SEWARD, Neb. – This will be the final week of regular season action for Concordia University Women’s Tennis. At stake is a chance to earn a conference tournament seed as high as No. 3 and to improve the overall record against nonconference opponents in Kansas Wesleyan University and Nebraska Wesleyan University. In between those two outings, the Bulldogs will finish the suspended match with Doane and complete the GPAC regular season slate. A 6-1 win last week at Hastings pushed Head Coach Cam Long’s squad to 3-3 in conference play (5-9 overall).
Prior to first serve on Thursday with Nebraska Wesleyan, the program will recognize its lone senior, Megan Hakes, a native of Erie, Colo.
This Week
Tuesday, April 19 at Kansas Wesleyan (3-9), 10 a.m. - CANCELED (as of April 18)
Wednesday, April 20 at Doane (8-7, 3-1 GPAC), 5:30 p.m.
--Completion of suspended match from April 12
Thursday, April 21 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan (1-11), 4 p.m.
--Senior Night
By the numbers
· A spot in the GPAC tournament is assured for Concordia, which owns GPAC wins this season over Mount Marty, 7-0, Northwestern, 5-2, and Hastings, 6-1. Midland (5-0 GPAC) and Morningside (6-1 GPAC) are the frontrunners atop the conference standings. At 3-1 in the GPAC, Doane still has a shot to crack the top two of the final standings. A top-two seed comes with the reward of having a bye in the first round of the conference tournament. The Bulldogs shared the GPAC regular season title in 2021 when they went 6-1 in conference play.
· A strong finish to 2022 would provide hope for a leap forward next spring. As mentioned, Hakes is the only senior on the roster. A World and Intercultural Studies major, Hakes has twice been named an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Her role has increased this season and she’s responded by going 5-5 in singles matches (3-3 GPAC). Hakes is 3-4 in doubles play when teaming up with Tara Ferrel. As a contrast, after last season, Concordia graduated five of the seven players who saw action in the 2021 GPAC tournament.
· In the win at Hastings, Concordia swept through doubles as the combos of Sofia Morales and Tessa Blough at No. 1, Ferrel and Hakes at No. 2 and Brooke Hosick and Julia Phillips at No. 3 all came out on top. Ferrel and Hakes eked out a close decision while the Bulldogs won by scores of 6-3 at both Nos. 1 and 3. In singles, Concordia pulled out wins at each of the Nos. 1 through 5 spots. A standout since arriving in Seward, Morales breezed to a 6-2, 6-0, win at No. 1. In the suspended match at Doane, the Bulldogs will face an uphill battle down 3-1 in the team scoring. The one victory came at No. 1 singles where Morales defeated Ava Macke in three sets, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. Morales and Blough also earned a win at No. 1 doubles, but the Tigers got the team point by triumphing at Nos. 2 and 3.
· Collectively through 14 matches in 2021-22, the Concordia has accumulated records of 34-50 in singles and 18-24 in doubles. Morales continues to star at the top of the lineup. Counting her win over Doane in the suspended match, the Bogotá, Colombia, native went 6-1 in GPAC singles matches at the No. 1 spot in 2022. Three of her teammates have notched five singles wins: Hakes (5-5), Blough (5-9) and Ferrel (5-9). The top doubles pair in terms of overall wins has been Hosick and Phillips, who are 5-4 as partners.
· Kansas Wesleyan enters this week at 3-9 overall. The Coyotes compete as a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. An NCAA Division III member, Nebraska Wesleyan sports a record of 1-11 overall. The Bulldogs last played the Prairie Wolves in 2019 and came away with a 7-2 win in Lincoln. Doane is 3-1 in conference play and is preparing to take on Mount Marty and Midland this week, in addition to completing the suspended match with Concordia.
Next week
The GPAC Tennis Championships will take place April 29-30 at Fremont High School. Concordia has secured a spot in the postseason. Seeding is still up in the air and will be based upon this week’s results.