SEWARD, Neb. – The grind of the GPAC season is now in full swing as the eighth-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team looks forward to a week on the road within conference play. The Bulldogs are prepping to play at Mount Marty on Wednesday and at No. 14 Dordt on Saturday. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad carries momentum into a new week after taking care of Doane (away) and No. 13 College of Saint Mary (home) in straight sets. Concordia moved to 12-1 overall (3-1 GPAC) with last week’s results. The Bulldogs put the first blemish on the record of CSM, which had been the only undefeated team left in the GPAC.
This Week
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at Mount Marty (6-6, 1-3 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
--104.9 Max Country | Live Webcast
Saturday, Sept. 24 at No. 14 Dordt (7-3, 1-1 GPAC), 5 p.m.
--104.9 Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats
By the numbers
· In the NAIA coaches’ poll released on Sept. 14, the Bulldogs moved up from 10th to eighth. The GPAC continues to dominate the national poll with seven teams ranked in the top 25: No. 1 Midland, No. 4 Jamestown, No. 7 Northwestern, No. 8 Concordia, No. 13 College of Saint Mary, No. 14 Dordt and No. 18 Dakota Wesleyan. Right after being minted as the NAIA’s top team, Midland lost in five sets at Hastings, as a sign of the league’s depth. Only one GPAC team has yet to suffer a conference defeat: Jamestown (2-0). Concordia continues to hunt the program’s first conference championship since the very first year of the GPAC’s existence in 2000.
· There are instances in which the power of the Bulldogs simply overwhelms the opposition. Nationally, Concordia ranks fourth in hitting percentage (.276) and fifth in kills per set (13.91). The Stanton, Neb., native Bree Burtwistle deserves mention as one of the nation’s best setters. She ranks fifth among NAIA setters with an average of 11.0 assists per set. She’s helped pave the way for Gabi Nordaker to rank sixth nationally in hitting percentage (.379). Meanwhile, four Bulldogs have at least 100 kills this season: Nordaker (150), Camryn Opfer (127), Carly Rodaway (120) and Ashley Keck (116).
· Nordaker tore up Doane and College of Saint Mary last week. In the win at Doane, the Millard West High School product produced 11 kills and five blocks and hit .556. Three days later in the scorching of the Flames, Nordaker collected 13 kills and three blocks and hit .545 from the middle. A First Team All-GPAC honoree in 2021, Nordaker has played at an All-American level in 2022. Nordaker paces Concordia in kills (150), blocks (41) and hitting percentage (.379). In 67 career matches as a Bulldog, Nordaker has accumulated 713 kills and 269 blocks.
· Boldt described the match against CSM as the cleanest the Bulldogs have played so far in 2022. On the attack, Concordia floored 50 kills against just nine errors for a .380 hitting percentage. As mentioned, Nordaker enjoyed another big night in hitting .545 with 13 kills and three blocks. Keck equaled her kill output and hit .500 from the outside. Three other teammates had at least five kills: Rodaway (nine), Wiltfong (eight) and Opfer (five). The maestro of the team, Burtwistle tossed up 43 assists (75 for the week) in leading one of the nation’s most productive attacks. In the back row, Rebecca Gebhardt notched 16 digs.
· It’s easy to forget about the growth Concordia has shown since early last season. After nine matches in 2021, the Bulldogs sat at 4-5 overall (1-2 GPAC). Even after 21 matches, Concordia was hovering just barely above .500 at 11-10. Since then, the Bulldogs have gone 20-3 with nine wins over opponents that were nationally ranked at the time the matches were played. A 2-0 week would give Concordia a chance at exceeding the program’s best ever national ranking of No. 6 when a new poll comes out on Sept. 28.
The opponents
The Lancers finished 2021 at 8-20 overall (2-14 GPAC) but have shown improvement in starting 6-6 this season with a victory at Doane. Mount Marty is hitting .171 compared to a .154 clip for its opponents. Head Coach Belen Albertos is in her second season leading the program following three years as an assistant for the Lancers. Mount Marty has three main attackers who each have more than 100 kills this season: Jadie DeLange (133), Gabby Ruth (123) and Alexis Kirkman (105). The Lancers are coming off a straight sets loss at No. 1 Midland.
Entering the week, Dordt has played only one home match, which resulted in a win in three sets over then 16th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan. The Defenders now operate under the direction of first-year Head Coach Jacki Smith, who replaced Chad Hanson (who is Dordt’s head men’s volleyball coach). The most heralded returner on the roster is outside hitter Corrina Timmermans, who was named First Team All-GPAC in 2021. Timmermans and company are hitting .202 as a team while holding opponents to a .123 hitting percentage. The Defenders have beaten two top 25 foes, including then No. 6 Park University (Mo.). Concordia graduate assistant coach Corina Beimers is a Dordt alum.
Next week
The Bulldogs will have a bit of a break before hosting Friday-Saturday (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) matches against Briar Cliff and Morningside. The program will celebrate its senior day on Oct. 1.