OMAHA, Neb. – In a bid for a top-four GPAC finish in the final week of the regular season, the Concordia University Women’s Tennis team rallied to win on the road. The Bulldogs overcame a deficit after doubles and defeated College of Saint Mary, 5-2, late on Thursday (April 20) in a match played at Genesis Health Clubs Westroads in Omaha. Concordia picked up the win while bumping everyone up in the lineup in the absence of No. 1 player Mariana Molano.
Head Coach Cam Long’s squad has won three of its last four matches and has moved to 11-8 overall. At 3-3 in GPAC play, the Bulldogs are currently tied for fourth place in the league standings.
“Great team match,” Long said. “We fell behind in doubles and then early on in a couple singles matches, but we didn’t let that discourage us. We had the mindset that we were going to pull it out, and that’s what we did.”
The Flames gained the upper hand by winning at the Nos. 1 and 3 doubles spots. CSM is particularly difficult to match up with at the top of the lineup thanks to the presence of 2021 GPAC Player of the Year Renee Acena. She claimed wins in both singles and doubles in giving her side a shot. The one Concordia victory in doubles came at the No. 2 position (6-2) held down by Ella Dean and Tara Ferrel.
While Acena played impressively at the No. 1 singles spot, the Bulldogs swept their way through the Nos. 2 through 6 spots. Concordia’s first team point went on the board when Dean won at No. 3, 6-3, 6-1. That started a wave of Bulldog victories as wins were claimed by Alana Lopez Pagan at No. 2, 6-3, 6-4, by Ferrel at No. 4, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, by Brooke Hosick at No. 5, 6-4, 6-2, and by Gabrielle Heiser at No. 6, 6-4, 6-2. Sophomore Tessa Blough moved up to the No. 1 spot with Molano sidelined.
That was the regular season finale for College of Saint Mary (4-8, 2-5 GPAC). The Flames are locked into the No. 6 spot for the upcoming conference tournament. Concordia managed to earn a measure of revenge for the two losses it endured at the hands of CSM in 2022.
The regular season will reach a conclusion on Saturday when the Bulldogs will take on Northwestern (8-9, 3-3 GPAC). The match has been moved to the Fremont, Neb., YMCA with a first serve at 11 a.m. CT. Last year’s meeting with the Red Raiders resulted in a 5-2 Concordia victory. The men’s match against Northwestern has been rescheduled for Monday in Orange City, Iowa.