SEWARD, Neb. – For the first time since early in the 2016 season, the Concordia University volleyball program sports a national ranking next to its name. This is a bit of an unfamiliar role this weekend for the Bulldogs, who will attempt to further prove that they belong in the NAIA top 25. Head coach Ben Boldt’s 17th-ranked squad will hit the road this weekend and play at Briar Cliff on Friday and at Mount Marty on Saturday.
This Week
Friday, Oct. 25 at Briar Cliff (13-14, 3-9 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast | Live Stats
Saturday, Oct. 26 at Mount Marty (7-19, 0-10 GPAC), 4 p.m.
-Live Webcast
Concordia earned its national ranking with its 19-3 mark (8-3 GPAC) that equals the program’s best 22-match record during the GPAC era (2000-present). It has knocked off seven teams that were ranked at the time matches were contested and owns victories over current top 25 teams in No. 12 Corban University (Ore.), No. 20 Dordt and No. 24 Midland. The Bulldogs have been idle since defeating then 22nd-ranked Dordt in four sets on Oct. 19. Freshman Camryn Opfer enjoyed a big day while posting 14 kills, 14 digs, two blocks and a .467 hitting percentage.
Opfer is a budding star for a team that’s found a nice mix between veterans and newcomers. Players like Opfer (2.63 kill/set) and senior middle blocker Emmie Noyd (.337 hitting percentage) garner plenty of attention as the squad’s most prolific attackers, but Boldt speaks frequently about the players who set them up for success. Junior Marissa Hoerman (3.74 digs/set) recorded 19 digs in the win over the Defenders while Tara Callahan (10.58 assists/set) piled up 45 assists in that same match. As a team, Concordia is outhitting its opponents, .240 to .172, this season.
The Bulldogs will be meeting both of this week’s opponents for the first time in 2019. Concordia did get a look at Briar Cliff earlier this season when it played in the Bulldog Bash where it notched wins over Benedictine College (Kan.), Waldorf University (Iowa) and Bethel College (Kan.). The Chargers have dropped seven matches in a row, which is mostly an illustration of the challenges the GPAC presents. Briar Cliff is one of the NAIA’s better blocking teams while currently ranked eighth nationally in blocks per set (2.47) led by Grace Whitlaw (1.2 blocks/set). The program is guided by Lindsey Weatherford, who is in her first season as Charger head coach.
Mount Marty will first attempt to stop its skid on Friday when it hosts Midland. The Lancers have lost nine-straight matches since their win over York on Sept. 17. Head coach Frank Hebenstreit’s squad leans heavily upon junior outside hitter Elizabeth Watchorn, who paces Mount Marty in kills (2.7/set), digs (3.6/set) and aces (27 total). Her season high for kills was 21 in a four-set win over Sterling College (Kan.) on Sept. 6. Concordia got the best of the Lancers, 25-16, 25-20, 25-15, last season inside Walz Arena.
A GPAC regular-season championship is likely out of reach of the Bulldogs with No. 1 Northwestern now sitting at 12-0 in conference play. However, Concordia could still realistically finish as high as second in the NAIA’s best volleyball league. No. 8 Jamestown is currently in that position with an 8-2 GPAC record. After this weekend, the Bulldogs will have just three matches left in the regular season: versus Jamestown (Oct. 31), versus Dakota Wesleyan (Nov. 3) and at Northwestern (Nov. 6).