SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Volleyball team will get a third shot at Midland. The two rivals will go head-to-head on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the GPAC tournament. First serve from the Wikert Event Center is set for 7 p.m. CT. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad enters the postseason as the GPAC’s No. 6 seed following a home win over Hastings to cap the regular season.
Game Info – GPAC Quarterfinals
(6) Concordia (14-10, 9-7 GPAC) at (3) Midland (23-4, 12-4 GPAC)
Saturday, Nov. 6 | 7 p.m.
Wikert Event Center | Fremont, Neb.
Live Webcast | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country
--Admission: $10 for adults/senior citizens, $3 for K-12; only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s are admitted free of charge.
By the numbers
· After a five-set loss to No. 18 Dordt on Oct. 9, the Bulldogs (then 4-6 in league play) were in danger of missing out on the GPAC postseason. Since then, Concordia is 5-1 with wins over No. 15 Dakota Wesleyan and No. 14 Northwestern. The only loss during that stretch came at the hands of undefeated Jamestown. In the process of winning five of their last six outings, the Bulldogs have held advantages over their opponents in kills per set, 14.68 to 11.23, hitting percentage, .261 to .182, and digs per set, 17.45 to 16.27.
· Concordia persevered while dropping its first seven five-set matches of this season. From Sept. 25 through Oct. 9, the Bulldogs fell in four-straight five-setters with the scores in the fifth being 15-12, 15-13, 15-13 and 15-13, respectively. In other words, Concordia was incredibly close to being right up there with the top few teams in the GPAC. The team’s resilience paid off when it got over the hump with five-set wins over Dakota Wesleyan and Northwestern.
· The GPAC Attacker of the Week award handed out on Nov. 2 could have gone to either of Camryn Opfer or Gabi Nordaker. In the win at Northwestern, Opfer totaled 21 kills and 11 digs while hitting .314. Meanwhile, Nordaker recorded 19 kills (.567 hitting percentage) and six blocks. Over the past six matches, Opfer has notched 84 kills (.240) and 78 digs. In that same stretch, Nordaker has accumulated 73 kills (.450) and 18 blocks. Opfer has reached 300 kills for the season (291 digs). Nordaker tops the Bulldogs in hitting percentage (.375) and blocks (81).
· In the previous two seasons, Concordia advanced to the GPAC semifinals after winning at home in the quarterfinals. The Bulldogs are looking to make a run to the GPAC tournament title match for the first time since 2015. In the ’15 championship clash, Concordia fell at the hands of Midland in straight sets. During Boldt’s tenure, the Bulldogs have gone 2-3 in GPAC tournament matches. The Bulldogs defeated Doane in the 2019 quarterfinals and then topped Dakota Wesleyan in the 2020 quarterfinals.
· Regardless of GPAC tournament results, Concordia appears to be in good position to earn an at-large berth into the 48-team national tournament field. The strength of the GPAC has been proven, as evidenced by last season’s national tournament when five league teams (including the Bulldogs) advanced to the national quarterfinals. In the most recent NAIA coaches’ poll (Oct. 13), Concordia appeared second among the “receiving votes” teams. The strong finish to the regular season will likely push the Bulldogs back into the top 25 following the GPAC tournament.
· This will be one last postseason ride for setter Tara Callahan, an instrumental figure in the program’s takeoff over the past two seasons. The native of Brady, Neb., has collected more than 4,500 career assists and has twice been named both First Team All-GPAC and NAIA Honorable Mention All-America. Callahan helped build the program back up after a 9-19 campaign her freshman year in 2017. Concordia’s No. 6 NAIA national ranking earlier this season represented the top ranking in program history.
The opponent
Concordia and Midland know each other well. Head Coach Paul Giesselmann’s program has been an elite one on the NAIA scene. The Warriors were the national runner up last season. In two meetings this season, Midland defeated the Bulldogs in straight sets in Seward and in five sets in Fremont. The Warriors are spurred by one of the nation’s best setters in Hope Leimbach (12.04 assists per set). Star outside hitter Taliyah Flores has racked up 383 kills this season. Midland ranks 14th nationally in hitting percentage (.247).
GPAC tournament pairings/schedule
The Concordia/Midland winner will advance to play either second-seeded College of Saint Mary or seventh-seeded Dordt in the GPAC semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 10. The championship match is slated for Saturday, Nov. 13.
Quarterfinals – Saturday, Nov. 6
(8) Doane at (1) Jamestown, 7 p.m.
(5) Northwestern at (4) Dakota Wesleyan, 7 p.m.
(6) Concordia at (3) Midland, 7 p.m.
(7) Dordt at (2) College of Saint Mary, 3 p.m.
Semifinals – Wednesday, Nov. 10
1/8 winner vs. 4/5 winner, 7 p.m.
2/7 winner vs. 3/6 winner, 7 p.m.
Championship – Saturday, Nov. 13
Highest seed hosts, time TBA