SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Women’s Tennis team didn’t fret after relinquishing the doubles point. The Bulldogs proceeded to sweep their way through singles while rolling past Hastings in GPAC action on windy Tuesday (March 30) at the Bulldog Tennis Courts. A win by Tara Ferrel at No. 3 singles clinched the team victory.
Head Coach David DeSimone’s squad has notched back-to-back wins to begin conference play. Concordia (5-4 overall) also defeated Morningside by a 4-3 score this past weekend.
“After a slow start in doubles, we picked it up and started dictating play more in singles,” DeSimone said. “Claudia (Miranda Viera) and Sofia (Morales) were the first two matches off for singles and after those wins, the others could relax and play freely. I could sense a shift after we won the first set at 1 through 5 singles, and we were able to capitalize on that. It’s great to start 2-0 in the conference, but we know there is a lot of work to be done.”
Hastings (1-6, 1-1 GPAC) appeared to be a worthy challenger when it began the match with triumphs at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. The Bulldogs avoided being swept in doubles thanks to a 6-4 win at the top by the combination of Morales and Miranda Viera.
As mentioned by DeSimone, Morales and Miranda Viera then set the tone for the rest of the evening with their singles victories at the top two spots. Morales won in impressive fashion, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 1. Additional wins were then captured by Ferrel at No. 3, Katy Krejci at No. 4, Luisa Esquivel at No. 5 and Ansley Gates at No. 6. The most competitive clash came at No. 4 with Krejci holding off Emma Markle in a tiebreaker.
In both conference matches, Concordia has shook off a deficit after doubles. The Bulldogs also got the better of Morningside in singles by taking four of the six decisions. The Broncos opened conference play last week with a 6-1 win over Northwestern.
The Bulldogs will have the remainder off the week off from competition. They will return to action next Thursday (April 8) with a match at Baker University (Kan.). First serve from Baldwin City, Kan., is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.