SEWARD, Neb. – The final event of the fall season arrived on Saturday (Oct. 8) as the Concordia University Men’s Tennis team entertained NCAA Division II William Jewell College (Mo.) on campus. The Cardinals took two of three doubles matches and four of six singles decisions while winning the team scoring, 5-2. At the bottom of the lineup, Juan Rabellino and Manuel Rodriguez claimed a singles win apiece for the Bulldogs.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad stands at 1-2 overall in dual meets. The fall portion of the 2022-23 slate also included two tournaments.
Said Long, “That was a very talented team we played. We got behind early and could’ve folded, but we made a match out of it. That was the best we’ve played collectively as a team and had a lot of positive energy throughout the match. I’m hoping we can bring this mentality into the spring.”
The depth of the Concordia lineup gave it a chance of hanging with William Jewell. In doubles play, the duo of Santiago Abadia and Eduardo Rojas defeated their counterparts, Evan Acuff and Cory Conley, 6-3, at No. 3. However, the Cardinals came out on top at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots to take the team point.
In singles, Rabellino won a tiebreaker at the No. 5 position and Manuel Rodriguez topped his opponent at No. 6, 8-6. The rest of the Bulldog singles lineup featured Hugo Fuentes at No. 1, Rojas at No. 2, Shawn Springer at No. 3 and Abadia at No. 4.
As part of its stay in Nebraska, William Jewell also beat Doane, 7-0, on Saturday. The Cardinals finished the 2021-22 season at 7-15 overall.
The Bulldogs will resume action in the spring of 2023 when all official GPAC matches will take place. The spring slate will be announced in the near future.