SEWARD, Neb. – The first road test of the 2025-26 season looms on Tuesday afternoon for Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Basketball. The Bulldogs expect a much greater challenge after pummeling Kansas Christian College, 117-28, in their season opener this past Saturday. Head Coach Drew Olson showcased a long and athletic squad featuring a mix of veterans and newcomers. Tuesday’s road contest with Graceland University will tip off at 1 p.m. CT from the Morden Center in Lamoni, Iowa.
This Week
Tuesday, Oct. 27 at Graceland (0-0), 1 p.m.
--Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Morden Center (Lamoni, Iowa)
Five quick hitters
· Preseason rankings were released just ahead of the tipoff of the 2025-26 campaign. Concordia began this season off the national radar as it did not receive any votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll. In the GPAC preseason poll, the Bulldogs landed at No. 6. The top five were Dordt, Dakota Wesleyan, Hastings, Briar Cliff and Morningside.
· The home contest with Kansas Christian was a chance to knock off the offseason rust. Concordia built a 39-9 lead by the end of the first quarter and cruised to the 117-28 victory. The Falcons (a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association) failed to reach double figures in any of the four quarters. The Bulldogs forced 46 turnovers and had five double-figure scorers: Ayla Roth (16), Abbie Kromarek (14), Savi Butterfield (11), Mack Reimer (10) and Kristin Vieselmeyer (10). Sammy Leu led the way defensively with six steals.
· The initial starting five featured senior Kristin Vieselmeyer along with juniors Bree Bunting, Raelyn Kelty and Sammy Leu and freshman Ayla Roth. Vieselmeyer and Kelty are returning starters from last season while Bunting and Leu are part of a large junior class that will play a critical role in this season’s achievements. Meanwhile, Roth immediately steps into the spotlight after a sterling career at Milford High School.
· Olson has stated his belief that Vieselmeyer is one of the league’s top post players. The Holyoke, Colo., native has appeared in 94 career games (60 starts) as a Bulldog. She has totaled 645 points and 297 rebounds over those outings. Vieselmeyer and Gabrielle Wagner are the lone seniors on the roster. Vieselmeyer earned Second Team All-GPAC accolades as a junior.
· Year 20 for Head Coach Drew Olson is underway. His career record stands at 485-155. Olson has led the program to a 16 national tournaments, a combined 12 GPAC championships, five national semifinal advancements, three national championship game appearances and a national title in 2019. New to Olson’s staff this season are assistants Katherine Benes and Vince Ongtangco.
The opponent
Graceland will open its season on Tuesday when Concordia comes to town. The Yellowjackets finished last season at 8-20 overall with a 6-18 league mark within the NAIA’s Heart of America Athletic Conference. Head Coach Willie Scott has presided over the program since his hiring in May of 2022. Last season’s Graceland squad averaged 63.6 points per game and shot 36.3 percent from the field. Its opponents averaged 73.7 points and shot 42.3 percent. The team’s leading scorer was Kymani Freeman with an average of 11.4 points per outing. Concordia and Graceland have never met in the GPAC era (2000-present).
Next week
The Bulldogs will wait until the 26th annual Cattle Classic (Nov. 7-8) for a return to action. As part of the food drive event, Concordia will take on No. 18 Arizona Christian University and No. 13 MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.). For more details on the Cattle Classic, click HERE.