NAIA Volleyball Postseason Poll
SEWARD, Neb. – The 2019 Concordia University volleyball team has checked off a lot of ‘firsts.’ No other squad in program history had ever reached the final site of the NAIA National Championship and none had won a national tournament match. Times have changed for the Bulldogs, who landed at No. 14 in the NAIA Volleyball Postseason Coaches’ Top 25 Poll released on Thursday (Dec. 12). That marks the best final ranking ever achieved for Concordia volleyball.
In just their second season leading the Bulldogs, coaches Ben and Angie Boldt guided the ’19 team to a 25-8 overall record and a spot in the round of 16 at the NAIA National Championship. While at the national tournament, Concordia claimed wins over Montana Tech and the University of Saint Mary (Kan.). Over the past two years, the program went from 9-19 in 2017 to 15-12 in 2018 to a standard-setting season in 2019.
As a byproduct of the team success, senior middle blocker Emmie Noyd and junior setter Tara Callahan earned first team All-GPAC recognition. Noyd was later named a third team All-American while Callahan picked up honorable mention All-America accolades. Camryn Opfer was chosen as the Freshman of the Year in both the GPAC and the West Central Region (by the American Volleyball Coaches Association).
Based on the NAIA postseason poll, the Bulldogs earned four victories over top 25 teams in 2019: No. 15 Corban University (Ore.), No. 17 Montana Tech and No. 23 College of Saint Mary (twice). In addition Concordia defeated three teams listed as receiving votes: Midland, Dordt and Saint Mary (Kan.).
Not since the 2015 squad (coached by Scott Mattera) capped the season at No. 22 had the Bulldogs appeared in the top 25 of the postseason poll. Prior to Thursday’s rankings release, the Concordia volleyball program’s best final ranking was 18th after it shared the GPAC title in 2000 (coached by Rebecca Ernstmeyer). That ’00 squad reached as high as No. 12. Going back a bit further, the 1995 team (coached by Vicki Boye), inducted into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005, soared as high as 16th in the national poll.