OMAHA, Neb. – While opening up conference play, the Concordia University women’s tennis team came within an eyelash of upsetting the GPAC’s second-rated team. Despite yet another singles win from junior Annie Horn, the Bulldogs fell at College of Saint Mary, 5-4, in Omaha on Monday evening.
The defeat snapped a four-match win streak for third-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squad. Concordia now stands at 5-9 overall.
“I’m so proud of the girls and the way they battled,” Reckewey said. “We are winning matches and were one tiebreaker from victory. We are proving that we can play with the top schools in the conference.”
The host Flames (7-1, 1-0 GPAC) have lost just one match all season. College of Saint Mary just barely held of the Bulldogs by taking decisions in both bouts that came down to third-set tiebreakers – Nos. 3 and 6 singles. In both of those instances, Concordia won the first set. At No. 3, Katelinn Wurm dropped her match, 4-6, 6-4, 10-4, while Smock was edged at No. 6, 1-6, 6-2, 10-5.
The Bulldogs owned a 2-1 lead after doubles thanks to wins by the combos of Horn and Kirsten Wagner at No. 2 and Wurm and Smock at No. 3. Horn and Wagner were perfect on the night. In singles play, Horn defeated Katie Golka, 6-3, 6-0, at No. 2 and Wagner topped Bria Menagh, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 5. A native of Denver, Colo., Horn has won seven-straight singles matches and is now 9-4 on the year while playing mostly at the No. 2 spot.
Concordia has two more GPAC matches remaining this week, both at home. Up next, the Bulldogs will host Doane (2-9, 1-0 GPAC) at 4 p.m. CT. The match will take place on the outdoor courts on campus.