SEWARD, Neb. – The 19th-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team carries a four-match win streak into another week of conference action. The Bulldogs will play at Mount Marty on Wednesday before coming home to host No. 17 College of Saint Mary on Saturday. Both contests will be rematches between teams that played each other in the previous month. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad is 3-2 at home and 1-1 in true road matches this season.
This Week
Wednesday, Sept. 22 at Mount Marty (6-8, 0-5), 7:30 p.m.
--Webcast | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Saturday, Sept. 25 vs. No. 17 College of Saint Mary (14-2, 4-1), 4 p.m.
--Webcast/Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Note for fans: Full capacity is allowed inside Friedrich Arena. Advance tickets can be purchased online via the athletic department’s HomeTown Ticketing page.
Concordia moved to 8-5 overall (3-2 GPAC) last week thanks to a home win over Doane (four sets) and a road victory over Hastings (straight sets). The Bulldogs moved their series win streak against the Tigers to seven by outhitting them, .201 to .129. Carly Rodaway paced Concordia with 12 kills while hitting .400. Camryn Opfer added 11 kills and 21 digs and freshmen back row up-and-comers Rebecca Gebhardt (18 digs) and Cassidy Knust (17 digs) played a significant role in limiting Doane’s attack. In the middle, Gabi Nordaker collected 10 kills and seven blocks. Opfer then topped the Bulldogs with 11 kills at Hastings. In a sharp performance, Concordia hit .363 while making quick work of the Broncos.
Recently, setter Tara Callahan (fifth-year member of the program, became the third player in program history to record 4,000 career assists. Callahan’s total currently stands at 4,126 assists, putting her third in school history behind Stacy Stuckenschmidt (4,949) and Alayna Kavanaugh (4,485). The native of Brady, Neb., has been named both a First Team All-GPAC selection and NAIA Honorable Mention choice in back-to-back seasons. Callahan has facilitated many of the 711 career kills (most among active Bulldogs) produced by Opfer. She also helped former All-American Emmie Noyd pile up 973 career kills (ninth in program history).
In the GPAC ratings released last week, Concordia moved back to No. 6 (previously ranked fourth). The Bulldogs also slipped to 19th in the NAIA Coaches’ Poll. On a positive note, the Bulldogs have been included in the NAIA top 25 in 15-straight polls, dating back to the middle of the 2019 season. The current top-rated team in the GPAC, Midland, moved up to No. 1 in the NAIA poll and was then upset in five sets at Doane over the weekend. Currently, six GPAC teams appear in the top 25 and one is receiving votes.
The Lancers are still in search of their first GPAC win of the 2021 season. Mount Marty has dipped out of league play for recent wins over the likes of Peru State College (Sept. 10) and York College (Sept. 14). Within conference play, the Lancers have been outhit, .282 to .015. Their leading attacker has been Gabby Ruth, who has floored 146 kills as an outside hitter.
College of Saint Mary’s two losses have come against teams currently ranked No. 1 (Midland) and No. 3 (Viterbo University) in the NAIA. Head Coach Rick Pruett’s squad is outhitting opponents, .229 to .103, this season. The stars of the show include outside hitter Makenna Freeman (156 kills, 120 digs) and reigning GPAC Libero of the Year Rachel Cushing (5.58 digs/set). The Flames defeated Concordia in five sets in Omaha on Sept. 1.
The Bulldogs will close the month of September by playing at Midland on Wednesday, Sept. 29. They will have the first weekend of October off.