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VIDEO: Maddie Paulsen puts away match point
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – In a match that was a hair away from reaching a fifth set, Concordia University, Nebraska Volleyball displayed its mettle. Maddie Paulsen finished off an extended rally with the kill for match point, sending her teammates in a mad dash to greet her. The third-ranked Bulldogs fended off No. 14 The Master’s University (Calif.), 25-22, 16-25, 25-23, 27-25, inside the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, on Friday (Dec. 5) evening. The win pushed Concordia to the quarterfinals of the NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship.
Head Coach Ben Boldt has guided the program back to the quarterfinals for the fourth time in program history (all appearances coming since 2020). The Bulldogs (27-3) came through in tight moments in both pool play matches.
“Our motto this year is ‘let it rip.’ I thought (Maddie) did that. I thought our whole team did that,” Boldt said. “The most exciting thing for me was to see them continue to compete all the way through … It was just trust (in that third set comeback). Trust ourselves. Trust our training. Trust our teammates. We’ve prepared for this moment. Being able to play free takes all those things into account. We’re staying mentally tough in tough moments. I’m really proud of that.”
Due to the results in the rest of Pool C (which included Concordia), Boldt’s team could have fallen back on playing a tiebreaker set had it lost to The Master’s. It wasn’t part of the plan. The Bulldogs wouldn’t have been able to finish the win in the fourth set if not for its comeback in the third. Concordia shook loose from a 17-11 deficit and eventually tied it, 21-21, on a Kya Scott kill. Late in the set, freshman Makenna Starkey produced the biggest kill of her young career and a combined block from Ashley Keck and Molli Martin put it away. The Bulldogs led the match, 2-1.
The margins were razor thin again in the fourth set. With Dakota Wesleyan players and fans cheering them on (in hopes of keeping the DWU season alive), the Mustangs moved their lead to 25-24 with Isabella Amet’s kill. The final three points of the match went like this: Scott kill, attack error by The Master’s and finally, Paulsen’s kill off the assist from Lily Psencik. It was the fourth kill of the night for Paulsen, who, in the postgame huddle, rang a tiny victory bell brought by athletic trainer Randy Baack.
It was a monster night on the block for right side Ella Waters. Five of her 10 blocks came during the pivotal third set. Waters also added 10 kills and was rewarded with a postgame interview on the NAIA’s official broadcast.
Said Waters, “We always talk about trust your team, trust your training and trust yourself. I think that’s what we did today on the court … It was awesome to see everyone contribute. It was a team win for sure. I’m so proud of our team, and I can’t wait to play tomorrow.”
Said Boldt of Waters, “She found different ways to impact the game. All of her attacks weren’t finding the floor, but she impacted the game with her blocking for sure. She had a pivotal block at the end that swung the momentum back in our favor. It’s just competing – I’m really proud.”
Keck (16) and Scott (15) were the team leaders in kills. Keck has pushed her season kill total to 444, giving her the most in a single season in program history during the modern rally scoring era (2008-present). Keck also posted 13 digs on Friday. With the help of Waters, Concordia owned a 13-11 edge in blocks. The Bulldogs had more service errors (12) than they would have wanted, but their serve and pass efforts were good enough to get the job done. Psencik and Shelburne combined for 36 assists as Concordia hit .163.
On the other side, Amet floored 15 kills as the Mustangs hit .113. Kinsley Kollman notched 20 digs while helping contain Concordia’s offensive attack. The Master’s were defeated in five sets by DWU on Thursday and went 0-2 in pool play.
One of eight teams left standing, the Bulldogs will draw sixth-ranked University of Providence (Mont.) in the quarterfinals. First serve is set for 8:30 p.m. CT on Saturday from the Tyson Events Center. The Argonauts (34-2) swept their way past No. 19 College of Idaho and No. 11 Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio) in Pool F of the NAIA National Championship. Concordia will attempt to reach the national semifinals for the first time in program history. Providence has reached the national quarterfinals for its second time in school history.