SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Basketball is set to travel to Waldorf for its conference opener on Saturday (Nov. 14), after the midweek break. The Bulldogs split the Cattle Classic with a win over a then-ranked No. 3 Dakota State University and dropped a heart pounding loss to No. 6 Montana Technological University. Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad is 3-1 in the early going.
This Week
Saturday, Nov. 14 at Waldorf (1-5, 0-1 GPAC), 2 p.m.
--Webcast | Live Stats | Location: (Forest City, Iowa)
By the numbers
· Emotional ups and downs came as Concordia was in an even battle with the Trojans before senior Raelyn Kelty had an injury in the second quarter, contributing nine points early. The Bulldogs found themselves down at the break but came out red-hot with a 15-0 run to begin the second half, fueling the 64-54 win. Like sharks circling their prey, CUNE’s defense relentlessly pressured the Trojans into 31 turnovers. Abbie Kromarek led the charge with five steals, as at least four players had multiple takeaways. On offense, Robbins led the attack with 17 points and eight rebounds, earning a spot on the All-Cattle Classic team. Bree Bunting tallied 14 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Maci Pittenger marked seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
· With under three seconds to go in regulation, Concordia had a three-point lead (67-64) that evaporated with a last tick heave from the Orediggers. The Bulldogs had the same chance in overtime to tie the game, but came up just short. CUNE forced 27 turnovers on 16 steals, shot 22-of-71 (.310) from the floor and 28-of-43 (.651) from the free throw line. Ayla Roth led in scoring with 23 points, while Robbins was a rebound shy of a double-double (12 points, nine rebounds). The other top scorers were Pittenger (11), Bunting (nine) and Kromarek (eight).
· After hovering near the NAIA top 10 last season, the Bulldogs checked in at No. 9 in the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll released on Nov. 11. The 2025-26 team climbed as high as No. 9 in the official coaches’ poll and landed at No. 13 in the final poll released last season. During Drew Olson’s first 20 seasons leading the program, Concordia has finished in the top 25 a total of 14 times and inside the top 10 nine times. The 2018-19 squad is responsible for the NAIA national championship banner that hangs inside Friedrich Arena. Other GPAC teams inside the top 25 are No. 2 Dordt, No. 5 Dakota Wesleyan and No. 15 Hastings. Briar Cliff is receiving votes.
· The Bulldogs welcome back five of the six players who earned all-conference awards last season: second team honoree Ayla Roth and honorable mention selections in seniors Bree Bunting, JJ Jones, Raelyn Kelty and Sammy Leu. Four players are averaging more than 8 points per game currently: Roth (14.3), Bunting (13.5), Robbins (13.3) and Leu (8.5). Concordia expects to lean upon a deep backcourt, which fuels the team’s full-court press.
· The 2025-26 team finished 23-8 overall (17-5 GPAC) and tied for third in the GPAC standings. The Bulldogs fell in the first round of the national tournament while making the program’s 24th all-time national tournament appearance. As part of last season, Olson eclipsed 500 career wins (currently at 510-164). Olson is entering his 21st season at the helm of the program.
The opponent
Waldorf enters the matchup at 1-5, having earned its lone victory in a 65-52 triumph over Mount Mercy University (Iowa). The Warriors opened conference play against Dordt and fell to the Defenders, 104-44, in their only GPAC game thus far. They will face St. Ambrose University (Iowa) tonight before hosting the Bulldogs. Last season, they finished 2-26 overall and 1-21 in the GPAC. The Forest City squad returns only one all-conference player from a season ago in junior Charlotte Mills. Through the first six games, Waldorf has averaged 53.8 points per game while allowing 72.2. A guard from Bunbury, Australia, Mills has averaged seven points a game and totaled 20 assists (team high), 15 rebounds and 11 steals. The Warriors shoot 31.8 percent from the field, 25.9 percent from 3-point range and 67.8 percent from the free throw line. Destiny Sao-Martinez leads the team in scoring, averaging 10.3 points a contest. Kaylani Trout-Lacy (42) and Hannah Halvorson (29) pace the Warriors on the glass.
Next week
The Bulldogs will face College of Saint Mary and Northwestern in their next two games. Concordia will travel to Omaha on Wednesday (Nov. 18) and host its first conference game of the season on Saturday (Nov. 21).