Bulldog women earn first GPAC win; men fall in home matches with Midland

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University women’s tennis team got a boost of confidence via a 7-2 victory over Midland University on Saturday in the GPAC home opener for both Bulldog tennis squads. The Concordia men fell by a 6-3 decision to the Warriors.

First-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s women bumped their records to 2-7 overall and 1-1 in conference action. Meanwhile, the Bulldog men slipped to 2-6 overall and 0-2 in GPAC play.

For the women, Annie Horn, Elyse Kohl, Emily Meisinger and Hannah Boe each had perfect 2-0 records on the day. A freshman from Denver, Colo., Horn moved to 2-0 at No. 1 singles since the start of conference action. On Saturday she defeated Whitney Schutt, 6-3, 6-2. Meisinger, another rookie, also ran her conference singles record to 2-0 by way of her 8-0 blanking of Becca Bartlett.

In doubles, the No. 1 combo of Hollenbeck and Horn (6-3) continues to jell. They teamed up on an 8-4 victory over Becca Walker and Jordane Warkentin. The Bulldogs swept their way through the three doubles matches.

On the men’s side, Concordia sophomore Patricio Esquivel won for the second-straight day at No. 3 singles. He bested Logan Meisinger, 6-0, 6-3, on Saturday. Freshman Philp Yox turned in the Bulldogs’ other singles victory by edging Ryder Ross in a bout that went to a 10-point tiebreaker.

In the first-ever pairing of senior Brendan Buchanan and freshman Preston Rupple, Concordia came out on top, 8-6, at the No. 3 doubles position.

The Midland men are now 8-5 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The Warrior women are 5-9 overall and 0-2 in GPAC action.

The Bulldogs return to the courts on Tuesday when they travel to play GPAC rival Nebraska Wesleyan (men: 2-15, 0-2 GPAC; women: 8-9, 3-0 GPAC). First serve is set for 4 p.m. from Lincoln, Neb.