SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia University, Nebraska Volleyball had rival Doane outmatched. The fourth-ranked Bulldogs dominated all facets of the game while sweeping the Tigers, 25-16, 25-15, 25-14, in the 2025 regular season finale inside Friedrich Arena on Tuesday (Nov. 4). As part of a sharp performance, Concordia hit .407 in throttling Doane in a snappy, one-hour, 10-minute contest.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad finished the regular season at 15-1 in league play (22-2 overall) and will begin the postseason as the GPAC’s No. 2 seed. The Bulldogs also posted a 15-1 GPAC mark in 2024.
“I thought we played pretty clean,” Boldt said. “Our serving was good. Our passing was good, which allows us to put our hitters in good positions. A focus of ours was making sure that we earned our own points. It’s kind of a team identity that we’ve set for ourselves. There’s a lot that goes into that. We made good decisions and we stayed aggressive.”
The Tigers took the first set from Concordia in Crete back on Sept. 20 and clung within a point (16-15) in Tuesday’s opening set. That’s about the time any momentum Doane felt was stamped out. A service error began a stretch that saw the Bulldogs rattle off 16 of the next 18 points, a run that spilled into the second set. Concordia controlled the match with its serve game, stayed in system consistently and hit at least .389 in every set.
Bulldog hitters enjoyed a field day. Five Concordia players collected six or more kills, and all five hit above .300: Ashley Keck (13; .400), Ava Greene (seven; .545), Molli Martin (seven; .700), Kya Scott (six; .333) and Ella Waters (six; .364). In another fine outing, Keck added 12 digs, four aces and a block to her stat line. Maddie Paulsen contributed four kills on nine swings. Keck and company were facilitated by the setting duo of Lily Psencik (20 assists) and Savannah Shelburne (14 assists). Emma Brueggemann led the team in digs (16) and chipped in with two aces.
Greene spurred the defensive effort at the net with two blocks. Afterwards, the Papillion, Neb., native reflected on the journey to this point, and why this program keeps churning out incredible seasons.
Said Greene, “This season’s been very special. We just have this really close bond on the court. I think that translates from off the court. We spend a lot of time together, not just in practice or in games. We spend quality time, and I think that shows on the court. We’re very connected and we all have these goals we want to reach.”
On Tuesday, the Bulldogs dominated across the stat sheet with advantages in hitting percentage, .407 to .122, kills, 46-26, aces, 8-5, digs, 54-34, and blocks, 4-3. In taking care of a Doane team that had already been eliminated from postseason contention, Concordia showed the maturity not to overlook its opponent.
Said Boldt, “It’s consistency in the work that our team has put in. This senior group has been awesome. They’re a core group of kids that come from central Nebraska, small town Nebraska, and they really love each other and play for each other. This whole program is important. The results are a byproduct of that connection. They’ve done an awesome job of setting a standard for the team and showing everyone what it means to be a Bulldog.”
Doane (12-19, 3-13 GPAC) again played without one of its leading attackers in Natalie Wood. The Tigers were led by the 10 kills from Mariah Silva. They ended their season on a 10-match skid.
For the sixth time in seven years, the Bulldogs have earned the right to host in the quarterfinals of the GPAC tournament. As the league’s No. 2 seed, Concordia will welcome Morningside (14-13, 7-9 GPAC) to Friedrich Arena for a 7:30 p.m. CT first serve on Saturday. Dates for the remaining GPAC postseason rounds will be Nov. 12 for the semifinals and Nov. 15 for the championship match.