SEWARD, Neb. – With the unblemished GPAC record still intact, Concordia University, Nebraska Volleyball braces for a jampacked weekend that will feature matchups with the league’s two Sioux City, Iowa, inhabitants: Briar Cliff and Morningside. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad played the minimum number of sets last week as earned road sweeps of Doane and No. 12 Dakota Wesleyan. The Bulldogs will carry a 6-0 conference mark (15-2 overall) into another pivotal weekend of GPAC action. Saturday will be senior day at Friedrich Arena.
This Week
Friday, Oct. 2 vs. Briar Cliff (10-7, 1-5 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
--Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
Senior Day – Saturday, Oct. 3 vs. No. 14 Morningside (16-3, 5-1 GPAC), 3 p.m.
--Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
• According to the NAIA coaches corner, the remainder of NAIA ratings releases will come from the national championship selection committee. The first RPI and ARC (Area Rating Committees) ratings of the 2026 season are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, Oct. 6. In the NAIA coaches’ poll unveiled on Sept. 16, Concordia landed at No. 2. The Bulldogs have appeared inside the top five of 28 consecutive NAIA coaches’ polls. During the 2023 season, Concordia twice landed the No. 1 ranking. Based on the Sept. 16 poll, the Bulldogs own top 25 wins over No. 5 McPherson College (Kan.), No. 12 Dakota Wesleyan and No. 15 Midland. Another opportunity for a ranked win will present itself on Saturday when No. 14 Morningside visits Friedrich Arena.
• Last week was about taking care of the Tigers. Concordia accomplished that aim as it went on the road to defeat Doane, 25-12, 25-21, 25-20, and No. 12 Dakota Wesleyan, 25-22, 25-17, 25-18. The Bulldog block was a major theme as the Bulldogs ruled that category by a count of 8-2 at Doane and 12-4 at Dakota Wesleyan. Four Concordia players in particular contributed to the domination at the net, each with at least seven blocks for the week: Bella Hedke (10), Makenna Starkey (nine), Laynee Baker (eight) and Maddie Paulsen (seven). Other statistical leaders on the week were Shandy Fa’ali’i in kills (27) and digs (17), Myla Emery in assists (38) and aces (three). Clara Evert equaled Emery with three aces. The Bulldogs outhit Doane/DWU, .259 to .081, and out-killed the two foes, 85-58. Hedke and Starkey were also effective on the attack, hitting .484 and .409, respectively, last week.
• It was an efficient week for Fa’ali’i, a six-rotation player. The Lincoln East High School product hit .295 from the outside while totaling 27 kills. With an average of 3.80 kills per set this season, Fa’ali’i ranks third among GPAC players and 19th nationally. In 17 matches (60 sets) this season, Fa’ali’i has compiled 228 kills, 153 digs, 30 aces and 15 blocks, in addition to 342 serve receptions. The role this season has changed dramatically for Fa’ali’i, who spent her first two collegiate seasons as a defensive specialist. In her career, Fa’ali’i has tallied 546 digs in 70 matches (253 sets).
• Prior to first serve on Saturday, Concordia will honor a smaller group of four seniors (compared to 10 on the 2025 roster). The senior class includes Lanie Brott (Lincoln, Neb.), Ava Greene (Papillion, Neb.), Bella Hedke (Marysville, Kan.) and Maddie Paulsen (Sioux Falls, S.D.). Athletically, Paulsen is a junior due to her missing essentially the entire 2024 season due to injury. As for Greene, a 2025 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, she has not played yet this season because of injury. Meanwhile, Hedke is in her first and only season as a Bulldog after having played at Johnson County Community College and Wayne State College. Brott is a four-year Concordia student-athlete and has seen her role increase as a senior. Brott, Greene and Paulsen each contributed to last season’s historic run to the national semifinals.
• A well-rounded team, the Bulldogs enter the week with NAIA national rankings of 10th in kills per set (13.15), 16th in blocks per set (2.23), 19th in aces per set (2.38), 46th in hitting percentage (.204) and 88th in digs per set (15.52). The aces have been plentiful thanks to an aggressive approach at the service line. Six Bulldogs have landed at least 14 aces this season: Shandy Fa’ali’i (30), Kyla Griess (27), Ella Brueggemann (25), Myla Emery (22), Clara Evert (19) and Jenna Sladky (14). On the attack, three Concordia hitters have eclipsed 100 kills for the season: Fa’ali’i (228), Makenna Starkey (117) and Samantha Kimbell (110).
• Ben Boldt became the program’s winningest head coach at the 2025 national tournament. With win No. 182, Boldt moved past Berniece Jones, who won 181 matches during her tenure from 1976 to 1988. Currently in year nine leading the Bulldogs, Boldt has pushed his mark to 197-57 since arriving in Seward ahead of the 2018 season. Boldt could hit the 200-win mark as early as next week. For all nine seasons, Ben has teamed up with his wife Angie, the Associate Head Coach. The staff has also included Corina Vega since 2022 while Juan Caro is in his second year as the graduate assistant. The Boldts have guided the program to seven national tournament appearances, including four that finished in at least the quarterfinal round.
• Bonus note: Concordia went 9-0 during the month of September.
The opponents
Lauren Boatman is in her second season as head coach at Briar Cliff, which finished 2025 at 10-17 overall (4-12 GPAC). The 2026 Chargers sit at 10-7 (1-5 GPAC). They remain a stout blocking team, ranking 12th nationally with an average of 2.30 blocks per set. The individual leader in that category is junior middle Aubrey Hoeft, who averages 1.33 blocks per set and is a returning Honorable Mention All-GPAC award winner. Briar Cliff’s one league win this season was a five-set triumph at Waldorf. This past Saturday, the Chargers were beaten in four sets by Hastings. As a team, Briar Cliff is hitting .170 with an average of 9.81 kills per set. The Chargers have made four national appearances all-time with the most recent one occurring in 2015. Eight straight series meetings have gone to Concordia.
Morningside ended its 2025 season with a loss at Concordia in the GPAC quarterfinals. The Mustangs appear primed to return to the national tournament, where they appeared in 2023 and 2024 (10 all-time appearances as a program). Head Coach Jessica Squier’s squad returned GPAC All-Conference players in middle Victoria Bouska, setter Kyla Dyrstad and outside hitter Aubrey Sandbothe. Morningside made waves out of conference by defeating No. 14 St. Thomas University (Fla.) and No. 5 Corban University (Ore.). Their only loss within league play occurred at No. 2 Northwestern. The Mustangs boast a strong attack, sporting national rankings of 14th in kills per set (13.09) and 22nd in hitting percentage (.229). The team leader in kills is Lincoln Pius X alum Sidda Hagedorn, who has racked up 270 kills on the outside. The Bulldogs have defeated Morningside in each of the past eight matchups.
Next week
The Friday-Saturday schedule configuration will continue next week with Concordia scheduled to play on the home courts of Waldorf on Oct. 9 and No. 3 Northwestern on Oct. 10. The Bulldogs and Red Raiders have met in each of the past three GPAC Championship Matches.