SEWARD, Neb. – If all goes as planned, this will be the busiest week yet this season for the Concordia University Volleyball team. The Bulldogs are slated to host a rare conference doubleheader (tripleheader when factoring in junior varsity) on Tuesday before hitting the road for a trip up north this weekend. The four-match week could be exactly what the Bulldogs (5-1) need to put their first loss of 2020 behind them.
This Week
*Tuesday, Oct. 13 vs. Mount Marty (5-6, 0-2 GPAC), 3:30/7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country
*Pink out for breast cancer awareness (fans are encouraged to wear pink); Concordia players will be playing in honor of people close to them who have been personally affected by breast cancer.
Friday, Oct. 16 at Jamestown (8-0, 6-0 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast | Live Stats
Saturday, Oct. 17 at Dakota Wesleyan (7-5, 4-5 GPAC), 5 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad raced out to a 5-0 record before tripping up at home on Oct. 10 while entertaining defending GPAC champion Northwestern (6-1, 4-1 GPAC). Sophomore Kalee Wiltfong starred for Concordia in piling up 18 kills (one shy of a career high). However, the Bulldogs were unable to overcome a season high 37 attack errors. Reigning NAIA National Player of the Year Anna Wedel (match high 19 kills) and the Red Raiders did not allow the Bulldogs to get away with those mistakes. Northwestern effectively bounced back after it lost in straight sets earlier in the week versus Dordt.
Concordia would like to get its attack in order after it has hit below .200 in three-straight matches (.198, .170 and .076, respectively). Spurred by honorable mention All-American setter Tara Callahan, the Bulldogs are plenty capable of doing that. Despite struggling on the attack last week, the Bulldogs sport NAIA national rankings of 11th in kills per set (13.6) and 23rd in hitting percentage (.206). Callahan ranks fourth nationally in assists per set (10.95). Callahan enters the week needing 27 more assists for 3,000 in her career. Four Concordia players have 50+ kills this season: Gabi Nordaker (56), Arleigh Costello (54), Kara Stark (51) and Wiltfong (50).
Since beginning the season on Sept. 9, the Bulldogs have gone a week or more between matches three separate times. They have been impressive despite that lack of rhythm. Even with the loss to Northwestern, Concordia currently appears at No. 1 in the NAIA national rankings computed by Massey Ratings (which includes teams that have not yet played in 2020-21). Massey lists the Bulldogs as having played the fourth most challenging schedule in the nation so far in 2020. The Concordia-Northwestern matchup likely would have featured two top 10 teams had there been a recent NAIA official poll.
Mount Marty has not played since it defeated York College on Sept. 19. Before the extended break, the lancers dropped conference clashes with Doane and College of Saint Mary. The Lancers are coming off a 2019 season that saw them go 0-16 in conference play. Mount Marty returns two honorable mention All-GPAC outside hitters in Gabrielle Ruth and Elizabeth Watchorn.
Jamestown advanced the farthest of any GPAC team a year ago in reaching the national semifinals. On paper, the two most quality victories for the Jimmies are the two they have earned over Dordt. Head Coach Jon Hegerle’s squad owns NAIA national rankings of third in kills per set (14.25), sixth in blocks per set (2.68) and 13th in hitting percentage (.238). The team’s leading hitter is returning second team All-GPAC selection Anna Holen (3.1 kills/set).
Dakota Wesleyan picked up a solid home win last week over Midland and has taken a set apiece (four-set losses) against both Northwestern and Jamestown. The Tigers graduated a prolific hitter in Rebecca Frick, but have regrouped with a respectable attack. Madeline Else leads the country in total number of assists with 474. DWU placed 10th in the GPAC last season.
The Bulldogs will be more than halfway through the GPAC regular-season slate by the end of the week. Coming up next week, Concordia will be at College of Saint Mary on Oct. 20 before hosting Briar Cliff on Oct. 23 and Morningside on Oct. 24.