GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – Concordia chose a sunny 60 degree day in February to match up with Kansas Wesleyan University at the Grand Island Tennis Center on Thursday morning. The Bulldogs won four straight points for the early clinch and picked up one more victory in the 5-2 triumph. With No. 3 doubles falling, the top two doubles seeds grinded out set wins to hold onto the doubles point. After the win over the Coyotes, the women’s team has seized three out of their last four duals and moves its record to 3-2.
Head Coach Lisa Hart gave high praise to her team and commented on individuals who paced the team in the neutral site dual.
“Kansas Wesleyan is a very well-coached team and their players battled hard throughout the line-up. Mariana (Molano) and Alana (Lopez-Pagan) did a great job closing out their doubles match to secure the double point for us. Alana and Chakira (Derman) were focused and determined in their singles matches, only losing 4 total combined games. I was very impressed with Mariana, who clinched the match for us at No. 1 singles today. She has been competing extremely well and is at her best under pressure. We look forward to another tough challenge tomorrow against Missouri Western State University.”
In collegiate tennis, grabbing the doubles point can seem like a head start to a singles race, which makes it much easier to collect a team win. Tessa Blough and Chakira Derman at No. 1s, were hot out of the gates finishing first of any doubles teams, and defeated McKinnley Evans and Alivia Sherer 6-3 in the early going. Needing the No. 2s to force a loss on the Coyotes, Mariana Molano and Alana Lopez-Pagan did just that, slicing through their competition (6-4) Michaela Crowe and Camrynn Bagwell.
No. 2 Derman and No. 4 Lopez-Pagan ripped through Kansas Wesleyan opponents to put the Bulldogs up 3-0 as singles seemingly just started. Derman crushed Kristi Henderson, 6-2, 6-0, and smashed her way to a 2-0 day as Lopez-Pagan raced Derman to her singles win (6-1, 6-1) over Evans. The Forney, Texas, native pushes her career singles record over .500 (12-11) with her triumph in Grand Island.
All of the other four singles matches needed extra games to winnow out the victors. Molano got ahead early securing the first set (6-3) over Crowe but to the Coyote’s credit, battled back taking the second set (2-6). In a 10-point tiebreak, Molano showed she was a dominant force and pulled away, 10-5, for the individual match and snagged the fourth point garnering the team win.
Alexa Richert at No. 5, took Danielle Slack in the first round (6-2) to six, but needed a tiebreaker to collect the 7-6 second set win. Blough (5-7, 6-7, 1-10) and Brooke Hosick (1-6, 6-3, 8-10) fell in tough tiebreaker matches.
Concordia (3-2) will face Missouri Western State University (4-0) in Saint Joseph, Mo. tomorrow (Feb. 23) at Genesis Health Club. First toss is set for noon CT.