SEWARD, Neb. – A spot in the GPAC tournament championship match will be on the line on Wednesday when the Concordia University Volleyball team meets up with ninth-ranked College of Saint Mary. First serve from the Lied Fitness Center is set for 7 p.m. CT. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad is coming off an impressive straight sets win at No. 5 Midland in the GPAC quarterfinals. Meanwhile, College of Saint Mary defeated Dordt in four sets in the quarterfinal round.
Game Info – GPAC Semifinals
(6) Concordia (15-10) at (3) College of Saint Mary (25-4)
Wednesday, Nov. 10 | 7 p.m.
Lied Fitness Center | Omaha, Neb.
Live Webcast | 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
· Concordia is playing its best volleyball at the right time. The Bulldogs enter the GPAC semifinals having won four in a row and six of their last seven outings. Included in that stretch are three wins over NAIA top 15 opponents: No. 15 Dakota Wesleyan (five sets), No. 14 Northwestern (five sets) and No. 5 Midland (three sets). The victory at Midland may have showcased the best performance of the season for the Bulldogs, who won by an eye-opening score of 25-7 in the final set. For the match, Concordia outhit the Warriors, .333 to .065, and owned advantages in kills, 38-33, blocks, 9-2, and digs, 41-28.
· Considering recent results, it’s almost certain that the Bulldogs will be back in the NAIA top 25 when a new poll is released on Wednesday. Over the past seven matches, Concordia has outhit its opponents, .267 to .168, while averaging an impressive 14.44 kills per set. During that same stretch, the Bulldogs have had advantages over their foes in digs, 425-386, aces, 34-20, and blocks, 47-41. Individually, Camryn Opfer has produced 97 kills (.245 hitting percentage) and 82 digs over the past seven matches.
· The late season run should put Concordia in the national tournament, no matter what the results are for the remainder of the conference tournament. In the official GPAC ratings released on Monday, the Bulldogs appeared at No. 5 behind Jamestown, College of Saint Mary, Midland and Dakota Wesleyan. Due to the strength of the GPAC (which put five teams in last season’s national quarterfinals), the conference could wind up with as many as seven bids to the national tournament.
· Concordia is hoping to reach the GPAC tournament final for the second time in program history and for the first time since 2015. In the ’15 championship match, the Bulldogs were defeated in straight sets at Midland. Currently, Concordia has advanced to the GPAC semifinals for the third season in a row. Since the formation of the GPAC in 2000, the Bulldogs have won one conference title, sharing the 2000 regular season championship.
· Concordia’s statistical leaders this season are Camryn Opfer in kills (313) and digs (295), Tara Callahan in assists (960) and aces (26) and Gabi Nordaker in hitting percentage (.377) and blocks (86). Callahan has pushed her career assist total to 4,619. Meanwhile, Opfer’s 867 career kills rank as the most among active Bulldogs. Four other Concordia hitters have at least 120 kills in 2021: Nordaker (283), Erica Heinzerling (218), Carly Rodaway (132) and Kalee Wiltfong (120).
The opponent
College of Saint Mary managed to hold off Concordia in five sets in both meetings during the regular season. In both cases, the Bulldogs missed out on match-point opportunities in the fourth set. If those contests are any indication, fans will be treated to a good one on Wednesday. It’s been an excellent season for Head Coach Rick Pruett’s squad, which has lost only once since Sept. 29. The Flames have excelled defensively in limiting their opponents to a .124 hitting percentage and an average of 10.49 kills per set. Rachel Cushing (5.53 digs/set) is one of the NAIA’s top liberos. On the attack, Rosa Reed-Bouley paces the team in kills (262) with Kamryn Williams (246) close behind. After missing out on the national tournament last season, the Flames are a lock to earn a national bid in 2021, just as they did in 2019.
GPAC tournament schedule/results
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
(1) Jamestown def. (8) Doane, 25-20, 25-19, 25-16
(4) Dakota Wesleyan def. (5) Northwestern, 27-25, 26-28, 13-25, 25-15, 16-14
(6) Concordia def. (3) Midland, 25-23, 25-19, 25-7
(2) College of Saint Mary def. (7) Dordt, 25-22, 25-17, 23-25, 25-23
Semifinals – Wednesday, Nov. 10
(4) Dakota Wesleyan at (1) Jamestown, 7 p.m.
(6) Concordia at (2) College of Saint Mary, 7 p.m.
Championship – Saturday, Nov. 13
Highest seed hosts, time TBA