SEWARD, Neb. – Head Coach Ben Boldt loves to see balance when he looks at the stat sheet, but he couldn’t argue with the results on Saturday (Nov. 8). Behind a sizzling Ashley Keck, the fourth-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Volleyball team made quick work of Morningside, 25-15, 25-13, 25-17, in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals inside Friedrich Arena. Keck produced 22 of her team’s 48 kills.
The Boldts have guided the program to at least the GPAC semifinals for the seventh straight year. The Bulldogs will take a 23-2 overall record into the next round of postseason play.
“We always took about focus on our serve and fight on our pass and really getting good hand contact on the ball when we’re serving,” Boldt said. “I thought we really did that well tonight. We managed when we needed to tonight. I thought we were putting them under pressure and getting them out of system. Our service game was great tonight.”
Strong serve and pass play helped tee the ball up for the All-American Keck, who was consistent throughout the night with six kills in the first set, seven in the second and nine in the third. When the Mustangs threatened to extend the match by pulling even in the third at 17-17, Keck said goodnight. She put away kills for point Nos. 21, 24 and 25 in the third set. Shandy Faalii ended the evening on the service line for the final eight points of the match.
The first two sets were no contest. Concordia outhit Morningside .349 to .122 in the first set and then .289 to .051 in the second. While Keck starred on the attack, libero Emma Brueggemann gave Mustang hitters fits. She piled up 22 digs as Morningside hit only .093 (28 kills and 16 errors for the night). At the net, middle blocker Ava Greene contributed to five blocks (one solo).
The connection between the Bulldogs’ setters and hitters continues to trend positively. After Keck’s 22 kills, four Concordia players posted five or more kills: Greene (seven), Molli Martin (five), Kya Scott (five) and Ella Waters (five). Assists were split nearly even between Savannah Shelburne (23) and Lily Psencik (21). Two aces apiece came from Brueggemann, Faalii and Shelburne.
When asked about her success on Saturday, Keck shifted the focus back to what the team did well. Said Keck, “We served and passed well, and we played as a team. I think that’s what’s most important. We played together and for each other … I think our connections in practice are showing up in games.”
Added Boldt, “Our setters put her in good positions. That’s the thing about it – it’s not the same kill twice in a row. She can take it down the line, she can go across court with it and she can throw in an off-speed ball. She does a great job. There was a point there where I was like, we need to spread it out a little bit more. Let’s keep working to get people going. There was also a point where it was like, let’s just keep setting Ashley.”
Morningside (14-14) has been a dangerous team that has two particularly impressive nonconference wins over top 25 opponents. The Mustangs got a team high nine kills from Jacey Miller on Saturday. Standout Payten Lode was limited to six kills.
The Bulldogs have reached the GPAC semifinals for the seventh straight year. In the 2025 semifinal round, Concordia will host third-seeded Midland (18-9, 12-4 GPAC) at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday. On the other side of the bracket, No. 1 seed Northwestern will host fourth-seeded Dakota Wesleyan. The semifinal winners will meet in the GPAC Championship Match on Saturday, Nov. 15.