Many athletic programs talk about fostering a family-like culture. It’s a common cliché. Inside Concordia University, Nebraska Volleyball, the coaching staff and student-athletes make every effort to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. It starts with the upperclassmen who set the tone. For the 2025 Bulldogs, the class of 10 seniors has strived to be everything the program says it’s about: love, trust, hard work and sacrifice.
Can one team really ‘out-family’ the other team? It may sound silly or even a little corny, but Concordia Volleyball truly believes it can be accomplished.
As All-American Ashley Keck said on senior day, “I’m happy as can be. This is my second family. We talked about wanting to ‘out-family’ the other team this year. I think that win shows who we are as a family more than a team. We compete with each other and be there for each other in big moments so we can put away a game like that.”
Who are you or I to argue? The consistent excellence of the program over time may be explained in part by sheer volleyball talent and coaching acumen, but there has to be more to it than that. Coaches Ben and Angie Boldt preach about the processes that lead to results, but they insist that they rarely talk about winning within their program. But winning is about all this senior class knows. The .853 winning percentage (93-16 record) achieved from 2022 through the present season is the highest for any four-year period in program history.
The current seniors stepped into a program that had already been on the upswing under the Boldts’ direction and proceeded to do more than simply maintain the status quo. According to Kate Griess, a senior from Sutton, Neb., the “superpower” this team and this senior class possess is the ability to exist as a united front. That’s not to say that everything is perfect. Even through all the success on the court, many of the seniors make mention of adversity that has had to be faced and conquered.
Said Griess, “Sure, there have been times of disagreements and hard conversations, but we have been able to be open and honest with each other through every obstacle that has come our way, and we've came out stronger because of it. We always enter those situations with wanting the best for the other person, which is truly special.”
In addition to Griess and Keck (Kearney, Neb.), the senior class is made up of Autumn Deterding (Cambridge, Neb.), Sydney Jelinek (Lincoln, Neb.), Addie Kirkegaard (Hastings, Neb.), Molli Martin (Lincoln, Neb.), Lily Psencik (Lincoln, Neb.), Kya Scott (Broken Bow, Neb.), Savannah Shelburne (Gretna, Neb.) and Ella Waters (Hickman, Neb.). Whew, it’s a big one. All 10 of them saw time on the court on Sept. 27 when the program hosted Dordt for senior day. Nine of the 10 arrived at Concordia in the fall of 2022 with Waters joining a year later as a transfer from Washburn University.
In this era of college athletics, it’s become increasingly rare for a class that large to stick together. Clearly, there is something different about this group. Almost instantly, the mix of personalities meshed. Griess says that they connected so quickly as freshmen classmates that the coaches had to remind them to make sure to develop relationships with the upperclassmen as well.
Those relationships have strengthened over the past few years through shared highs and lows that go along with the lives of 18-to-22-year-olds. In separate responses from the seniors, there were mentions of “hard conversations,” “breakups,” obstacles and adversity that have been experienced together as teammates. All of these things are beneath the surface and unseen by the fans who watch the team on a Wednesday or Saturday at Friedrich Arena.
When the lights come on, it’s all about volleyball. The product on the court is a result of what takes place behind the scenes. When some circumstance inevitably arise that threaten to divide or distract the team, communication serves as the unifier. The seniors have figured out what works for them.
Says Sydney Jelinek, “I think something that speaks for who our class is would be all the outside-of-volleyball work we do. I can count multiple times we have met as a class to see how we can be better as a class and better leaders for our program. We have always wanted to be seen as a unified front for our program. So we have always had class meetings to see how we can do better and work together to get our whole program toward our end goals.”
Added Kya Scott, “Our strong team dynamic enables us to communicate effectively, encourage one another and give our best effort. Our coaching staff has also played a key role in our success and have provided guidance and game plans that have put us in positions to win. They’ve helped us build a work ethic and a sense of discipline that has been crucial to our growth as players. We're constantly trying to improve our abilities and add new tools to our toolbox, which has allowed us to stay strong in our mental game and accomplish our goals.”
Not every conversation revolves around goals and how to maximize the team’s abilities on the volleyball court. Oftentimes, it’s the lighthearted moments that are most memorable and meaningful. Jelinek mentions that the “small conversations and homework dates” are what stand out. For Addie Kirkegaard, years from now, she’ll likely remember the laughs the seniors and their teammates have shared when playing queens during practice. In her mind, there’s no better evidence to show “how much we enjoy being together every day.”
The closeness from player to player contributes to the winning culture, one that pushes a team to reach its full potential. It’s that culture that has elevated the Bulldogs to a confidence level that makes them believe they can beat anyone who lines up against them on the other side of the net. It’s also the type of environment that inspires teammates to find joy in each other’s success even while perhaps competing with one another for playing time.
When there are trying times, they support each other. Said Lily Psencik, “What makes me most proud to be a part of this senior class is the fact that I know that each and every one of these girls has my back no matter what. We all want what is best for each other and that is truly something special. I have enjoyed all of the laughs throughout the years. No matter what day it is or how my day has been going, they can all bring a smile to my face.”
Head Coach Ben Boldt sees a class with maturity and the right perspective. “Coming in as a freshman class and leaving as a senior class together, you see this evolution in how people understand that we are here to be a part of this program,” Boldt said prior to the season. “They understand that the program is above any one person. That’s a big class. Sometimes when you have a big class, you get people that butt heads. I think they’re all on the same page. They all have their own strengths. They all understand what their strengths are and what their weaknesses are. They lead as a group. They can disagree with each other behind closed doors, but once they talk it out and understand everybody’s mentality, I think they’ve done a really good job of being on the same page as a big group.”
The experience for this senior class has been what Ben and Angie envision when they bring in a new group. Pursuit of championships. Big games. Raucous environments. Moments of adversity. Resilience through that adversity. Meaningful relationships. Athletic and academic excellence. Growing in faith. This is Concordia Volleyball.
“I'm just proud of how much we have all grown as people and as athletes,” Addie Kirkegaard said. “I know our freshman year selves would be so proud of all the growth. I think all our success can be attributed to really diving into the core values of the team and truly becoming a family over the last four years. I think our love for the sport has made us come into every practice and game with joy to compete and love for each other.”
Call it cheesy or cliché, but the Bulldogs do believe they can out-family their opponents. That family extends beyond the senior class. It includes those who came before them and the stars of tomorrow that will carry on the tradition. These seniors, the winningest four-year group (by percentage) in program history, will leave a tough act to follow.
Molli Martin summed it up nicely in saying, “All of us as a senior class strive to be the best family in the nation. No matter your role on the court. We believe that the best family in the nation will help us achieve anything and that can be shown by us not wanting to take our jerseys off at the end of the season.”