Bulldog Weekly Report (Dec. 3)

By Jacob Knabel on Dec. 3, 2019 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Male: Mario Ybarra, Wrestling

A sophomore from Scottsbluff, Neb., Mario Ybarra earns this week’s honor via his performance at the tournament hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 23. Ybarra placed fifth at 125 pounds while earning a trio of victories. Ybarra has took home place finishes at both of the season’s first two tournaments.

Female: Kylahn Heritage, Cross Country

A freshman from Nampa, Idaho, Kylahn Heritage led the way for the Bulldogs at the NAIA National Championships on Nov. 22 with a 33rd-place individual finish (third best ever for a Concordia freshman female runner). As a team, Concordia placed 12th in the nation after winning the GPAC title two weeks earlier.

2019-20 BAAM Athletes of the Week
Nov. 19 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Kara Stark (volleyball)
Nov. 12 – Mario Ybarra (wrestling) / Kylahn Heritage (cross country)
Nov. 5 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Delani Fahey (basketball)
Oct. 29 – Brevin Sloup (basketball) / Kylahn Heritage (cross country)
Oct. 22 – Camryn Opfer (volleyball)
Oct. 15 – Lane Napier (football) / Marissa Hoerman (volleyball)
Oct. 8 – Caleb Goldsmith (soccer) / Tara Callahan (volleyball)
Oct. 1 – AJ Jenkins (football) / Rebekah Hinrichs (cross country)
Sept. 24 – Derek Tachovsky (football) / Kendra Placke (golf)
Sept. 17 – Moises Jacobo (soccer) / Kara Stark (volleyball)
Sept. 10 – Carlos Orquiz (soccer) / Amie Martin (cross country)
Sept. 3 – Eduardo Alba (soccer) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)

2019-20 BAAM Athletes of the Month
October – Tara Callahan (volleyball) / Lane Napier (football)
September – Derek Tachovsky (football) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)

News and notes:

Concordia volleyball set to take national stage tonight (Dec. 3): The Concordia volleyball program will make its first-ever appearance at the final site of the NAIA Volleyball National Championship tonight (Dec. 3) when action gets underway at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Head coach Ben Boldt’s 15th-ranked squad will go head-to-head with No. 19 Montana Tech in its first of three matches in pool play. First serve is set for 8:30 p.m. CT. For further details, including how to watch/listen to the matches live, click HERE.

Light Thanksgiving week: All Concordia athletic teams were idle during the Thanksgiving week. Originally, both Bulldog basketball teams were scheduled to be at Morningside on Nov. 26, but the games were postponed due to unsafe travel conditions caused by wintry weather. The Concordia women’s and men’s basketball teams are now slated to be in Sioux City, Iowa, to take on the Mustangs on Wednesday, Dec. 11. Game times are set for 6 and 8 p.m. CT. Head coach Ben Boldt’s volleyball team was on campus last week for practices on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before breaking for the holiday.

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its fourth year of existence. The show airs live for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT on KTMX-FM 104.9 Max Country. The weekly feature can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the Max Country app. Throughout the 2018-19 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Tyler Cavalli serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for football and basketball. Frank Greene is in his fourth season calling Concordia volleyball.

Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting https://www.cune.edu/athletics/watch-bulldogs at game time. Beginning in 2019-20, Concordia Athletics is partnering with PrestoSports for live video and statistical streaming. For more details on this change, click HERE. Check team schedules/results pages for webcast dates. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.

Volleyball

  • The NAIA announced national tournament pool play assignments on Nov. 24. One of 20 teams to be sent straight to the final site, the 15th-ranked Bulldogs were placed in Pool C along with No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan University, No. 19 Montana Tech and University of Saint Mary (Kan.). Pool play will take place this Tuesday through Thursday. The top two teams from each of the eight pools will advance to bracket play that begins on Friday. Head coach Ben Boldt’s squad will carry an overall record of 23-6 into the national tournament. For more on Concordia volleyball, click HERE.
  • Concordia is making its second all-time appearance in the NAIA Volleyball National Championship and first-ever trip to the final site of the national tournament. The 2015 squad qualified for the opening round of the event and fell at home in straight sets to Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.). The ‘15 Bulldogs went 26-9 overall and advanced to the GPAC tournament championship match while being led by previous head coach Scott Mattera. The 2019 squad has a chance to become the first in school history to win a national tournament match.
  • The program has rebounded quickly from a 9-19 record in 2017. Coaches Ben and Angie Boldt arrived following the ‘17 campaign and helped Concordia improve to 15-12 in 2018. Both Boldts graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where they served as student support staff for head coach John Cook. Ben and Angie possess experience at many levels of collegiate volleyball having also spent time together as assistants at places such as the University of Alabama, the University of Arkansas and the University of Iowa.
  • Prior to the start of this season, the Bulldogs had not cracked the NAIA top 25 since the 2016 preseason poll. This season, Concordia first landed in the top 25 on Oct. 23 when it appeared at No. 17. The Bulldogs then moved up to 16th on Nov. 6, climbed to No. 15 on Nov. 13 and then remained in that position in the final regular-season poll released on Nov. 18. During the GPAC era (2000-present), the program’s highest ever rating was 12th in 2000 when Concordia shared the conference regular-season title.
  • The Bulldogs are 4-4 against teams that qualified for the national tournament. That mark includes wins over College of Saint Mary (twice), Corban University (Ore.) and Morningside. The losses came against Jamestown (twice), Morningside and Northwestern. Concordia also defeated two squads that just missed out on at-large berths: Dordt and Midland.
  • Camryn Opfer became the first player in program history to earn GPAC Freshman of the Year accolades. The Seward High School product has produced 280 kills, 272 digs and 39 blocks while playing in 105 sets this season. While a prep, Opfer collected all-state recognition four times and led the Bluejays to a combined 105 wins and a state tournament appearance. Opfer originally committed to play volleyball at NCAA Division II Washburn University before choosing to stay at home.
  • Junior setter Tara Callahan has made effective use of five main attacking options throughout this season. Five of her teammates have at least 190 kills: Emmie Noyd (346), Camryn Opfer (280), Kara Stark (249), Kalee Wiltfong (240) and Arleigh Costello (191). Callahan ranks 10th nationally with an average of 10.71 assists per set. As a team, the Bulldogs sport NAIA national rankings of 15th in hitting percentage (.232) and 16th in kills per set (13.53).
  • After national qualifiers were announced on Nov. 18, Coach Ben Boldt talked to his team about not being satisfied with just being at the national tournament. Said Boldt, “There have been a couple of results this year, against Jamestown and Northwestern, that have shown us that we can compete at the highest level with teams across the nation. We truly believe that we’ve earned our way there. We’re not in a position where we’re just satisfied to get there. We want to compete to win the thing. That’s one of our goals. They have that edge behind them and I’m excited to see what we can do when we get out on the court.” Said senior Emmie Noyd, “It’s a dream come true, honestly. I think any college athlete wants to get to nationals. For it to be my senior season and to end it that way is a great experience.”

Men’s Basketball

  • After opening conference play with home games against Midland and Briar Cliff, the Bulldogs dipped outside of league action in their most recent outings. In an exhibition contest, Concordia fell at NCAA Division II Wayne State College, 92-70, on Nov. 19. The Bulldogs then got back into the win column by topping Nebraska Christian College, 70-58, in a game that was played on Bellevue University’s campus on Nov. 23. Head coach Ben Limback’s squad sits at 6-1 overall (1-1 GPAC). For more information on Concordia men’s basketball, click HERE.
  • The hope is for games like the one at Wayne State to prepare the Bulldogs for GPAC games moving forward. Concordia appeared to be a threat to the Wildcats in the opening half when it built a nine-point lead. Wayne State turned the tide soon after that point and led 41-36 at halftime. Senior Tanner Shuck poured in a game high 21 points while netting five 3-point field goals. Sophomore Carter Kent (10) was the only other Bulldog to reach double figures in scoring. The contest also gave Limback a chance to ease some previously injured players back into action.
  • Concordia will attempt to ramp things back up offensively after scoring exactly 70 points in both outings the week prior to Thanksgiving. It shot only 39.3 percent (24-for-61) from the floor at Wayne State and 38.1 percent (24-for-63) versus Nebraska Christian. The Sentinels hung with the Bulldogs with the help of an off night for the ‘big three.’ Kent, Shuck and Brevin Sloup combined to go 11-for-39 from the floor. The saving grace for Concordia was its 40-32 rebound advantage (18 offensive rebounds) and a plus-seven turnover margin.
  • Freshman AJ Watson is proving to be someone who can provide a spark off the bench. From beyond the arc, Watson went 2-for-3 at Wayne State and 3-for-6 against Nebraska Christian. His 15 points in the Nebraska Christian win were a team high and a career high. On the season, Watson has drained 9-of-17 3-point attempts. He also contributed 14 points in the win over Midland on Nov. 12. The 5-foot-8 guard is a native of Bonner, Kan., and a product of Bonner Springs High School.
  • Shuck’s 13 rebounds against Nebraska Christian represented a career high and allowed him to record the second double-double of his career. The native of Grand Island, Neb., continues to move up the program’s all-time scoring list. He recently passed Brett Cumber (1,210) for 18th in school history with 1,214 career points. Shuck has also collected 218 assists for the 15th most in program history. Shuck has been consistently reliable having averaged more than 10.0 points per game each season of his career.
  • After sitting out the previous four games due to injury, sophomore Justin Wiersema saw 10 minutes of playing time versus Nebraska Christian. In Wiersema’s absence, transfer Sam Scarpelli was inserted into the starting lineup. Either way, Concordia frequently employs a perimeter-oriented lineup. Chuol Biel continues to serve as the team’s most dependable low post option. Biel blocked two shots at Wayne State and is averaging 1.71 blocks per game.
  • The Bulldogs have certainly relied on the 3-point shot much more than their opponents. Through seven games, Concordia is 73-for-205 (.356) from beyond the arc while its foes are 42-for-135 (.311). The team’s two most impressive outside shooting displays came against Dakota State University (19-for-42) and Midland (16-for-38). The Bulldogs rank 21st nationally with an average of 10.4 3-point field goal makes per game.
  • Since the game at Wayne State does not officially count, Concordia has still held each of its opponents to 71 points or fewer. Among all NAIA Division II teams, the Bulldogs rank fifth in scoring defense (65.0) and 29th in field goal percentage defense (.405). Those figures represent vast improvements from last season when Concordia allowed an average of 75.6 points and surrendered 45.9 percent shooting.
  • The only action originally listed on the slate for Thanksgiving week was Nov. 26 at second-ranked Morningside. Due to wintry weather conditions that brought snowstorms to the Midwest, the contest was postponed until 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The idle stretch ends this week with a pair of home games – 8 p.m. Wednesday versus Doane (4-8, 0-3 GPAC) and 4 p.m. Saturday versus No. 6 Dakota Wesleyan (6-0, 4-0 GPAC).

Women’s Basketball

  • In their most recent action, the top-ranked Bulldogs continued to back up their ranking by wreaking havoc upon their opponents. Concordia broke the school single-game scoring record in a 127-51 home win over College of Saint Mary on Nov. 20. Three days later the Bulldogs knocked off NCAA Division II Metropolitan State University of Denver, 81-65, in an exhibition contest for both sides. Head coach Drew Olson’s squad stands at 7-0 overall and 3-0 within league play. For more information on Concordia women’s basketball, click HERE.
  • The scoring outbursts have become the norm for a squad that has cracked the 100-point mark in five of seven official games this season. The numbers to this point are dizzying. Among all NAIA Division II teams, the Bulldogs rank first in scoring margin (+50.0), first in turnover margin (+17.4), first in steals per game (26.3), first in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.40), second in scoring offense (104.7), second in field goal percentage defense (.302), second in field goal percentage offense (.493), second in 3-point field goals per game (13.1), sixth in scoring defense (54.7) and eighth in blocks per game (4.4).
  • The statistics in the 127-point win over Midland were similarly nutty. No one player had more than 14 points for Concordia, but 12 players had seven or more points: Elsie Aslesen (14), Philly Lammers (13), Grace Barry (11), Riley Sibbel (12), Taylor Farrell (10), Mackenzie Koepke (10), Claire Cornell (nine), Delani Fahey (nine), Colby Duvel (eight), Rylee Pauli (eight), Averie Lambrecht (seven) and Taryn Schuette (seven). Collectively, the Bulldogs made 50 field goals (including 15 treys), went 12-for-16 from the foul line and caused 37 turnovers.
  • Balance has been the theme across the board, bug Barry truly is the straw that stirs the drink for Concordia. The consistency of her performances has been particularly striking. She’s notched 11 or more points in six-straight games, seven or more assists four outings in a row and has swiped at least two steals in each contest this season. On the national leaderboard, Barry ranks fifth in steals per game (3.86) and eighth in assists per game (6.14). Barry also posted 26 points and eight assists in the double overtime exhibition loss at Creighton University, which owns a win at the University of Nebraska.
  • The Bulldogs were not quite as crisp offensively in the exhibition at MSU Denver. The Roadrunners kept within striking distance until a late 10-2 run, capped by back-to-back treys from Fahey and Koepke, put Concordia up 69-56 in the fourth quarter. Koepke finished with a team high 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting from 3-point range. Four other Bulldogs also reached double figures: Barry (11), Duvel (10), Fahey (10) and Lammers (10).
  • Concordia will be difficult for anyone to defeat moving forward if it continues to knock down outside shots the way it has so far. After shooting 31.3 percent from beyond the arc last season, the Bulldogs have improved to 36.2 percent 3-point shooting this season. That figure has been boosted significantly by the work of Fahey, who is 20-for-40 from long range. Farrell (11-for-23) and Koepke (16-for-41) have also been effective from the outside. Meanwhile, opponents have shot only 22.2 percent from beyond the arc.
  • The press has been as pesky as ever. Even MSU Denver turned the ball over 37 times. In the seven official games, Concordia has forced 249 turnovers for an average of 35.6 per game. That rate is even better than the 2018-19 average of 29.4 turnovers forced per contest. The 1,119 total turnovers forced last season were a school record for a single season. Barry is in just her second season as a Bulldog and already ranks 23rd in program history for career steals (166).
  • Concordia still has not lost an official game since an 81-75 defeat at then second-ranked Northwestern on Feb. 2, 2019. Since then, the Bulldogs have won 19 games in a row, including 12-straight to end the 2018-19 campaign. Losses have been extremely rare experiences for Lammers and a senior class that has helped the program to a combined record of 112-7 since the start of the 2016-17 season. Now in his 14th season, Olson has a career record of 360-96.
  • The only action originally listed on the slate for Thanksgiving week was the Nov. 26 game at eighth-ranked Morningside. Due to wintry weather conditions that brought snowstorms to the Midwest, the contest was been postponed until 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The layoff ends this week with home games versus Doane (1-7, 0-3 GPAC) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and versus No. 13 Dakota Wesleyan (6-2, 2-2 GPAC) at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Wrestling

  • After beginning the dual season with a 29-10 victory over Northwestern on Nov. 15, the Bulldogs returned to action at the Younes Hospitality Open hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 23. The event annually serves as one of the most challenging tournaments all season for Concordia, which went up against a wealth of NCAA Division II competition. The Bulldogs emerged from the event with 21 total victories from the 18 wrestlers that represented the team in Kearney. It marked the second tournament of the 2019-20 season for head coach Levi Calhoun’s squad. For more information on Bulldog wrestling, click HERE.
  • The Younes Hospitality Open took place at Buffalo County Fairgrounds in Kearney and featured nearly 600 wrestlers spread across 16 mats. A Scottsbluff native, 13th-ranked Ybarra was one of seven Bulldogs to compete in the “elite” division. The tournament also included an “amateur” division, which contained 11 Concordia representatives. Ybarra came away with three victories, including a 6-3 triumph over Ethan Cota of NCAA Division II Augustana College (S.D.) in the fifth-place bout. One of Ybarra’s two defeats was a 3-1 overtime decision at the hands of Baker University’s Emmanuel Browne, ranked fifth in the NAIA at 125.
  • Three additional Concordia wins were claimed in the elite division with one apiece delivered by senior Blake Castillo at 174, junior Gabe Crawford at 157 and senior Chris Kimball at 141. Fifteen Bulldog victories were put on the board in the amateur division. At heavyweight, Demetrius Miller collected three wins, including two by pin. Five Concordia grapplers notched exactly two triumphs: freshman Giancarlo Facio (125), freshman Clayton Laabs (197), senior Chris James (285), freshman Carter Kucera (133) and junior Jason Watkins (165). Other elite division competitors were sophomore Issiah Burks (157), senior Zack Moistner (133) and sophomore Michael Stann (285).
  • A fresh set of conference and national rankings were released the week prior to Thanksgiving via the NAIA website. The Bulldogs remain the GPAC’s top team and are ranked 19th in the NAIA. From a conference perspective, 11 Concordia wrestlers are ranked within the top six of their respective weight classes. Ybarra (125) and senior Deandre Chery (174), a two-time GPAC champion, both own No. 1 GPAC rankings. Nationally, seven Bulldogs are ranked: Ybarra (13th at 125), Moistner (11th at 133), Kimball (ninth at 141), Cam Devers (19th at 149), Chery (11th at 174), Darrin Miller (19th at 184) and Stann (14th at 285).
  • The victory over Northwestern was a continuation of Concordia’s run of success in conference duals. Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Bulldogs are 34-4 in conference duals. That stretch included three-straight seasons of 7-0 GPAC dual records from 2014-15 through 2016-17. The run also has included four GPAC regular-season titles and three GPAC/NAIA North Qualifier championships. Former head coach Dana Vote began that run (first season in 2012-13). Vote is now the head coach at Doane.
  • At 9-3 overall, Ybarra is the current team wins leader. Kimball (7-3) is next in line with seven wins. Ybarra is the lone Concordia grappler to earn place finishes at both the Dakota Wesleyan Open and the Younes Hospitality Open. Other place finishers at the Dakota Wesleyan Open were Kimball (third at 141) and Moistner (fifth at 133). Seven Bulldogs secured wins in the dual with Northwestern. Stann and Ybarra won their dual matches by pin.
  • Concordia was idle during Thanksgiving week. It will return to GPAC dual action on Thursday when it travels to Morningside for a 7 p.m. matchup in Sioux City, Iowa. The Bulldogs and Mustangs shared the GPAC regular-season title in 2018-19. The dual will be the first of the season for Morningside, which won inside Walz Arena last season, 27-12. Then on Saturday, Concordia will be at the Doane University Open in Crete.