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Five Concordia athletes were among the 2004 Daktronics-NAIA Volleyball All-America Scholar-Athletes announced Dec. 3 by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Recipients must be a junior or above in academic standing and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Included were:
Melissa Burger, junior, Kearney, Neb.
Jessica Otte, junior, Denver, Colo.
Courtney Rosendahl, junior, Columbus, Neb.
Jodi Vakoc, junior, Verdigre, Neb.
Heather Welty, senior, Wichita, Kan.

Two Concordia players earned All-GPAC attention for their play in the 2004 season. Freshman middle blocker Katie Werner of Syracuse, Neb., was picked for the second team and libero Jessica Otte, a junior from Denver, Colo., was given honorable mention.

The Bulldogs had two indviduals rank in the top ten of the final NAIA statistical report in 2004. The team also garnered a top ten spot.
Freshman middle blocker Katie Werner (Syracuse, Neb.) ranked tenth in the nation overall with 1.66 blocks per game. In the same category Werner led the nation among freshmen. On the year Werner had 63 solo blocks and 130 assists in 116 games.
Junior Jessica Otte (Denver, Colo.) averaged 6.44 digs per game, earning her the ninth spot in the final statistical report. Playing the libero position for the Bulldogs, Otte had 751 digs on the year. Her performances throughout the year earned her GPAC libero player-of-the-week honors three times. Otte, a Dever Lutheran alum, was also name and NAIA/Daktronics All-American Scholar Athlete.
As a team the Bulldogs ranked tenth in team digs per game with 23.86.

Jessica Otte, a 5-7 junior libero from Denver, Colo., was named the Great Plains Athletic Conference volleyball libero-of-the-week for Oct. 31-Nov. 6. In a 3-2 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan, Otte had 41 digs for an average of 8.2 a game. She had 22 digs in a 3-1 loss to Northwestern in the GPAC quarterfinal on Nov. 6. Otte had only four errors in 73 attempts for a .945 passing percentage.

Northwestern defeated Concordia, 30-23, 30-17, 22-30, 30-20, in the first round of the GPAC tournament at Orange City, Iowa, on Nov. 6. Northwestern is 20-8 and Concordia finishes 16-16.

Concordia victory over Nebraska Wesleyan, 31-29, 30-25, 25-30, 24-30, 15-10, on Nov. 3 earned the Bullldogs a tie for fifth place in the final Great Plains Athletic Conference standings. It also clinched the #5 seed in the GPAC tournament that opens Saturday and they will face #4 seed Northwestern (12-4 in GPAC, 20-8 overall) in a 7:30 p.m. first-round game at Orange City, Iowa. The regular-season finale at Lincoln went five games with Concordia rallying to win game one and then surging to a 2-0 advantage before the Prairie Wolves came back to take games three and four. The win also avenged a 3-0 loss to Wesleyan on Sept. 29. Concordia leaders were Katie Werner with 17 kills and seven blocks, Jaelle Rodenbeck with 15 kills and 28 digs, Jessica Otte with 41 digs and Gina Kotas with 33 assists. Other GPAC tournament action on Saturday finds #1 seed Dordt (16-0, 29-2) will host #8 seed Briar Cliff (6-10, 17-15), #2 seed Hastings (14-2, 37-5) entertaining #7 seed Sioux Falls (7-9, 16-12), and #3 seed Doane (14-2, 22-7) playing host to #6 Morningside (8-8, 23-12).

Northwestern defeats Concordia, 30-28, 30-26, 23-30, 30-25
Northwestern, now 19-8, 11-4 in GPAC

Concordia 15-15, 7-8 in GPAC

Kill leaders:
Northwestern – Megan Meyer 19

Concordia – Heather Welty, Jaelle Rodenbeck, each 12

Assist leaders:

Northwestern – Stacy Friedrichsen 50
Concordia – Gina Kotas 31, Cassie Moenning 13

Dig leaders:

Northwestern – Megan Meyer 22

Concordia – Jessica Otte 35
Block leaders:

Northwestern – Chelsea Horning, Carli Blom, each 7
Concordia – Sarah Cooper, Katie Werner, Jodi Vakoc, each 2

Concordia got off to a great start against NAIA No. 6 Dordt College in a GPAC volleyball match on Oct, 29 at Seward, but fell short as the Defenders remained undefeated at 12-0 in conference play. Game scores were 30-28, 30-27, 30-17.
The Bulldogs got off to 6-1 and 10-4 leads before Dordt finally tied it at 10 but didn't take a lead until 18-16. Freshman Amanda Eekhoff led Dordt with 16 kills while Heather Welty had eight for the Bulldogs. Assist leaders were Emily Van Voorst with 25 for Dordt and Gina Kotas with 18 for Concordia. Jessica Otte made 19 digs for Concordia while Lindsey Van Wyk and Traci Kooima each had 14 for Dordt.

Doane defeated Concordia, 30-16, 30-28, 30-24, in a GPAC match at Crete on Oct. 26. Jodie Vakoc led Concordia with 8 kills with Katie Werner adding seven. Gina Kotas made 16 assists and Jessica Otte led in digs with 20 with Jaelle Rodenbeck getting 13. The Tigers are 13-1 in GPAC play, 21-6 overall, while the Bulldogs fell to 7-6 in the GPAC with a 15-13 season record.

Sioux Falls defeated Concordia, 3-2, in a GPAC match at Sioux Falls on Oct. 22. Katie Werner and Heather Welty each had 15 kills for Concordia with Gina Kotas making 28 assists and Jaelle Rodenbeck leading in digs with 24. The Cougars are 6-8 in GPAC play, 15-11 overall, while the Bulldogs fell to 6-5 in the GPAC with a 14-12 season records.

Concordia swept Dana, 30-14, 30-17, 30-21, in a match at Seward on Oct. 19.

Concordia came back for win over Dakota Wesleyan after losing the first two sets. The Oct. 16 afternoon match at Seward ended 24-30, 29-31, 30-8, 30-26, 15-11.

Hastings defeated Concordia, 30-17, 30-28, 30-28, in a GPAC match played Oct. 12 at Hastings.

Wayne State defeated Concordia, 30-28, 30-18, 30-28, in a match played on Oct. 8 at Seward.
Wayne State leaders:
Kills: Chelse Schultz 15, Lani Recob 12
Assists: Julie Jacobsen 38
Digs: Laura Dolezal, Jacey Kuck Schwarz, each 12

Concordia leaders:
Kills: Katie Werner 11
Blocks: Werner 5
Assists: Gina Kotas 20, Cassie Moenning 11
Digs: Jaelle Rodenbeck 15, Jessica Otte 10

Concordia defeats Morningside, 30-21, 27-30, 22-30, 30-24, 15-12

Jessica Otte, a 5-7 junior from Denver, Colo., is the GPAC volleyball libero-of-the-week. In two matches she averaged 11.14 digs a game, piling up no fewer than nine digs a game. She had 41 digs in a 3-1 victory over Midland Lutheran. For the week, she had a pass percentage of .930 with only six receiving errors. Otte upped her season dig total to 365, an average of 5.7 a game.

Concordia defeated Midland Lutheran, 31-29, 16-30, 37-35, 30-23, in a GPAC match at Fremont, Neb., on Oct. 2.

Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Concordia, 30-28, 30-27, 30-26, on Tuesday night at Seward with close sets in the GPAC encounter.
Category leaders for Concordia:
Kills: Heather Welty 11, Katie Werner 8
Blocks: Jodi Vakoc 5
Aces: Jessica Otte 3
Assists: Gina Kotas 24
Digs: Otte 37

Peru State College defeated Concordia in five sets at Peru: 27-30, 30-17, 18-30, 30-22, 19-17. The Bulldogs had defeated the Bobcats, 30-18, 30-22, 30-27, a week ago at the GPAC Challenge.

Concordia defeated Briar Cliff, 30-25, 30-22, 27-30, 30-28, in a Great Plains Athletic Conference match Tuesday night at Sioux City, Iowa.

Waldorf (Iowa) defeated Concordia, 30-25, 30-25, 30-21, in an afternoon contest on Sept. 18 at the GPAC Challenge in Fremont, Neb. Later, the Bulldogs defeated York, 30-8, 30-19, 30-19.

Concordia defeated Peru State 30-18, 30-22, 30-27 in its first appearance on Sept. 17 at the GPAC Challenge in Fremont, Neb. Culver-Stockton (Mo.) defeated the Bulldogs, 30-24, 30-20, 30-24 in the evening.

GPAC match Sept. 14 at Seward

Leaders

Doane:

Kills: Sherise Wichmann 15, Kirby Schmidt 9
Assists: Rachel Hagerman 43, Schmidt 4
Digs: Gail Klitz 23, Ashley Fitzgerald 14
Blocks: Wichmann 4

Concordia:
Kills: Jodi Vakoc 13, Jaelle Rodenbeck 7
Assists: Gina Kotas 23, Cassie Moenning 11
Digs: Jessica Otte 24, Courtney Rosendahl 19
Blocks: Katie Werner 5

Freshman Katie Werner's 17 blocks at Dana Wednesday night set a school record as the Bulldogs prevailed in the Great Plains Athletic Conference contest. The scores were 30-20, 26-30, 30-21, 29-31, 15-8 as Concordia advanced to 7-4 for the season and 1-1 in the GPAC. "It was the roughest serving team we have met all season," Coach Randy Krieger said of the revitalized Vikings.
Two sisters preceded Werner with the block record, which was 16 held by Sandy Kirchner, who now competes in basketball at College of St. Mary. She had broken the record of 15 set by Rachel (Kirchner) Miller, who now coaches Werner. Werner also had 14 kills with Heather Welty adding 12. Gina Kotas recorded 31 assists.