A Saturday Backhand Split

FARGO, N.D. (2/25/23)---Concordia split its two non-conference matches against UMAC opponents on Saturday. The Cobbers opened the day with a solid, 8-1 win over Minn.-Morris, but then dropped a 9-0 decision against unbeaten Wis.-Superior.

The Cobbers have now won two of their last four matches, and are 2-4 on the season. The two wins is more than CC had in all of last season.

The first-year, top of the lineup, tandem of Logan Sandberg and Kai Pierce led the way for Concordia in its win over the Cougars. Both players ran their win singles win streak to five matches as they posted straight-set wins at No.1 and No.2 singles.

Sandberg claimed a 6-2, 6-0 win at No.1 singles, and then Pierce went 6-0, 6-0 in his victory at No.2 singles.

Fellow first-year athletes Atticus Baker and Brady Cannon also came away with singles wins. Baker needed to go to the super-set, tie-breaker to be successful at No.3 singles. He won the opening set 6-4, but then fell 6-3 in the second set. He rallied in the middle of the super-set and gained a 10-7 win.

Cannon wasted little time in grabbing his first collegiate singles victory. He posted the double bagel at No.6 singles and is now 1-3 on the year.

Senior Tyson Aberle picked up his second singles win in the last three matches when he claimed a 6-4, 6-4 victory at No.5 singles.

Aberle then team with Matthew Nemer to form the soccer/tennis doubles partnership at No.3 doubles. The duo used their athletic prowess to blank their opponents and come away with their very first college doubles victory.

Sandberg and Pierce teamed up and won 8-1 at No.1 doubles to run their season record to 3-2, while Baker and Cannon won 8-5 at No.2 doubs to record their second victory of the year.

The Cobbers ran into a quality Wis.-Superior team in the day's finale. The Yellowjackets entered the match with a 6-0 record and proved it wasn't a fluke.

The best match of the finale came at No.1 singles where Logan Sandberg fell in the super-set. Sandberg lost 6-4 in the first set, but then rallied to win 7-6 (7) in the second set.

UP NEXT: Concordia will play at Macalester on Mar. 4 at 3:30 p.m.  

UW-Superior 9, Concordia-Moorhead 0
Feb 25, 2023 at Fargo, N.D. (Courts Plus)

Singles competition
1. Igor Chaves (UWS) def. Logan Sandberg (CC) 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 10-3
2. Andre Luiz (UWS) def. Kai Pierce (CC) 6-3, 6-4
3. Ren Kurachi (UWS) def. Atticus Baker (CC) 6-0, 6-1
4. Vitor Sakakibara (UWS) def. Matthew Nemer (CC) 6-1, 6-0
5. Jacob Zacharias (UWS) def. Tyson Aberle (CC) 6-0, 6-0
6. Keisuke Sato (UWS) def. Brady Cannon (CC) 6-2, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. Igor Chaves/Ren Kurachi (UWS) def. Logan Sandberg/Kai Pierce (CC) 8-4
2. Andre Luiz/Jacob Zacharias (UWS) def. Atticus Baker/Brady Cannon (CC) 8-0
3. Frederick Diehl/Mateo Abarca Pino (UWS) def. Matthew Nemer/Tyson Aberle (CC) 8-4