Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week: Due to the absence of the weekly BAAM meetings, Athletes of the Week will not be announced. BAAM meetings have now been canceled for the remainder of the 2020-21 academic year.
News and notes:
Women’s Basketball opening rounds announced: Concordia Women’s Basketball learned of its opening round assignment for the national tournament when brackets were announced on March 4. The Bulldogs garnered a No. 1 seed and were placed in Park City Bracket B. Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad will play the winner between No. 2 seed Loyola University New Orleans and No. 3 seed Langston University (Okla.) at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday (March 13). Should Concordia win on Saturday, it would be one of 16 teams left standing and would advance to the final site (Sioux City, Iowa) of the national championship tournament. For more details, click HERE.
Women’s Golf opens up spring season: Concordia Women’s Golf has picked things back up this spring while venturing to Hawks Creek Golf Club in Westworth Village, Texas. As of Tuesday (March 9), the Bulldogs were in the midst of playing 54 holes at the Texas Intercollegiate. On day one, Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad turned in a team two-round score of 365-352–717. Kendra Placke (86-80 – 166) and Mia Martin (82-85 – 167) were the team’s top two individual performers. The event will conclude with one round on Tuesday.
Shooting Sports places third at Doane Invite: Concordia Shooting Sports competed in an event for the second time this spring semester while taking third place at the Doane University Invitational this past weekend (March 6-7). On an individual level, the top Bulldog shooters from a high overall (HOA) perspective were junior Wyatt Hambly (283), junior Russell Malterud (283), junior Sarah Schwacher (282), graduate student Erin Lokke (279), senior Monica Dale (277) and senior Rebecca Tierney (277). Schwacher won the HOA title on the women’s side. Freshman Breyer Meeks nearly ran a perfect score in trap by hitting 99/100 targets. For more information on Concordia Shooting Sports, click HERE.
All-GPAC basketball teams unveiled: The GPAC revealed the 2020-21 all-conference basketball teams on March 3. On the men’s teams, the Bulldogs were represented by Justin Wiersema (first team), Carter Kent (second team) and Gage Smith (second team). Meanwhile, the women had four All-GPAC honorees: Taylor Cockerill (first team), Taysha Rushton (first team), Mackenzie Koepke (honorable mention) and Rylee Pauli (honorable mention). The first and second teams consist of 10 players apiece and are voted upon by league coaches.
Upcoming fall sport games: That’s right, fall sports will play official games this spring due to the postponements of the conference and national tournaments (now scheduled for April). Head Coach Thomas Goines’ women’s soccer team (9-4-1 overall) opened up spring play this past weekend with a 1-0 double overtime loss at Southwestern College (Kan.). The lineup looked a bit different as three Bulldogs made their first starts of the 2020-21 season. For a recap of the game at Southwestern, click HERE. Next up on the slate for fall sports squads is next Wednesday’s home volleyball match versus Ottawa University (Kan.). The women’s and men’s soccer teams are getting set to play at Benedictine College (Kan.) on Saturday, March 20.
-Volleyball: March 17 vs. Ottawa University (Kan.), 7 p.m.
-Women’s Soccer: March 20 at Benedictine College (Kan.), 1 p.m.
-Men’s Soccer: March 20 at Benedictine College (Kan.), 3:30 p.m.
Current fan attendance policy: In accordance with Directed Health Measures released by the state of Nebraska, Concordia continues to allow 50 percent capacity in indoor facilities. Please note that spectators will not be permitted to attend indoor track and field meets (per GPAC policy). For additional details on how to purchase tickets to Bulldog Athletic events, see the paragraph below regarding HomeTown ticketing.
HomeTown Ticketing and Fan protocols for home events: Fans who plan to attend Concordia Athletics home events are advised to read through our protocols HERE. All fans are expected to self-screen and are required to wear masks while viewing contests in either Bulldog Stadium or Walz Arena. Non-family members are welcome to be present on our campus during these contests. Fans are also encouraged to order advance tickets through HomeTown Ticketing. By purchasing tickets online, fans are guaranteed entrance on game days. Concordia is allowing 75 percent capacity in outdoor venues and 50 percent capacity in indoor venues.
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its fifth 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 2020-21 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Parker Cyza serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for basketball. Frank Greene is in his sixth season calling Concordia volleyball.
Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting https://www.cune.edu/athletics/watch-bulldogs at game time. Beginning in 2019-20, Concordia Athletics partnered with PrestoSports for live video and statistical streaming. For more details on this change, click HERE. Check team schedules/results pages for webcast dates. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.
Track & Field
· The indoor season came to a conclusion last week as the 2021 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships (March 3-6) were held in the Ruth Donohoue First Dakota Fieldhouse on the Mount Marty campus. The Concordia women’s team made a significant splash by piling up 49 points (with the help of two individual national titles) for a third-place national finish. Meanwhile, the men totaled 18.5 points and came in at 12th place. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads also turned in GPAC indoor finishes of first on the women’s side and third on the men’s side this season. For more information on Concordia Track & Field, click HERE.
· The women’s program accomplished the ultimate goal in 2016 when it won the NAIA outdoor national title. However, the third-place national finish achieved last week represents the program’s best ever NAIA indoor claim. The previous indoor standard was fourth, attained by the 2020 Bulldogs. The women are on an impressive roll having placed in the top 10 nationally in six-straight NAIA indoor meets – fifth in 2016, seventh in 2017, ninth in 2018, ninth in 2019, fourth in 2020 and third in 2021. In addition, the Concordia women have placed 12th or better at six-straight NAIA outdoor championships.
· Junior Rachel Battershell is proving to be an all-time great competitor. She claimed her second 400 meter NAIA national title in a row last week by clocking in at 56.03 in the finals. A year earlier, Battershell captured the 400 meter NAIA crown by running a school record time of 54.77 (breaking the record that had been held by Carol Bailey since 1990). A native of Wheatland, Wyo., Battershell is also a three-time GPAC 400 meter champion and has now collected six All-America awards in her career while working closely with assistant coach Mark Samuels.
· For the first time since 2003, the program can boast a women’s pole vault national champion. Sophomore Josie Puelz won another highly contested competition on March 3 when she outlasted Abby Collingham of Hastings. The Lincoln Lutheran High School alum equaled her own personal best and school record by clearing 13’ 4 ½.” Puelz is the first Concordia women’s vault national titlist since Stephanie Beberniss swept NAIA indoor/outdoor titles in 2003. Puelz placed third in the NAIA one year ago.
· By meet’s end, 22 Bulldogs (out of 37 who traveled to nationals) had grabbed All-America honors in at least one event. Battershell (400 meters and 4x400 meter relay) and freshman Rylee Haecker (1,000 meters and distance medley relay) both achieved All-America status in one individual event and as part of a relay. The list of All-Americans featured 13 women and nine men. The list lengthened significantly due to having three relays place in All-America territory: both the women’s 4x4 and distance medley relays and the men’s 4x4. Concordia achieved four combined All-America honors in the pole vault and four in the throws.
· Assistant coach Jason Berry oversees the deepest group of pole vaulters in all of the NAIA. Not only did Puelz win the national title, but Erin Mapson (fourth), Zach Bennetts (fifth) and Chase Berry (sixth) also took home All-America awards. The eight combined pole vault national qualifiers were far and away the most in the country. Mapson is now a three-time pole vault All-American while Berry and Puelz both raked in their second career All-America plaques. Bennett was a first-timer.
· Junior Cody Williams was the highest individual point scorer for the men courtesy of his third-place claim in the heptathlon (six team points). Williams made a big jump up the heptathlon standings on the second day of the competition thanks to his work in the hurdles and in the pole vault. Williams finished with 5,056 points (after having put up 4,956 points in a GPAC title effort two weeks earlier). Williams was the 2019 NAIA heptathlon runner up and is a four-time All-American.
· Coach Ed McLaughlin’s throws group is rapidly improving and should be especially stacked this outdoor season (with national champions Jacob Cornelio and Addie Shaw back in the fold). The throws All-Americans last week included Morgan De Jong (fifth in the weight throw), Elle Luehr (fifth in the shot put), Sarah Ragland (third in the weight throw) and Chris Wren (fifth in the weight throw). Both Ragland and Wren turned in PR’s in their All-America efforts. De Jong is a two-time All-American while Luehr, Ragland and Wren all earned their first All-America awards.
· After spring break, the focus will shift to outdoor season. There has not been an outdoor meet since 2019 due to the cancellation of last outdoor season. The Bulldogs are scheduled to resume action on March 26 at the Viking Relays hosted by Grand View University (Iowa). At the 2019 NAIA outdoor championships, Concordia placed fifth on the women’s side and 31st on the men’s side.
Wrestling
· In the COVID-19 era of college athletics, the Bulldogs managed to navigate a mostly normal schedule for the 2020-21 wrestling season. The 2021 NAIA Wrestling National Championships went forward as planned last week (March 5-6) while taking place at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. Head Coach Levi Calhoun took three qualifiers to the national tournament where junior Mario Ybarra emerged with the first All-America award of his career. As a team, Concordia placed 35th (6.5 team points). For more information on Concordia Wrestling, click HERE.
· Ybarra effectively extended the program’s streak of consecutive years with an All-American to eight. Seeded sixth at 133 pounds, Ybarra reached the quarterfinals before suffering his first loss of the tournament. The native of Scottsbluff, Neb., bounced back with a victory that clinched the All-America award. Ybarra ended his tournament with a win over Montana State University-Northern’s fourth-seeded Nick Kunz, the 2020 national champion at 125 pounds. Below is a summary of Ybarra’s national tournament.
· Champ. Round 2 - 6 Mario Ybarra (Concordia) won by decision over 11 CJ Shadinger (Reinhardt) (Dec 7-2) · Quarterfinal - 3 Conner Gimson (Indiana Tech) won in tie breaker - 1 over 6 Mario Ybarra (Concordia) (TB-1 2-1) · Cons. Round 4 - 6 Mario Ybarra (Concordia) won by decision over Michael Land (Reinhardt) (Dec 3-2) · Cons. Round 5 - Alex Pena (Wayland Baptist) won by decision over 6 Mario Ybarra (Concordia) (Dec 5-2) · 7th Place Match - 6 Mario Ybarra (Concordia) won in sudden victory - 1 over 4 Nick Kunz (Montana State - Northern) (SV-1 3-1).
· The collegiate wrestling career came to an end for senior 165-pounder Gabe Crawford (Virginia Beach, Va.), who qualified for nationals for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, Crawford’s tournament ended quickly when he endured losses by major decision to both third-seeded Elias Vaoifi of Missouri Valley College and to Seth Dixon of Wayland Baptist University (Texas). Crawford’s career included 45 total wins, a 2020 GPAC title (157) and a 2021 GPAC runner-up claim (165). Crawford fought through injuries as a senior and went 11-9 overall.
· Heavyweight Jacob Telles qualified for nationals as just a freshman after a thrilling GPAC tournament championship match upset. Seeded 12th at 285, Telles was eliminated from the national tournament bracket with losses coming at the hands of fifth-seeded Maleek Caton of Williams Baptist University (Ark.) and Byron Pierce of Midway University (Ky.). Though it was a quicker exit than hoped, Telles put together a fine season that saw him go 33-13 overall with 13 pins (team leader in both wins and pins).
· Ybarra may have the ability to compete for a national title in 2022. His 2020-21 season was interrupted by an injury that kept him sidelined for roughly two months and forced him to miss the GPAC tournament. Ybarra finished the campaign with a 15-3 overall record. He was ranked as high as fourth in the NAIA at 133 at one point this season. He won the 2020 125-pound GPAC title and would have been the conference favorite this year at 133. Ybarra will enter next season having recorded 62 career collegiate victories.
· Calhoun has now coached four All-Americans in three seasons as head coach. The group includes Tanner Farmer (2020 heavyweight runner up), Alberto Garcia (2019 and 2020) and Ybarra (2021). Counting his time as an assistant at Concordia, Calhoun has been present for 10 total All-America awards, including three national finalists and one national champion. In program history, 12 different individual All-Americans have combined for 18 total All-America honors.
· After leading a young team through the 2020-21 season, Calhoun will expect to see improvement from his program heading into next winter. This season saw the Bulldogs place in a tie for fifth in the GPAC regular season and then sixth at the GPAC tournament. In duals, Concordia went 5-11 overall (3-5 GPAC). It participated in five regular season tournaments leading up to the GPAC Championships. Often times this season, the Bulldogs showcased dual lineups full of freshmen such as Mason Garcia, TJ Huber, Jeaven Scdoris, Telles and Carter Willis.
Women’s Basketball
· The national tournament is up next for the 16th-ranked Bulldogs, who wrapped up the GPAC tournament last week as the runner up to Morningside. Concordia rallied from a 36-15 deficit in the first half and took the lead in the fourth quarter. The Mustangs managed to hold off the Bulldogs, 67-65, in a fiercely intense championship game in Sioux City, Iowa. It marked the fifth-straight year that Head Coach Drew Olson has led Concordia to the conference championship game. The Bulldogs are now 20-8 overall. For more information on Concordia Women’s Basketball, click HERE.
· Despite the defeat, the Bulldogs likely gained even more confidence in proving they could play right with a powerful Morningside squad. The backcourt duo of Taylor Cockerill and Taysha Rushton put on a show. Rushton nailed five treys in the second quarter while fueling the comeback efforts. Rushton ended up with 24 points while going 6-for-10 from beyond the arc. Cockerill did most of her damage in the second half when she tallied 19 of her 21 points. Cockerill went 4-for-5 from 3-point range. At one point in the second half, she went on a personal 8-0 run.
· Neither team led by more than three points in a frantic fourth quarter that saw both sides trade blows. Down the stretch, Taylor Rodenburgh hit two massive jumpers to turn a three-point Mustang deficit into a two-point lead (65-63) in the final seconds. Cockerill responded with a driving layup to even things up once again. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they fell victim to a last-second game winner for the second-straight meeting with Morningside (26-2). Sophia Peppers led the Mustangs with 16 points and eight rebounds.
· Olson had been 6-0 in GPAC tournament championship games prior to last week. In those six previous title game appearances, Concordia defeated Dakota Wesleyan (three times), Morningside (twice) and Hastings. In the defeat at Morningside, the Bulldogs had their 14-game GPAC tournament win streak snapped. On the flip side, the program’s streak of 17-straight GPAC tournament home wins remains intact. As for Morningside, it also swept GPAC regular season/postseason titles in 2015-16 before Concordia went on its four-year run of dominance.
· Cockerill is now a two-time first team all-conference honoree. The Waverly High School product also picked up first team accolades in 2018-19 for the national championship team. While returning from an injury that sidelined her in 2019-20, Cockerill has started all 28 games and leads the team in points (14.5), rebounds (6.2) and assists (3.04) per game. She is shooting 41.7 percent from the floor, 38.0 percent from 3-point range and 78.7 percent from the foul line. Twice this season Cockerill has poured in 33 points in a single game. She will enter the national tournament having piled up career totals of 1,324 points (16th most in program history), 471 rebounds, 244 assists, 164 steals and 148 3-point field goals. She was chosen as a 2018-19 NAIA honorable mention All-America selection.
· Rushton emerged as a strong candidate for the GPAC Freshman of the Year award (which wound up going to Dakota Wesleyan’s Haidyn Pitsch). The native of Lubbock, Texas, immediately stepped into a starting role and has averaged 14.3 points, 2.6 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Rushton is shooting 36.6 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from 3-point range and 81.9 percent from the free throw line. Rushton ranks fourth among all GPAC players with 66 made 3-point field goals (2.36 per game). Her scoring average is the second highest for a freshman during Olson’s tenure.
· A very unfamiliar opponent is up next for the Bulldogs, who will have a bye in the opening round bracket before playing the winner between No. 2 seed Loyola University New Orleans and No. 3 seed Langston University (Okla.) in Park City Bracket B. Concordia is the No. 1 seed in the pod and the No. 16 overall seed in the tournament. Loyola (20-1) gained entry into the tournament by winning the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament. Meanwhile, Langston (8-7) qualified via its Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament runner-up claim. Loyola is ranked 19th in the NAIA while Langston is rated 39th.
· Olson has been at the controls for each of Concordia’s past 13 national tournament appearances (including 2021). His record at the national tournament now stands at 24-10 with five trips to the final four, including three national championship game appearances (2015, 2018, 2019). The program raised its first-ever national championship banner in March 2019. Olson has won more national tournament games than any coach in school history (men’s or women’s programs). The Bulldogs will be making their 10th-straight national tournament appearance.
Baseball
· For the second-straight weekend, Concordia took on a nonconference foe in a four-game series. After dropping the first game of the series versus Grand View University (Iowa), the Bulldogs took the next three in dominant fashion while piling up home runs. Concordia won by scores of 13-2, 10-0 and 18-5 in a historic offensive explosion for the program. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad moved to 8-2 overall having taken three of four in back-to-back series. For more information on Concordia Baseball, click HERE.
· The Bulldogs hit 16 home runs in the four-game series with seven of them coming in the final game of the weekend. That total equaled a program record for most homers in a single game, tying the standard set on March 24, 2019, versus Dakota Wesleyan. Concordia opened up the 18-5 win over Grand View with five home runs in the first inning. That number of big flies eclipsed the previous program record for home runs in one inning of three (achieved four times – most recently in 2019). Concordia has already accumulated 22 home runs in 10 games.
· Seven Bulldogs combined for the 16 homers on the weekend, including Jakob Faulk (four), Jesse Garcia (three), Jayden Adams (two), Keaton Candor (two), Beau Dorman (two), Joey Grabanski (two) and Ben Martin (one). Of those seven Concordia sluggers, Candor owns the most career blasts with 20 followed closely by Garcia with 19. Meanwhile, Martin left the yard in the first at bat of his collegiate career while pinch hitting. The Bulldogs rank third nationally with an average of 2.2 home runs per game.
· Adams, a freshman (in terms of eligibility) from Waverly, Neb., has been on a tear at the top of the lineup. He’s started all 10 games and has gone 19-for-34 (.559) with 16 runs scored, three home runs and 11 RBIs to go along with a .941 slugging percentage. In the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Adams hit .321 with 16 RBIs in 20 games. In the final game of last weekend, Adams went 4-for-4 with three runs, two homers and five RBIs.
· The pitching staff has also been solid despite ace pitcher Nick Little and closer Ryan Samuelson having yet to make their 2021 debuts. Freshman Alex Johnson and senior Trent Wood have helped pick up the slack. Johnson has shown an impressive ability to miss bats. He’s struck out 23 hitters in 11.1 innings and has won his first two starts. Meanwhile, Wood is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 14 innings. Johnson notched 12 strikeouts in 5.1 innings in his start last week versus Grand View.
· As a staff, Concordia owns a 1.96 ERA and has recorded 105 strikeouts in 69 innings. Dupic has managed the group carefully with no starting pitcher having gone more than six innings in any single game. Eleven Bulldogs have thrown two or more innings already in 2021. Wood (14), Johnson (11.1) and Jake Fosgett (10.1) have logged the most innings to this point. Fosgett has made three starts and has allowed only three hits while striking out 14.
· As a team, Concordia is slashing .337/.420/.621 (AVG/OBP/SLG) through 10 games. Six Bulldog regulars are batting .350 or better: Adams (.559), Garcia (.452), Grabanski (.444), Dorman (.438), Candor (.357) and Ben Berg (.350). When the Bulldogs aren’t hitting the ball over the fence, they also can use the speedy Peyton Scott as a weapon on the base paths. He’s already stolen 12 bases (in 13 attempts). His weekend included a straight steal of home. His 12 steals are a career high (35 career steals in 41 attempts).
· Concordia is scheduled to play five times this week, beginning with Wednesday’s single nine-inning game at Sterling College. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CT from Sterling, Kan. The Bulldogs will then be back in Sabetha, Kan. (same location as the Grand View series) for a four-game set with Dickinson State University (N.D.) this Saturday and Sunday. Doubleheaders will get started at 1 p.m. both days.
Softball
· Early indications are quite positive for the Bulldogs, who are in the midst of a hectic spring break of action. Concordia played six games over three days (March 5-7) at the Friends University Invitational in Wichita, Kan. Head Coach Shawn Semler’s squad went 5-1 over that stretch with win over Tabor College (Kan.), University of Saint Mary (Kan.), Bethel College (Kan.), host Friends and Dakota State University (S.D.). The loss came against Avila University (Mo.). The Bulldogs stand at 9-1 overall. For more information on Concordia Softball, click HERE.
· The Bulldogs have played four games decided by margins of one or two runs, but they have also done their fair share of blowing out opponents. Concordia won its final three games of the Friends Invite by the run rule and has taken five games by the run rule on the season. Over the six games in Wichita, the Bulldogs outscored their opponents by a combined total of 48-11. During that same span, Concordia batted .331 with 11 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and a .552 slugging percentage.
· Dating back to last season, the Bulldogs have gone 21-3 over their last 24 games. That record includes all 14 contests played during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign that saw Concordia go 12-2. There’s been a lot of winning since Semler took over the head role prior to the 2019 season. Semler owns a record of 49-15 (.766) as head coach of the Bulldogs. Also worth noting, Camry Moore is now 12-1 (5-0 this season) in her last 13 pitching decisions.
· Five Concordia regulars batted .368 or better at the Friends Invite: Jenessa Jarvis (.500), Camry Moore (.421), Kylee Nixon (.412), Regan Karel (.375) and Tori Homolka (.368). Jarvis went 9-for-18 with six runs scored, two doubles, a home run and nine RBIs. Moore and Nixon belted one home run a piece while Homolka crushed a grand slam in the win over Friends. Moore, Nixon and Karel each drove in seven runs over the six games. The five aforementioned Bulldogs were responsible for all seven of the team’s homers in Wichita.
· As a veteran, Moore has morphed into more of a strikeout pitcher. She started three games in the circle last week and notched 17 strikeouts while allowing just one earned run in 13 innings of work. The Crete High School product tossed a four-hit shutout in the five-inning win over Saint Mary. On the season, Moore has covered 27.2 innings and is 5-0 with a 1.63 ERA and 41 strikeouts (to go against six walks). Moore logged a career high 15 strikeouts in the season opener at Benedictine.
· Overall this season, Nixon is leading the team with a .438 batting average (14-for-32). It appears she’s found a home in the leadoff spot of the lineup, where she batted on Sunday. Nixon has already tallied 14 runs scored, four doubles, three home runs and 10 RBIs while slugging .844. The York High School product eventually won a starting spot as a freshman in 2019 before the 2020 season was cut short. In other words, this is Nixon’s first full season as a starter. In her collegiate career, she’s hitting .411 in 57 games.
· The 9-1 start just might be good enough to get the Bulldogs into the NAIA top 25 (or at least closer to it) when the new coaches’ poll is announced on Wednesday. If Concordia does crack the top 25, it would mark the first national ranking for the program since checking in at No. 25 during the 1998 season (under then Head Coach Tim Preuss) The 2021 Bulldogs received votes in the poll that was put out on Jan. 13.
· Concordia can certainly catch some attention if it has success today (March 9) as it gets set to take on fourth-ranked Oklahoma City University (6-1). The doubleheader is set to get underway at 2 p.m. CT. The Stars have won 10 national titles in their program history. The Bulldogs will also play at Oklahoma Wesleyan University on Wednesday before taking part in the McPherson College Tournament on Friday and Saturday.
Tennis
· Two Saturdays in a row (Feb. 20 and 27), the men’s and women’s teams went head-to-head with nonconference opponents. The Bulldogs have been idle since Feb. 27 when they welcomed Bethany College (Kan.) to Genesis Racquet Club in Lincoln, Neb. The team scores were identical as Concordia won the men’s and women’s matches 5-2. Head Coach David DeSimone’s men’s and women’s teams are both 3-0 this 2020-21 season. For more information on Bulldog Tennis: Men | Women.
· The duo of Jack Kitson and Eduardo Rojas held down the No. 1 doubles spots that earned DeSimone’s praise after the Bethany match. They held off their counterparts for a 6-4 win. The closest decision in doubles came at No. 2 where Jeremy Berryman and Joe Bindl squeaked out a victory. Then at No. 3, Juan Rabellino and Luke Zoller teamed up on a 6-1 win. The victories in singles came courtesy of Isaac Howes at No. 1, Kitson at No. 2, Bindl at No. 5 and Rabellino at No. 6. In six singles, Rabellino won every game in a 6-0, 6-0 decision. Each of the singles matches were decided without tiebreakers being necessary. Rojas and Zoller played at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots, respectively.
· Through three dual matches, the Concordia men have combined to go 12-6 in singles and 7-2 in doubles play. Rabellino is now 3-0 in singles matches having played at three different spots in the lineup. Bindl (3-0) and Kitson (2-0) are also undefeated in singles. Back in the fall, the Bulldogs also competed in two individual bracket tournaments, one involving GPAC players only and the other being the ITA Central Regional Championships.
· The Nos. 1 and 2 doubles partners came through for the women when play got underway in the afternoon on Feb. 27. Claudia Miranda Viera teamed up with Tara Ferrel on a 6-4 win at No. 1 while Luisa Esquivel and Katy Krejci collaborated on a victory by the same score at No. 2. Three of the six singles matches were decided by tiebreakers. That was the case at No. 1 where Miranda Viera persevered after dropping the first set. Krejci also outlasted her opponent in a tiebreaker at No. 4. At the bottom of the lineup, Esquivel (No. 5) and Kaitlin Seja (No. 6) needed less dramatics while helping clinch the team win. Ferrel lost her tiebreaker at No. 2 and Ansley Gates also dropped a close one at No. 3 (6-4, 6-4).
· Through three dual matches, the Concordia women have gone a combined 11-7 in singles and 6-3 in doubles. Krejci and Seja are both 2-0 in their singles outings. A native of Madrid, Spain, Miranda Viera has won 22 career singles matches. Like the men, the women’s team also competed in the GPAC Individual Tournament and ITA Central Regional Championships during the fall portion of the season.
· In terms of overall winning percentage, both the Concordia men and women are right at the top of the GPAC. The men are the lone undefeated team in the GPAC while the Bulldogs and College of Saint Mary (4-0) are unbeaten on the women’s side. In the first three official conference polls published by the NAIA, Concordia landed at No. 3 in the GPAC for both men and women. No conference matches were played in 2020 due to the COVID-19 shutdown.
· Concordia Tennis will get back to action this week after being off from competition since Feb. 27. The next matches for both teams are scheduled for Thursday when they will be headed to Bethel College in North Newton, Kan. Both teams are slated to quickly turn around and host Iowa Central Community College on Friday and Tabor College (Kan.) on Saturday. First serve is set for 11 a.m. CT on all three days.