SEWARD, Neb. – A competitive first two-and-a-half sets gave way to the Carly Rodaway show and a closing run of dominance for the 19th-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team on Wednesday (Sept. 15) night. Following a 14-14 stalemate in the third set (match tied 1-1), the Bulldogs rattled off 36 of the match’s final 50 points while leaving no doubt against rival Doane. Concordia triumphed in four sets, 25-21, 17-25, 25-16, 25-12, inside Friedrich Arena.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad has won three-straight matches to move to 7-5 overall (2-2 GPAC). The Bulldogs have won each of the last seven meetings over the Tigers.
“Ultimately, I was proud of our response from that point on (after the second set) and how we stayed mentally tough,” Boldt said. “This week we’re working on being able to keep our edge. When the other team makes an adjustment, we’ve got to be able to focus and refocus and increase our communication. I thought we fought hard to keep our composure through some adversity tonight.”
Rodaway made quite a first impression in her first career match inside Friedrich Arena. Many of the loudest moments came during the third set, at a time when it appeared to be anyone’s match. Rodaway could not be stopped from the right side. She hammered kills for point Nos. 16, 17, 18, 21 and 22 and sandwiched in a block for point No. 19. The splurge electrified a Concordia squad that carried that energy through a breezy fourth set.
A Lincoln Pius X alum, Rodaway finished with a team high 12 kills and a .400 hitting percentage on the night. The Bulldogs floored 14 kills without a single error in the fourth set and outhit Doane, .201 to .129, on Wednesday. The lefty Rodaway provided an obvious spark.
“That was amazing,” Rodaway said of the third set. “The team really helped bring me up and I just wanted to keep going. Tara (Callahan) kept feeding me – it was awesome … Everyone’s been so inviting. The culture is definitely what I was looking for.”
Of course Rodaway had help. Standout Camryn Opfer supplied 11 kills and was all over the place in the back row (match high 21 digs). In the middle, Gabi Nordaker (10 kills, seven blocks) was the key to Concordia’s blocking efforts. The Bulldogs owned an 11-6 advantage in that category. At setter, Callahan racked up 46 assists and also chipped in with 13 digs and four blocks. Rebecca Gebhardt and Cassidy Knust added 18 and 17 digs, respectively. Opfer also led the way with three aces.
The Tigers (12-4, 1-3 GPAC) got a match high 14 kills from their star, Gabby Menghini. Doane hit a blistering .333 in the second set that it won, but it followed it up by attacking at clips of -.043 in the third and .079 in the fourth. The Tigers began this season at 8-0 and hold a conference win over Mount Marty.
Rodaway was sidelined early in the season, but she’s been counted upon heavily over the past four matches. Said Boldt, “She’s able to turn the ball down the line and she’s able to hit it across court, which makes her unpredictable. She was frustrating them on that side.”
The Bulldogs will be on the road for the second time during conference play when they play at Hastings (11-5, 2-2 GPAC) on Saturday. First serve is set for 3 p.m. CT from Lynn Farrell Arena. Concordia won the only matchup between the two sides last season. The Bulldogs and Broncos split a pair of 2019 meetings.