SEWARD, Neb. – After leading the Concordia University Volleyball program to new heights in 2019, Ben Boldt garnered recognition from the Omaha World-Herald on Sunday (July 5). The news outlet named Boldt as a “finalist” for the Midlands College Women’s Coach of the Year award. University of Nebraska-Kearney volleyball coach Rick Squiers ultimately received the coach of the year honor from the Omaha World-Herald.
Ben and his wife and lead assistant Angie Boldt made an immediate impact for the program. The two Nebraska natives have reinvigorated an outfit that won nine games in 2017. In just his second season as head coach, Boldt guided the Bulldogs to a 25-8 overall record, the program’s first-ever appearance in the national round of 16 and an NAIA postseason national ranking of 14th. Concordia won twice at the 2019 national tournament in claiming the program’s first-ever wins on that stage.
The 2020 season is a highly anticipated one for the Bulldogs, who are likely to be ranked in the NAIA preseason top 25. Concordia has lost third team All-American Emmie Noyd to graduation, but it returns four 2019 All-GPAC honorees: Tara Callahan (first team), Camryn Opfer (second team; freshman of the year), Marissa Hoerman (honorable mention) and Kara Stark (honorable mention).
Other finalists mentioned by the World-Herald were College of Saint Mary volleyball coach Rick Pruett and Western Nebraska Community College basketball coach Chad Gibney.
The 2020 campaign is slated to begin on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Bellevue University’s Labor Day Classic. Due to recent adjustments to the schedule, the first home match is now set for Sept. 19 versus Hastings.