Tennis teams break records in spring 2026 season
The Concordia men’s tennis team prepares to take on Morningside in the GPAC Championships.
Photo credit: Kai Olbrich
By Keith Siek
This article is featured in the May print edition of the Sower newspaper.
A record-breaking season ended for Bulldogs tennis on April 25, when the men’s and women’s team fell 4-0 and 4-1, respectively, to ranked Morningside University in the Great Plains Athletic Conference championship title game.
Both the men’s and the women’s side accomplished a lot this year, and Coach Lisa Hart’s program stands poised for future success.
On the men’s side, the Bulldogs set a new school record in wins for the season at 17, breaking a 14-win record set in 2009-2010 and tied in 2024-2025. Concordia’s spring season began with a 12-2 start, including an eight-match winning streak.
Senior Nick Velders led the Bulldogs this year, finishing as the No. 16 best singles player in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. He went undefeated in 19 wins this season, after setting the regular season record for single’s wins at 19 a year before.
Senior Hugo Fuentes and Velders formed a top 30 doubles team this season, while senior Santiago Abadia, the record holder for doubles wins set in 2024-2025, finished his final season with nine more wins in doubles action.
Alana Lopez Pagan returns the ball during practice. Photo: Keith Siek.
“I think the results show that all of us did unbelievable, and yeah, I think we can be very proud of the team, that we have achieved this. I’m just super proud of this team,” Velders said.
Junior Daniel Caballeros and freshman Leo Lopez earned GPAC tennis player of the week honors this season. Caballeros finished ranked No. 23 in the NAIA with 16 wins in singles competition. Lopez turned in an impressive 15-2 record in singles action.
Velders credited the Bulldogs’ success to the example his fellow seniors made on the team. Abadia, Fuentes and senior Michael Bedrosian have competed four seasons at Concordia and were influential to building culture in the men’s program.
“Santi, Hugo, Michael, those guys are the real seniors and I respect them so much, what they’ve done these last four years, they’ve built up this whole program,” Velders said. “I mean, the seniors led by example, and I think that shows in the results from freshman to senior.”
Hart said the seniors influenced the team’s success and helped shape the future of men’s tennis at Concordia. “I have no doubt that they have left their lasting legacy to help us move forward,” Hart said.
Women’s tennis put together a 15-5 season to finish the year second in the GPAC after regular season play. The Bulldogs surpassed last season’s 14 regular season win total with a 5-2 win over the College of St. Mary April 18, in their last meet before the conference tournament.
Hart credited the women’s team growth to another year of experience and a team attitude that stayed united through the long season. Concordia experienced a taste of Nationals competition last year, after claiming the 2025 GPAC championship.
“I think we are much improved from last year,” Hart said. “Someone else steps up each week, and the team is really determined to do that again.”
Junior Chakira Derman is in her third season playing for Hart and remembered the impact that winning GPAC had on the team. “I think winning the GPAC was a turning point for us in general,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot of growth. We have come together as a team more. We are all fighting for the same objective.”
Graduating seniors Alana Lopez Pagan, Mariana Molano, Lauren Gottberg and Gabrielle Heiser established a strong team culture in their years at Concordia. “All four seniors have bought into what we are doing, coming in ready to work every day,” Hart said.
Molano set a new Bulldog career record, with 50 wins in singles competition during her four years of action at Concordia. This year, Molano also played on two doubles teams ranked by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Sophomore Ishane Derman and Molano formed a doubles team that hit No. 30 overall in early April. Molano also teamed up with Senior Chakira Derman, achieving No. 39 in the doubles rankings.
Chakira and her teammates went into the postseason with a will to win, trusting their experience and determination. “Our biggest advantage is that winning matters and that we are fighters,” she said.
Chakira teamed up with Lopez Pagan and scored a doubles win against Doane in the conference semifinal. She later defeated Lara Heinrich for the Bulldogs only point in the championship match against Morningside.
Concordia’s second place finish was not the goal for this year, but Hart was proud of her program’s consistent success this season. The men’s team finished with a 17-5 record, and the women put together a 16-6 record together, including a 4-0 semifinal win over Doane.
“I’m really proud of our men’s and women’s team. They represent the university so well,” Hart said.
