Amandas spur Bulldogs to pair of wins

HASTINGS, Neb. – The Bulldogs enjoyed a sweep of a pair of Friday matches at the Hastings College Classic in Hastings, Neb. Concordia shook off a lopsided loss to No. 22 Midland on Wednesday and played some of their best volleyball of the young season.

The Bulldogs (3-4, 0-1 GPAC) used an efficient effort in netting a 27-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-17 victory over in-state rival Peru State. The Bulldogs spread the attack around as sophomore Amanda Abbott collected a match-high 20 kills and senior outside hitter Amanda Kisker put down 17 kills. Sophomore middle blocker Mariah Schamp added 10 kills and senior right side Kim Miller posted nine.

Concordia got on a roll in the deciding fourth set in dispatching of the Bobcats, a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

“We had a couple of lulls but the girls really pulled themselves together and learned a valuable lesson today,” Bulldog head coach Scott Mattera said. “We went on a 16-4 run to end the match, which is exactly what we needed to do and are capable of doing.”

The Amandas were at it again in match No. 2 of the day. The Bulldogs put away McPherson (Kan.), of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, in similar four-set fashion, 25-19, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22. Abbott and Kisker each hammered 14 kills in a strong effort that saw Concordia keep another team nicknamed the “Bulldogs” off balance. Concordia also swatted 11 aces on the way to victory.

“They had a fantastic middle so it was key for us to play smart and keep them out of system,” Mattera said. “This match really tested our volleyball IQ. When we made good choices, we won. If we made bad choices, we lost. Fortunately we made enough good ones to pull out the victory. I couldn't be more proud of how the girls bounced back from Wednesday night.”

Concordia will finish up at the Hastings College Classic with two more matches on Saturday. Mattera’s squad will play a nationally-ranked team for the fourth time this season when it squares off with No. 12 Oklahoma Baptist at 12 p.m. The Bulldogs conclude the day with College of the Ozarks (Mo.) at 4 p.m. They will then host their home opener on Sept. 11 when No. 11 Doane pays a visit to Walz Arena.