title on the national stage. Her indoor PR of 48’ ¾” achieved this season ranks second best on the national list.
  • The other Bulldog to earn a GPAC title last week was senior Scott Johnson, who outperformed his seed mark with a first-place claim in the triple jump. Johnson also chipped in 15 team points via his championship and fourth-place long jump of 22’ 3.” His mark of 47 2 ½” in the triple jump represented a personal best and pushed him to 10th on the national list. Johnson is headed to the indoor national championships for the second year in a row. Last season he qualified in the long jump.
  • While some things may not have gone as planned at the GPAC championships, it seems Beisel and his staff can always count on their group of women in the shot put. Concordia went 1-3-5-7 in the event with Liermann’s teammates Adrianna Shaw (46’ ½”), Johanna Ragland (44’ 6”) and Jodi Fry (43’ ¼”) coming in behind her. More than a quarter of the women’s team points (22 of 83) came from this event alone. Five Bulldogs rank inside the top 20 nationally in the women’s shot put with Liermann and Shaw holding firm inside the top five.
  • The program’s count for total number of automatic national qualifying marks remained at 11 through the GPAC championship meet (see list below). Concordia athletes have also put eight ‘B’ standard marks on the board. Liermann (shot put and weight throw) and Shaw (shot put and weight throw) are the lone Bulldogs to be qualified in multiple events. A qualifier in the high jump, Cody Williams (Imperial, Neb.), ranks ninth nationally in the heptathlon.
    • Men’s distance medley – B (10:25.56)
    • Anna Baack – A; pole vault (11’ 6 ½”)
    • Blake Becher – ranked 16th in the heptathlon (4,560)
    • Simon Brummond – B; pole vault (15’ 1”)
    • Jacob Cornelio – A; weight throw (59’ 7 ½”)
    • Jessica Deterding – ranked 17th in the pentathlon (3,138)
    • Jazzy Eickhoff – A; shot put (44’ 10 ¾”)
    • Jodi Fry – B; shot put (44’ 9 ¾”)
    • McKenzie Gravo – A; pole vault (12’ 6 ¼”)
    • Ben Hulett – B; 60 hurdles (8.28)
    • Scott Johnson – A; triple jump (47’ 2 ½”)
    • Leah Larson – B; triple jump (36’ 11”)
    • Samantha Liermann – A; shot put (48’ ¾”); A; weight throw (54’ 9 ½”)
    • Josiah McAllister – B; 1,000 meters (2:33.58)
    • Johanna Ragland – A; shot put (45’ 1 ½”)
    • Tyrell Reichert – B; pole vault (15’ 1”)
    • Adrianna Shaw – A; shot put (47’ 1 ¾”); A; weight throw (54’ 3 ¾”)
    • Kara Stark – B; high jump (5’ 5”)
    • Cody Williams – A; high jump (6’ 7”); ranked ninth in the heptathlon (4,723)
  • Two of the program’s most promising freshmen are Blake Becher and Cody Williams (Imperial, Neb.). Both now rank in the top 16 nationally in the heptathlon. Becher gained plenty of ground by totaling 4,560 points at the GPAC championships, good enough for him to place fourth. Meanwhile, Williams entered the meet with hopes of winning a GPAC title. He wound up in third with 4,667 points. Williams will be in line to compete at nationals in both the high jump and the heptathlon.

Wrestling

  • National tournament bids were up for grabs at last week’s GPAC Wrestling Championships (Feb. 17) hosted by Hastings. Twelve Bulldogs combined for 98.5 team points, 24 wins, eight individual place finishes and two individual GPAC titles at the event hosted by Hastings. Head coach Andrew Nicola’s squad placed fourth out of the nine GPAC institutions to sponsor wrestling. A week earlier, Concordia had finished fifth in the conference’s dual standings (8-8 overall, 5-3 GPAC). For more information on Bulldog wrestling, click HERE.
  • Though limited at times this season by injury, senior Giovanni Castillo came through when it mattered most. Seeded second at 133 pounds, Castillo went 3-0 on his way to a championship. His run included wins by decision over Northwestern’s Cole Mills and Briar Cliff’s Isiah Lysius and by pin in the title bout over Northwestern’s Jacob Hergott. After having wrestled only 12 matches this season prior to the tournament, Castillo (11-4) went a long way towards validating his No. 3 national ranking.
  • At one point, Deandre Chery had risen to the No. 1 GPAC ranking at 174 pounds. While not a favorite entering the weekend, Chery guaranteed himself a spot in the national championships with a conference title. He cruised to the 174-pound final via a pin over Morningside’s Jacob Wiley and a win by technical fall over Jamestown’s Tanner Smith. Chery then had to grind out an overtime win over 12th-ranked Brandon Shuler of Northwestern in the championship match. One of the team’s wins leaders, Chery is now 24-13 this season.
  • Chris Kimball is also headed to nationals via his third-place claim at 141 pounds. Kimball went 3-1 with his only loss coming against eventual GPAC champion David Berg of Midland. Kimball recovered by winning his final two bouts, including the third-place match over Briar Cliff’s Sonny Gulesian, 7-4. Castillo, Chery and Kimball will represent the program at the national championships as the team’s three national qualifiers.
  • Following the GPAC championships, 12 Bulldogs own 10 or more victories (five have reached the 20-win mark): Cam Devers (25-9), Walker Fisher (24-11), Deandre Chery (24-13), Josh Nelsen (24-15), Darrin Miller (23-17), Stepps III (19-17), Jared Woods (18-17), Cody Lambert (16-16), Chris Kimball (16-17), Tyler Jorgensen (15-13), Blake Castillo (12-11) and Jon Lado (10-5). A sophomore from Miami Gardens, Fla., Chery pushed his team high pin count to 13 with one at the GPAC championships.
  • Five other Bulldogs placed in the top five of their brackets: Jerry Stepps III (fourth at 125), Jared Woods (fourth at 157), Walker Fisher (fifth at 174), Darrin Miller (fifth at 184) and Josh Nelsen (fourth at 184). Unfortunately, those finishes did not earn them berths to the national championships. Among the 12 Concordia wrestlers to compete last week, two appeared at the 2017 national tournament: Kirk Kaliszewski (165) and Nelsen. Kaliszewski was unable to recapture the magic he had last season when he won the 165-pound GPAC title.
  • Though Stepps III will not be making a trip to nationals, his resilience throughout his life has been impressive. At the age of 10, his father was murdered. He also remained committed at Concordia despite being a backup at 125 until this season. The St. Louis native seized his opportunity this season and went a perfect 8-0 in GPAC duals. His 19 wins as a senior were more than he had his first three years combined (13).
  • For the team’s three national qualifiers, the focus is all on the NAIA Wrestling National Championships, set for March 2-3 at the Jacobson Exhibition Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The event will move back to where it took place in at the 2012 and 2013 championships. Topeka, Kan., then hosted the wrestling national tournament from 2014 through 2017.

Women’s Basketball

  • Somehow, the 2017-18 Bulldogs managed to top the 28-2 regular season put together by the 2016-17 team. While spending the final week of the regular season at home, Concordia took care of Doane, 68-59, and 10th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan, 55-42, behind stellar defensive efforts. What it means is that 12th-year head coach Drew Olson’s conference championship squad finished a whole three games above second place Dakota Wesleyan and Northwestern. The Bulldogs enter the postseason at 29-1 overall and at 19-1 in conference play. For more information on Concordia women’s basketball, click HERE.
  • The Bulldogs have now won 19 GPAC regular-season contests in back-to-back seasons, equaling the school record for number of conference wins in a campaign. The only team in program history to ever go undefeated in league play was the 2002-03 edition that went a perfect 16-0. That team’s unbeaten run (33-0) eventually came to an end in the conference tournament. In his 12 seasons, Olson’s GPAC record now stands at an impressive 174-59 (.747) with four regular-season titles to his credit.
  • Concordia ranks second nationally in scoring average (88.9), but last week it showed it can win ugly. The Bulldogs shot 34.3 percent against Doane and 33.3 percent versus Dakota Wesleyan, but still managed to win both games by nine points or more thanks to a tenacious defense that forced 55 combined turnovers and held both foes south of 40 percent shooting. Concordia brought back its signature full-court press against Dakota Wesleyan, a team feature a physically imposing frontcourt. Opponents are averaging more than 25 turnovers per game.
  • The 2014-15 through 2017-18 seasons have now produced a combined 120 wins (and only 18 losses), making this the second winningest four-year period in program history. The constants on those teams have been four-year varsity contributors Brenleigh Daum and Mary Janovich. This four-year stretch could go down as the most successful in school history. The only better four-year stretch in terms of overall wins occurred from 2001-2005 when the Bulldogs went 123-21 overall.
  • One of four seniors honored during a ceremony at halftime of last week’s men’s basketball game against Doane, Janovich has moved into a tie for 10th on the program’s all-time steals list. The 2016-17 GPAC defensive player of the year has pilfered 231 thefts during her time as a Bulldog. Olson has coached five of the program’s top 10 thieves, including second-ranked Bailey Morris (394). Janovich also ranks 20th in school history in scoring (1,114 points).
  • Concordia sorely needed the scoring punch it got from Daum in the win over Dakota Wesleyan, which featured a five-point quarter for both teams during the second half of action. A native of McCook, Neb., Daum has been on a nice four-game offensive run during which she’s averaged 14.5 points and has gone 13-for-26 (.500) from beyond the arc. Daum also made significant defensive contributions versus Dakota Wesleyan, notching three steals and two blocked shots.
  • Clinching the GPAC’s No. 1 seed and the right to host in the conference tournament is a big deal for a program that has won 33-straight games played inside Walz Arena. The streak stretches back to the final four home games of the 2015-16 season and includes a perfect 17-0 home record in 2016-17 as well as a 12-0 mark this season. The Bulldogs have been nearly untouchable inside Walz this winter. Of those 12 home victories, the only one decided by a single-digit margin was last week’s nine-point win over Doane.
  • GPAC commissioner Corey Westra attended the game over the weekend and presented the team with its regular-season championship trophy. Now the attention shifts to attempting to sweep GPAC titles for the third time in seven seasons (also accomplished in 2011-12 and 2016-17). A GPAC tournament title would mark the fifth one in school history and the fourth under Olson, who led the program to conference postseason championships in 2012, 2015 and 2017.
  • Conference tournament action will get underway at 7 p.m. CT inside Walz Arena on Wednesday when eighth-seeded Briar Cliff (10-20, 7-13 GPAC) visits Seward for the second time this season. The first two matchups with the Chargers have been blowouts with Concordia winning by margins of 38 and 39 points. The winner will advanced to Saturday’s semifinal round and play either fourth-seeded Hastings (24-5, 15-5 GPAC) or fifth-seeded Morningside (20-10, 13-7 GPAC).

Men’s Basketball

  • The Bulldogs came up short in their efforts to earn a top four GPAC finish and conference tournament quarterfinal home game. They entered last week needing two wins and some help in order to make it happen. Instead, Concordia settled for sixth place after toppling Doane, 71-56, on Feb. 14 and then getting beat handily by 17th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan, 80-53, on Feb. 17. Those results leave head coach Ben Limback’s squad at 17-12 overall and at 8-10 in league play. For more information on Bulldog men’s basketball, click HERE.
  • For the fourth GPAC tournament in a row, Concordia will be on the road in the quarterfinals. Unlike the previous three seasons, the Bulldogs do not have to venture to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D., for postseason action. The next step for the program will be to crack that top four in the conference. Concordia has been consistently right around .500 in league play in each of the past four seasons with GPAC records of 9-11, 10-10, 10-8 and 8-10, respectively. From an overall perspective, the Bulldogs have averaged 18 wins per season over the past four years.
  • Sophomore Clay Reimers came up a couple of points in the win over Doane shy of turning in two double-doubles last week. He continues to lead the GPAC in that category after putting up 17 points and 12 rebounds (10th double-double) versus Dakota Wesleyan. Reimers also swatted six shots in that game. Among GPAC players, Reimers also ranks first in rebounding (8.8), second in field goal percentage (.608), second in blocks per game (1.36) and 13th in scoring (15.5), making him an obvious first team all-conference candidate.
  • The main culprit for the team’s slip back during the second half of the season has been its regressed offensive production. During a 12-3 start (5-2 in league play), Concordia shot 50 percent or better eight times. Over the past 14 contests (5-9), the Bulldogs have reached that number only three times (all wins). Concordia has also been getting to the free throw line less frequently. In a loss at Morningside on Feb. 10, it shot four free throws. The Bulldogs took only eight free throw tries versus Dakota Wesleyan.
  • Unless multiple upsets allow Concordia to host in subsequent rounds of the GPAC tournament, Chris Johnstone and Kyle Pierce have played their final home games as collegiate athletes. Both were recognized prior to tipoff of the game against Dakota Wesleyan. Pierce made a big jump in production from his junior to senior seasons. After averaging 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in a more limited role last season, Pierce is averaging 10.1 points and 6.1 rebounds this season. Meanwhile, Johnstone has averaged 6.9 points over 55 career games at Concordia.
  • The opportunities have increased for freshmen Alex May and Noah Valasek. An injury to Zach Friel at CIT has opened up the door for May, who has seen at least six minutes of action in four-straight games. Valasek played only sparingly for much of the first half of the season but has now logged at least 10 minutes in each of the last six games. He totaled 11 combined points last week.
  • Johnstone’s decision to forego his final year of eligibility means that the 2018-19 roster will not have a single senior, barring the addition of a one-year transfer. The current 15-man varsity roster includes nine sophomores and four freshmen. While there won’t be a senior in next year’s bunch, there will be plenty of experience. Seven second-year players have averaged more than 10 minutes per game this season.
  • Concordia won its first five home games of this season before settling for an 8-4 home record. The year prior, the 2016-17 team posted an impressive 14-3 home mark. Over the past three seasons, the Bulldogs have gone a combined 32-11 at home. Each of this season’s home defeats came against nationally ranked foes within the conference.
  • The program would like to end its dry spell of nearly a decade since its most recent postseason victory (which occurred in 2009 when Concordia reached the GPAC tournament semifinals). As the conference’s sixth seed, the Bulldogs will be at third-seeded Northwestern (23-5, 13-5 GPAC) for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff on Wednesday. Concordia will have to find a way to contain Colton Kooima, who piled up 88 combined points in two regular-season meetings. The winner will advance to Saturday’s semifinals and take on either second-seeded Briar Cliff (24-6, 13-5 GPAC) or seventh-seeded Doane (13-17, 7-11 GPAC).

Softball

  • The 2018 season got underway over the weekend during a stay in the state of Kansas while up against two Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference opponents. The Bulldogs split a doubleheader at Tabor College on Feb. 17 and then got swept in a twin bill at Kansas Wesleyan on Feb. 18. Three of the four games were ended by the run rule. Fifth-year head coach Todd LaVelle’s squad is fresh off a 34-14 2017 campaign that included a share of second place in the GPAC standings. For more information on Concordia softball, click HERE.
  • The Bulldogs earned plenty of respect in the preseason rankings despite the loss of top two pitchers, Michaela Woodward and Kylie Harpst. Concordia checked in at No. 2 in the GPAC preseason poll and also received votes in the NAIA national preseason coaches’ poll. During LaVelle’s tenure, the Bulldogs have appeared among “others receiving votes” on several occasions but have yet to crack the top 25.
  • LaVelle will count on a host of newcomers this season. In the season’s opening game, four freshman were inserted into the starting lineup: first baseman Hhana Haro, third baseman Tori Homolka, center fielder Mackinsey Schmidt and catcher Allysia Thayer. In addition, University of Sioux Falls transfer Kenna Heath started in right field. Haro and Homolka held down spots in the middle of the lineup and both delivered a home run over the weekend. Haro hit a grand slam as part of the 15-6 romping of Tabor.
  • The team’s headlining returner is 2017 first team all-conference selection Leah Kalkwarf, who led off and started at second base in each of the four weekend contests. The opposition struggled to retire the junior from Omaha, who went 6-for-9 and walked four times. She also doubled, homered, scored five runs and drove in two. Kalkwarf made a big jump from freshman (2016) to sophomore (2017) year, pushing her batting average from .310 to .366. With five hits in the doubleheader at Tabor, Kalkwarf moved past 100 in her collegiate career.
  • Returners that joined Kalkwarf in the opening game lineup included pitcher Baily Clear, shortstop Jamie Lefebure, designated player Delaney Nance and left fielder Janey Pasold. A junior from Crete, Lefebure combines with Kalkwarf to give Concordia an experienced middle infield. Lefebure batted .306 while playing in 47 games last season. She has seen action in 87 games as a Bulldog.
  • The Bulldogs will have to wait until the Tucson Invitational for Texas A&M University Commerce transfer Brittany Woolridge to make her Concordia debut. An injury sidelined her over the weekend. In her place, Clear got the ball in game one. While Clear was charged with allowing 21 runs in the opening weekend, she suffered from a rash of errors that plagued the team defensively. Grace Bernhardt and Nance also got time in the circle last week. Nance fired two scoreless innings.
  • The Bulldogs are scheduled to play two more KCAC institutions this weekend. Concordia will be at Sterling College (2-4) for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday. The next day, the Bulldogs will play twice at Bethany College (2-6) with first pitch set for 12 p.m. Those games will get Concordia ready for the Tucson Invitational (March 5-9), which includes an 11-game slate in Arizona.

Tennis

  • Both teams just completed the second week of their spring seasons. It was a relatively light week for the women’s team, which endured a 7-2 loss to Baker University in its only outing. Meanwhile, the men traveled to central Iowa and defeated Knox College, 9-0, before falling, 8-1, to host Central College on Feb. 17. Following last week’s action, head coach Joel Reckewey’s squads both sit at 3-2 overall. For more on Concordia tennis, click the following links: men | women.
  • The men had little trouble with NCAA Division III Knox. In the blanking of the Prairie Fire, the Bulldogs got singles victories from Thomas Greeff, Gio De Moraes, Luke Zoller, Jeremy Berryman, Caleb Lauby and Josh Miller without losing a single set. Concordia also breezed through doubles, relinquishing only three games to Knox. On the other hand, the Bulldogs were able to avoid being shut out by Central thanks to a win at No. 3 doubles via De Moraes and Miller. Prior to the weekend, Concordia had played against only NAIA opponents.
  • Through five matches, the Bulldog men are virtually .500 in both singles and doubles having collectively produced records of 15-15 in singles and 8-7 in doubles. Three players are tied for the team lead for most singles wins: Berryman (3-2), Miller (3-1) and Zoller (3-2). Concordia has had the most success at the Nos. 3 (3-2) and 4 (3-2) singles spots in the lineup. In doubles, De Moraes and Miller are a perfect 3-0 when paired up at No. 3. Berryman and Zoller have combined for two wins at No. 2 doubles.
  • Junior Katelinn Wurm had a hand in both match wins against Baker. She earned a 4-6, 6-3 (10-4) victory at No. 3 singles and teamed with Alison Ebel on a 9-8 triumph at No. 3 doubles. Ebel nearly enjoyed a 2-0 day as well. She lost her tiebreaker at the No. 4 singles spot. Meanwhile, the Wildcats dominated at Nos. 1, 2 and 5 singles and at the Nos. 1 and 2 doubles spots.
  • Despite a singles loss last week, sophomore Kirsten Wagner continues to top the team with a 3-2 singles mark. In doubles, Wurm has rarely been defeated (3-1). The Bulldogs have yet to surrender at the No. 3 doubles spot, where they are 5-0 this season. Collectively, the women are 15-15 in singles matches and 8-7 in doubles action.
  • Both squads are set to play once this week. They will take on Ottawa University at Genesis Health Club in Lincoln on Friday. First serve is set for 4 p.m. CT. The Braves are a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.