CHICAGO – The Land of Lincoln was kind to the Concordia Wisconsin women's tennis team on Saturday afternoon. The Falcons opened the day with a 7-0 victory over Concordia Chicago before soaring past the projected Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) champion Scarlet Hawks of Illinois Tech, 5-2. The victories propelled the Falcons to 3-0 on the young season and 2-0 in the NACC.
The Falcons wasted no time taking the doubles point from the Cougars.
Freshman Jordin Popp (Manitowoc, Wis.) and freshman Taylor Peterson swept the Cougars, 6-0, at No. 1 doubles.
The duo of freshman Samantha Behling and senior Payton Steward (Appleton, Wis.) secured a 6-1 victory at No. 2 doubles.
Sophomore Abigail Haley (Frohna, Mo.) and sophomore Taylor Weiner (Bakersfield, Calif.) quieted the Cats on court three with a 6-1 victory.
Behling breezed by the competition at No. 2 singles with a 6-1, 6-0 victory.
Steward sank Sarah Gustafson at No. 5 singles, 6-2, 6-0.
Haley handled Abigail Krueger at No. 4 singles, 6-2, 6-1.
Popp pounced on Amelia Engelman at No. 1 singles, 6-1, 6-1.
At No. 3 singles, Peterson toppled Hannah Upole, 6-0, 6-0.
Freshman Rachel Malm (Brookfield, Wis.) brought out the broom at No. 6 singles with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Aua Cortez-Cali.
The Falcons then traveled to the South Side of Chicago to face the reigning NACC champion Scarlet Hawks. Illinois Tech was also projected to win the NACC this season after receiving 12 of the 16 first-place votes in the preseason poll.
Peterson and Popp made quick work of Martyna Kalinowska and Annaliese Kielmeyer at No. 1 doubles.
The Scarlet Hawks struck back with a 6-2 victory at No. 2 doubles.
With the doubles point on the line, Weiner and Haley ground out a 6-3 victory at No. 3 doubles to give the Falcons the early advantage.
Illinois Tech leveled the match with a victory at No. 3 singles.
Popp put the Falcons back in front with a key 6-2, 6-2 victory over Kalinowska at No. 1 singles.
Behling battled past Kielmeyer to the tune of a 7-5, 7-5 victory at No. 2 singles.
Haley dropped the opening set to Thea Salcedo but rallied to take the point at No. 4 singles with 7-5 and 6-1 victories in the final two sets.
After being swept in the opening set at No. 5 singles, Steward responded in spectacular fashion. She rallied to ground Paige Geiger, 6-2, in the second set before sealing the comeback with a 6-1 victory in the third.
The Falcons return to action on Saturday when they travel north to face St. Norbert.
