SEWARD, Neb. – A rapidly improving Hastings squad put the second-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Volleyball team on upset alert. A strong service game from the Broncos shook the Bulldogs, who narrowly managed to recover and persevere, 26-24, 25-12, 19-25, 14-25, 15-10, inside Friedrich Arena on Homecoming Saturday (Sept. 19). Concordia finally regained its rhythm in the fifth set when it hit .350.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad may wind up finding value in the way that triumphed after things got sideways. The Bulldogs remain unbeaten in conference play at 4-0 (13-2 overall).
"I'm just really proud of the grit that our team had, being tough and executing down the stretch,” Boldt said. “When it was going well for us, first contact was going well for us. When it wasn't going great for us, Hastings has a really, really good serving team. We were just not in system. We were hesitating, and we weren't doing a great job of calling the ball and being certain out there. It was great to see the bounce back, the reset and knowing what we can do. We served really well in that first part of the fifth set.”
The visitors from out west showed some mettle of their own in controlling the third and fourth sets. The action marked a complete reversal from a dominant second set for Concordia, which hit a blistering .476 in that frame. Instead of an early dinner bell, the clash became a white-knuckler. In the fifth set, the Bulldogs raced to a 7-1 lead before having the advantage cut to 10-9. Concordia steadied itself with a kill from Samantha Kimbell and then a block from Laynee Baker. For match point, Kimbell swatted another kill.
From a serve perspective, the Bulldogs met their match. Hastings collected 12 aces, including four apiece from Ilse Benne and Fran Warson. As the aces piled up, Boldt used different combinations in the back row. Freshman Jaidyn Smutny sprang to action and later rang the bell. Concordia mixed in enough grit to limit the Broncos to a .105 hitting percentage.
The performance overall was far from a masterpiece, but the Bulldogs have reason to believe they can come through when the tension rises. Said junior Shandy Fa’ali’i, “We showed up and played how we would play. We didn't step out of our comfort zone. We didn't play out of ourselves. We played for one another, and we played as us … This team chemistry is just something that is unbelievable to be a part of. I'm so proud of this team.”
Fa’ali’i put away a match-high 18 kills to go along with 12 digs and an ace. Kimbell had the most efficient day on the attack, as she went for 13 kills on 30 attempts. Freshman Myla Emery posted 27 assists while leading an offense that hit .170. Other leaders included Ella Brueggemann with four aces, Jenna Sladky with 15 digs and Makenna Starkey with four blocks (all solos).
Hastings now stands at 10-3 overall (2-2 GPAC) under first-year Head Coach Harley Rhoades. The Broncos were led by Benne with 11 kills. Lainey Benson chipped in with 23 digs.
Concordia knows what it will be working on next week in practice – passing. Said Boldt, “When we're on and when we're in system, we're one of the best teams in the country. But when we're not, we're not. We have to have a big mentality for expecting the serve, trusting our seams and having no hesitation in between people. We don't need to be perfect with our pass. It just needs to be in the area, and then we can run off of that.”
Two GPAC road trips are coming up next week for the Bulldogs. This Wednesday, Concordia will be on the black top at Doane (4-12, 1-3 GPAC) for a 7:30 p.m. CT varsity first serve. The Bulldogs have triumphed in each of the past eight meetings with the Tigers. Doane fell at No. 15 Midland in straight sets on Saturday.