SEWARD, Neb. – Once the Concordia University, Nebraska Volleyball team adapted to what it saw on the other side of the net, it rolled to victory. The nation’s third-seeded Bulldogs hit .350 in their final home match of 2025 and defeated unfamiliar foe Florida National University, 25-17, 25-15, 25-10, in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round on Saturday (Nov. 22) afternoon. Five Bulldogs notched at least six kills in a balanced effort.
Head Coach Ben Boldt and his staff have led the program to the final site of the NAIA National Championship tournament for the seventh straight year. Concordia stands at 25-3 overall.
“It took us a little bit to get into a rhythm, but once we did, I thought we took care of business,” Boldt said. “It was a bit different style of play to start off with. That’s what you’re going to have to adjust to when you start playing teams you’re not used to. Typically in a GPAC match, there’s a certain tempo that’s coming at you. It wasn’t the exact same tempo. We have to delay our block and our digging had to adjust to the ball that was coming over the net. I think we found the flow and the rhythm of the match.”
Though Florida National entered the opening round without national tournament experience on its roster, the moment did not appear too big early on for the visitors from Hialeah, Fla. A kill by Ariana Long made it 13-13 in the opening set. The Conquistadors later clung within 19-17 before the Bulldogs rattled off the next six points to gain the upper hand. Ella Waters and Ava Greene combined on the block for set point, and Concordia was on its way.
The Bulldogs hit .406 in the second set and .345 in the third while triumphing in dominant fashion. In the back row, Concordia libero Emma Brueggemann (18 digs) ranged all over court in a starring effort. Her efforts teed the ball up on the attack for the team’s kills leaders: Ashley Kick (10), Kya Scott (nine), Maddie Paulsen (seven), Molli Martin (six) and Ella Waters (six). On the block, the Bulldogs enjoyed a decided advantage, 11-2, while led by Greene (four blocks).
Scott and her fellow seniors were not going to let this opportunity to play on the biggest stage get away from them. Scott heated up as Saturday’s match moved along. The attackers were spurred by senior setters Lily Psencik and Savannah Shelburne (19 assists apiece).
Said Scott, “It’s bittersweet because we just played our last home game here. We got to end it on a great note and get to head farther into the national tournament. We started out slow, but the more we found ourselves the more we started competing. I think overall we played well.”
As the third set got out of hand, the Bulldogs went deeper into the bench. Sixteen Concordia players saw action as the likes of Laynee Baker, Sydney Jelinek, Kadyn Sisco and Makenna Starkey made contributions.
Said Boldt, “Our bench is really deep, and I think they do an awesome job in practice preparing us for tough competition. They bring it every single time in practice. It’s awesome to get them an opportunity to get out there. They bring a different energy. We have full trust that they can come in and make an impact in the match.”
Florida National (17-19) appeared at the national tournament for the second time in program history. The Conquistadors were paced on Saturday by the eight kills from Chriselle Ferdinand. FNU was limited to an .010 hitting percentage.
Final site pools are scheduled to be officially announced at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday. As the top seed in Pool C (based on the overall seeding prior to the opening round), the Bulldogs will play their first pool play match on Wednesday, Dec. 3. The complete pool play schedule can be found HERE. All national tournament matches the rest of the way will be played at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.