SEWARD, Neb. – The home appearances thus far have been sporadic, but Concordia University, Nebraska Volleyball looks forward to a two-match home week. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad is coming off four-set wins this past week over No. 17 Midland (home) and Doane (away). Next up, the second-ranked Bulldogs will welcome Hastings and Dordt to Friedrich Arena. Prior to Saturday afternoon’s clash with the Defenders, Concordia will honor a class of 10 seniors. The Bulldogs enter this week with an 11-1 overall record (4-0 GPAC).
This Week
Wednesday, Sept. 24 vs. Hastings (4-10, 1-3 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
--Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
Senior Day – Saturday, Sept. 27 vs. Dordt (11-4, 2-2 GPAC), 3 p.m.
--Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
· The streak of consecutive top five NAIA national rankings reached 20 last week as the Bulldogs remained at No. 2 in the NAIA coaches’ poll. Eastern Oregon University continues to hold down the No. 1 ranking while the rest of the current top five features No. 3 Corban University (Ore.), No. 4 University of Providence (Mont.) and No. 5 Bellevue University. Based on the latest NAIA poll, Concordia has defeated three top 25 teams: No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan University, No. 15 Viterbo University (Wis.) and No. 17 Midland. The only defeat came at the hands of top-ranked Eastern Oregon. According to Massey Ratings, the Bulldogs have played the NAIA’s 13th most challenging schedule to this point.
· Concordia is in the midst of playing four straight matches against in-state GPAC opponents. That run began with a sweep of College of Saint Mary on Sept. 10 and continued last week with the four-set victories over No. 17 Midland and Doane. Strong defensive play continues to be a hallmark for the Bulldogs, who outnumbered the Warriors and Tigers by combined totals of 26-13 in blocks and 158-137 in digs. Concordia held a collective hitting percentage advantage of .174 to .065 for the week. The individual statistical leaders last week were Ashley Keck in kills (36) and aces (four), Ella Brueggemann in assists (46), Emma Brueggemann in digs (32) and Ava Greene in blocks (14). In addition, 12 blocks apiece came from Molli Martin and Ella Waters.
· Returning NAIA First Team All-American Ashley Keck has been a consistent force throughout the first 12 matches of the 2025 season. With 36 more kills last week, the Kearney, Neb., native continues to lead all GPAC players in the category of kills per set (4.20). She also ranks No. 9 nationally in that category. As a senior, Keck has reached double figures in kills 10 times and double figures in digs eight times. In 102 career collegiate matches, Keck has tallied 1,147 kills, 926 digs and 92 blocks. In addition to being named an All-American last season, Keck was tabbed GPAC Attacker of the Year and an NAIA National Championships All-Tournament Team selection.
· Opposing teams are hitting just .078 with an average of 10.44 kills per set this season. The opponent hitting percentage ranks best among all GPAC teams. During conference play, not a single opponent has above .100 versus the Bulldogs: Mount Marty (.083), College of Saint Mary (-.016), Midland (.056) and Doane (.075). Nationally, Concordia ranks fifth in blocks per set (2.74) and 10th in digs per set (18.53).
· The senior class, set to be honored on Saturday, is long on quantity and quality. The group includes: Autumn Deterding (Cambridge, Neb.), Kate Griess (Sutton, Neb.), Sydney Jelinek (Lincoln, Neb.), Ashley Keck (Kearney, Neb.), Addie Kirkegaard (Hastings, Neb.), Molli Martin (Lincoln, Neb.), Lily Psencik (Lincoln, Neb.), Kya Scott (Broken Bow, Neb.), Savannah Shelburne (Omaha, Neb.) and Ella Waters (Hickman, Neb.). The senior class has helped the program to a combined record of 88-15 since the start of the 2022 season. During that stretch, the Bulldogs have advanced to the final site of the national tournament each year.
· Among GPAC teams, Concordia ranks first in kills per set (13.40), tied for first in hitting percentage (.211), second in digs per set (18.53) and third in blocks per set (2.74).
· The Bulldogs have won 10 straight GPAC regular season matches dating back to last season. They are also 22-1 over their last 23 GPAC regular season outings. On the topic of GPAC success, the ’23 Concordia team shared the GPAC regular season title. In each of the past four years, the Bulldogs have reached the GPAC tournament championship match. In program history, Concordia has won two GPAC regular season titles (2000 and 2023) and has been the GPAC tournament runner up five times.
· On the morning of Sept. 18, the Bulldogs appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter with the No. 3 play on the rundown of top 10 plays. The play featured a lengthy rally that saw Emma Brueggemann and Shandy Faalii make exceptional efforts to keep the ball alive. Ultimately, the point ended with Faalii drilling an emphatic kill off the face of a Midland player. The full highlight from SportsCenter can be viewed HERE.
The opponents
Hastings went 15-12 (8-8 GPAC) last season and then underwent a coaching change as John Schmidt stepped into the head coaching role. Schmidt arrived at Hastings after most recently serving as head coach at NCAA Division II University of West Alabama. Heading into this week, the Broncos stand at 4-10 overall (1-3 GPAC) with their lone league win coming at Doane in four sets. Hastings returned two 2024 Second Team All-GPAC players in middle blocker Mikah O’Neill and setter Alexis Pontine. On the year, the Broncos are hitting .147 with an average of 11.94 kills per set. Their opponents are hitting .196 with 11.94 kills per set. The team’s top attacker has been Makenna Sutter, who averages 2.85 kills per set. Concordia has won each of the past 10 series meetings with Hastings.
Dordt made a big leap forward from 2023 to 2024 and appears on its way to making further progress in 2025. The Defenders begin the week at 11-4 overall (2-2 GPAC). Dordt picked up a ranked win last week as it outlasted No. 23 Dakota Wesleyan on the road in five sets. Head Coach Jacki Smith began her tenure for the Defenders in 2022 after having held the same role at Carleton College in Minnesota. The headlining returner from last season is Second Team All-GPAC outside hitter Tarren Spartz. The attack has been balanced as four players have collected more than 100 kills this season, led by 164 from Laney Wolfswinkel. As a team, Dordt is hitting .166 with an average of 12.05 kills per set, compared to .141 and 10.00 for its opponents. The Defenders nearly upset the Bulldogs last season in what amounted to a five-set decision won by Concordia in Sioux Center, Iowa. The Bulldogs have won three in a row in the series.
Next week
The next two weeks will shift to a Friday-Saturday format. After playing two at home this week, the Bulldogs will prepare to head to Sioux City, Iowa, to take on Morningside on Oct. 3 and Briar Cliff on Oct. 4.