Match Preview:
After a lengthy off-season, the Concordia Women’s Tennis team will begin their 2020 fall slate this Saturday as they host NCAA Division II foe William Jewell College with the first serve set for 1 p.m. at the Bulldog Tennis Courts.
Experience is plentiful for the Bulldogs, as they return nine players from a team that went 6-3 in 2020.
Concordia handily defeated William Jewell last fall by a score of 6-1 in the season opener. The Cardinals return four letter winners from a team that went winless last season.
The Bulldogs will look to replace the departure of Kristen Wagner, who graduated. Wagner appeared in the No. 1 and 2 spots for both singles and doubles throughout the 2019-2020 season. Seniors and All-GPAC performers Allison Marshall and Claudia M. Viera will both be likely candidates for the top singles and doubles positions. Marshall and Viera served posted a 4-5 record playing as doubles partners in the No. 1 spot last spring.
Other significant returners this fall include senior Ansley Gates and sophomore Tara Ferrell. Both played in the No. 4 and 5 singles positions with Ferrell posting a 5-2 record and Gates posting a 4-2 record.
Newcomers for the Bulldogs include freshmen Sofia Morales and Julia Phillips. Phillips comes to Concordia after a solid prep career at Lincoln Christian High School, where she led the Crusaders to a top-five state finish as a sophomore and a seventh-place finish as a senior.
Following match play against William Jewell, the Bulldogs will return to action on Friday, Sept. 19, as they travel to Lincoln, Neb., to compete in the GPAC Individual Tournament.