NORTH NEWTON, Kan. – Down to the final match, Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Tennis fought to the final court but lost in a heartbreaker, 3-4, to Bethel College (Kan.) on Friday (Feb. 28) at Ward Tennis Center. The Bulldogs showed resilience throughout the lineup, collecting three singles victories and pushing multiple matches to deciding sets.
Concordia drops its first match of the year to move down to 8-1 overall.
“I could not be more proud of our team," Head Coach Lisa Hart said. “Losing is never fun. The way our guys fought for each other and the heart they showed was incredible to be a part of! This match will make us better. Credit to Bethel- very good competitors and very well coached.”
With the No. 6 singles showdown the only playoff left in the 3-3 tie, the Bulldogs’ Santiago Abadia came through with a first set triumph, 6-4. Threshers’ Adam Tomka would rally to defeat Abadia in the final two sets, 6-3, 6-2.
Concordia broke through early in the middle of the order. At No. 2, Nick Velders delivered a composed performance, defeating Petr Kollar, 6-2, 6-3, to put the Bulldogs on the board. Velders controlled play from start to finish as he has stayed a constant leader with an 8-0 unbeaten record in singles with only two loses (27-2) in his career as a Bulldog.
No. 3 Daniel Caballeros followed with a statement win, bouncing back from a second-set setback to defeat Billy Haoda, 6-0, 3-6, 6-1. Caballeros regrouped in the third set and dominated the final frame to give Concordia another crucial point.
At No. 5, Leo Lopez added the Bulldogs’ third team point with a gritty comeback victory over Zaidh Zihar, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Lopez found his rhythm in the second set and closed strong to keep Concordia within striking distance late in the match.
Several courts featured tightly contested battles. At No. 4, Ben Chisholm pushed Rodrigo Sanchez to three sets after taking the first-set tiebreaker, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 2-6. At the top of the lineup, Hugo Fuentes faced a tough challenge at No. 1 against Jorge Batista.
Doubles play proved to be the match-winner early in the contest. Bethel secured wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, giving the Threshers the early edge heading into singles competition.
Bethel improves to 4-1 on the season.
Concordia (8-1), following the narrow road setback, will face Grand View University (Iowa), 3-2, at the Bulldog Tennis Courts on Friday (March 6). The Bulldogs will take first serve at 11 a.m. CT in Seward.