SEWARD, Neb. – After avenging one regular season loss, the 10th-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team hopes to make amends for another one when it visits No. 7 Northwestern in a GPAC semifinal clash on Wednesday. The Bulldogs are hoping to reach the GPAC tournament final for the second time in program history and for the first time since 2015. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad defeated Dakota Wesleyan in straight sets, 25-19, 28-26, 25-15, in the quarterfinals on April 3.
GPAC Semifinal Match Info
(10) Concordia (15-3) at (7) Northwestern (18-3)
Wednesday, April 7 | 7 p.m. CT
Bultman Center | Orange City, Iowa
Webcast: Red Raiders All-Access
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Frank Greene
Tickets: https://www.cune.edu/athletics/tickets (also sold on site)
--Admission: $10 for adults/senior citizens, $3 for K-12; only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s will be admitted free of charge.
Fan policy: Northwestern is capping fan attendance to 50 percent capacity within the Bultman Center. Admission will be charged on site on game day (no online ticketing).
By the numbers
· The matchup last week with Dakota Wesleyan turned into a defensive battle. Concordia outhit the Tigers, .192 to .049. The Bulldogs owned additional advantages in kills (43-35) and blocks (12-8). Individual statistical leaders for Concordia included Camryn Opfer with 14 kills, Tara Callahan with 32 assists, Gabi Nordaker with nine blocks and Marissa Hoerman with 22 digs. DWU had a key personnel loss with GPAC Freshman of the Year Ady Dwight sidelined by injury. Tiger setter Madeline Else put together a fine match that included 28 assists and 23 digs.
· All three matches this spring have resulted in wins over teams either ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA national poll (current rankings): No. 11 Grand View University (Iowa), No. 22 Ottawa University (Kan.) and Dakota Wesleyan (receiving votes). The Tigers were one of three GPAC teams that defeated the Bulldogs during the regular season. The other two are the top two seeds in the conference: Jamestown and Northwestern.
· In the three spring matches, Concordia has been led by Opfer in kills (45), Kalee Wiltfong in hitting percentage (.304), Callahan in assists (111), Nordaker in blocks (14) and Hoerman in digs (66) and aces (three). Opfer is averaging 4.5 kills per set this spring while ramping up her production on the outside. The Seward High School product racked up a career high 21 kills in the win over Ottawa. Four teammates have totaled at least 20 kills this spring: Kara Stark (33), Arleigh Costello (23), Wiltfong (21) and Nordaker (20).
· The Bulldogs and Red Raiders met up in Seward on Oct. 10, 2020, with Northwestern winning, 25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22. Reigning NAIA National Player of the Year Anna Wedel powered 19 kills while the Red Raiders outhit Concordia, .243 to .076. Wiltfong paced the Bulldogs with 18 kills while Hoerman added 21 digs. At the time, it was the first loss of the season for Concordia, which slipped to 5-1.
· The Bulldogs have reached the GPAC semifinals for the second year in a row and for the fifth time since the conference formed in 2000. The 2015 Concordia squad remains the lone one in program history to reach the GPAC postseason championship match. Back in the days of the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference (NIAC), the Bulldogs appeared in the 1996 conference tournament title match. Concordia lost the championship matches in both 1996 and 2015.
The opponent
Currently in his 16th season as head coach, Kyle Van Den Bosch always seems to have Northwestern in the running for GPAC championships. Van Den Bosch has led the program to a combined 10 GPAC titles and 10 national tournament berths. With Wedel as the star of the show, this edition of the Red Raiders is another powerful one. Nationally, they rank third in hitting percentage (.272) and 17th in kills per set (13.4). Wedel was joined on the All-GPAC first team by teammates in right side Makenzie Fink and setter Lacey Reitz. Northwestern’s losses this season have come against Dordt (twice) and Jamestown.
GPAC tournament results
Quarterfinals
(1) Jamestown def. (8) Morningside, 25-20, 25-15, 25-16
(5) Midland def. (4) Dordt, 25-21, 25-22, 24-26, 25-21
(3) Concordia def. (6) Dakota Wesleyan, 25-19, 28-26, 25-15
(2) Northwestern def. (7) Hastings, 25-17, 25-21, 25-10
The Concordia/Northwestern winner will advance to the championship match and play either Jamestown or Midland on Saturday, April 10.