RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The fall has officially begun which means its time for the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) women's tennis season to get underway.
Last Season
Last season, the Cougars finished 1-15 overall and 1-7 in Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) play.
Concordia struggled in the first two matches of the season, being swept by non-conference opponent, Lawrence University and by Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), dropping the first NACC match of the year. However, the Cougars found their footing and made it a battle against Marian University.
Amelia Engelman (McKinney, Texas), Arriyanna Amison (Dolton, Illinois), and
Courtneye Schneider (Plainfield, Illinois), were the three Cougars to win their singles matches, but the Sabres ultimately took the match, 4-3. NACC play continued with a tough battle against Illinois Tech that ended in defeat.
The Cougars then took a break from conference play, but they couldn't find their way out of the slump, dropping the next four matches to Cornell College, Wartburg College, Illinois College, and Illinois Wesleyan University.
October began with two conference matches and one non-conference match. Up first was Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW). Engelman shined at No. 1 singles, winning her match (6-1, 0-6, 10-8). She would be the only Cougar to get on the board, as the team fell, 6-1. Similarly, Engelman was the only Cougar to secure a point against St. Norbert College (SNC). CUC also played Ripon College on the same day as SNC. Engelman capitalized once again at No. 1 singles, despite the 6-1 loss.
The fall 2025 season ended with three NACC matches. After being blanked by the Eagles of Edgewood University, the Cougars put up a fight against Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC). Engelman paired with
Amirah Shakir (Dekalb, Illinois) at No. 1 doubles and took down their opponents, 6-2. A victory at No. 3 doubles by Schneider and Amison gave the Cougars a 1-0 advantage heading into singles play. Engelman would blank her opposition at No. 1 singles, but the Cougars would end up falling 5-2 to the Warriors. All the determination and grit the Cougars showed throughout the season finally paid off in the final match against Lakeland University. CUC was victorious, defeating the Muskies, 5-2. Pairs of Shakir and Engelman and
Hannah Upole (Hickey, Ohio) and
Sarah Gustafson (Merrill, Wis.) won their doubles matches to take the doubles point. Then Engelman, Upole, Amison, and
Kathleen Castillo (Elmwood Park, Ill.) secured victories in their respective singles matches.
For her impressive season, Engelman was the lone Cougar to be recognized by the conference, earning NACC All-Conference honors in singles play. She boasted a 6-7 singles record and a 3-9 doubles record. Engelman ranked third in the NACC in No. 1 singles wins.
In March, the Cougars traveled to Orlando, Fla. for two non-conference matches against St. John Fisher University and Trine University. Both opponents were strong and while Engelman stole a point against St. John Fisher, Concordia dropped both matches.
Coach Lasn
In his sixth year as the Head Coach,
Lenno Lasn is ready to build upon last year. "We had a solid season last year. This season, we're going to focus on bringing up our doubles game and working more on our net game, finishing points. Knowing what our strengths are, I can build our practices around consistency, good pattern plays, and extending points."
Returning Players
Along with Shakir, Engelman, Upole, and Gustafson, CUC returns
Aura Cortez-Cali (Berwyn, Ill.) and
Kalani Rodriguez-Colon (Chicago, Ill.).
"I'm excited to have our returners back," Coach Lasn remarked. "We have two seniors (Engelman and Shakir) who are ready to rock and roll and everyone returning knows what to expect. I am excited to see how they will all elevate their games."
New Faces
The Cougars welcome four new players, including freshmen
Yadira Argueta (Franklin Park, Ill.) and
Abigail Krueger (Brookfield, Ill.). CUC also welcomes sophomore
Brianna Bentz (Whitehall, Mich.).
"The incoming players are eager and excited about being on the team and working hard," Coach Lasn highlighted. "They are a promising group who are quickly creating a healthy competitive culture as far as match lineups are concerned."
A Look Ahead
This fall kicks off with four home matches. The Cougars welcome Lawrence on September 4, and Ripon on September 9. NACC play then begins with CUW and MSOE coming down to CUC Courts on September 12 and 15, respectively.
CUC then plays one match a day the following weekend. Starting on September 18, the Cougars take a quick break from NACC action to face Olivet Nazarene University on the road. Then, it's right back to conference play with a home match against Edgewood. The weekend is capped off at Illinois Wesleyan.
The road trip continues as the Cougars face NACC opponent, Illinois Tech, on September 22. The last match of the month will be on September 30, against WLC.
October starts off with a three-match non-conference slate. On October 1, the Cougars compete against Elmhurst University. Two days later, Illinois College comes to River Forest. The final non-conference match will be October 4, at College of DuPage.
The regular season NACC action concludes with a trip to St. Norbert on October 10, and then a home finale against Marian on October 17.
The outcomes of the regular season will determine placement in the postseason NACC tournament which will take place starting May 5.
Coach Lasn reported, "We are in a great spot this year and my goal and expectation is to make a NACC tournament appearance."
The women's tennis season begins Friday, September 4. First serve is set for 3:00 pm against Lawrence at CUC Courts. Coverage for the match as well as anything related to Concordia women's tennis can be found at
cucougars.com.
