SEWARD, Neb. – The regular season will conclude on Tuesday evening when the third-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska volleyball team welcomes Doane to Friedrich Arena. The Bulldogs hope to bounce back after enduring a rare home defeat. Regardless of the outcome on Tuesday, the standings will not change. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad stands at 13-2 in league play (22-4 overall) and is locked into second place. Meanwhile, Doane (4-24, 1-14 GPAC) will finish its 2026 season on Tuesday and will place 12th in the conference standings.
This Week
Tuesday, Nov. 3 vs. Doane (4-24, 1-14 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
--104.9 Max Country | Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
GPAC Quarterfinals – Saturday, Nov. 6 vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m.
--104.9 Max Country | Webcast | Live Stats – Presto | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
--NOTE: A more extensive preview will be released on Wednesday, following the conclusion of the regular season.
• The NAIA last released an official RPI (ratings percentage index) on Oct. 21. Concordia appeared at No. 3 in the RPI, behind No. 1 Northwestern and No. 2 Eastern Oregon University. The Bulldogs also landed at No. 3 in the NAIA selection committee poll unveiled on that same date. Fresh top 25, RPI and ARC ratings are scheduled to be released on Wednesday (Nov. 4) and will paint a picture of which teams are in contention for potential national tournament at-large bids.
• In a challenging final full week of conference regular season action, Concordia went 1-1. The Bulldogs won in a sweep at Hastings, 25-18, 25-16, 25-22, inside Lynn Farrell Arena and then fell at home to No. 18 Dordt, 20-25, 25-22, 16-25, 25-22, 15-9. Individually, it was a strong week for Shandy Fa’ali’i, who posted 30 combined kills while hitting .324 from the outside. Other statistical leaders last week included Myla Emery in assists (39), Kyla Griess in aces (four), Jenna Sladky in digs (27) and Bella Hedke in blocks (10). Concordia enjoyed a large advantage in blocks over Hastings/Dordt, outnumbering them, 25-7. Others with seven or more blocks last week were Makenna Starkey (nine), Laynee Baker (seven) and Samantha Kimbell (seven).
• With the win at Hastings, the Bulldogs improved to 8-0 this season versus in-state opponents. Included in that record are regular season sweeps of College of Saint Mary, Hastings and Midland, as well as single victories over Doane and York University. Concordia went 10-0 against other Nebraska schools last season. The win streak versus in-state foes now stands at 18.
The opponent
Doane has dropped 16 matches in a row as part of a turbulent fall that included an in-season coaching change. Brian Stutz serves as Interim Head Coach (in place of former Head Coach RanDee Ochinero). The Tigers’ lone GPAC win occurred on Sept. 2 when they won at Mount Marty in straight sets. Doane and Concordia met in Crete on Sept. 23 for a contest that resulted in a Bulldog win, 25-12, 25-21, 25-20. That result extended the Bulldogs’ series win streak to nine. Doane rolls out three players with more than 100 kills this season: Brooke Larsen (175), Natalie Wood (126) and Kate Roseland (125). Notably, Wood has been out since mid-September. Larsen was a Second Team All-GPAC honoree in 2025. On the season, Doane is hitting .093 with an average of 9.52 kills per set while its opponents are hitting .219 with an average of 13.02 kills per set.
GPAC Tournament
Official GPAC tournament pairings will be released on Tuesday at the completion of all regular season matches. The conference tournament features three rounds: the quarterfinals (Nov. 7), semifinals (Nov. 11) and championship (Nov. 14). Concordia has advanced to the championship match in each of the previous five seasons.