SEWARD, Neb. – It’s a pivotal week for the top-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team, which sits atop the GPAC standings halfway through the conference schedule. The Bulldogs will welcome defending national champion Jamestown and 2022 national quarterfinalist Dakota Wesleyan to Seward for a highly anticipated weekend inside Friedrich Arena. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad is coming off a weekend trip to Sioux City, Iowa, where Concordia defeated both Briar Cliff and Morningside in straight sets. Concordia remains undefeated at 15-0 overall (8-0 GPAC).
This Week
Friday, Oct. 6 vs. No. 14 Jamestown (15-5, 8-0 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
--Max Country | Live Webcast | | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
--Fan Theme: Bulldog Blue
Saturday, Oct. 7 vs. Dakota Wesleyan (13-10, 4-4 GPAC), 3 p.m.
--Live Webcast | | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
--Fan Theme: Tropical
By the numbers
· As Ben Boldt has mentioned in a number of recent interviews, the standing goal for the program is to win the GPAC regular season championship, a feat the Bulldogs have not accomplished since 2000 (the first year of the GPAC’s existence). At the midway point of the GPAC slate, Concordia shares first place in the conference standings with Jamestown. The two sides enter Friday evening’s match with identical 8-0 GPAC marks. Next in line in the GPAC standings are Northwestern (6-2), College of Saint Mary (5-3) and Midland (5-3). In the latest NAIA coaches’ poll (released on Sept. 27), five GPAC squads appeared inside the top 25: No. 1 Concordia, No. 2 Northwestern, No. 10 Midland, No. 11 College of Saint Mary and No. 14 Jamestown. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 nationally for the first time in program history.
· The season profile for Concordia includes wins over four teams ranked in the latest NAIA coaches’ poll: No. 8 Park University (Mo.), No. 10 Midland, No. 11 College of Saint Mary and No. 20 Kansas Wesleyan University. Entering the week, the Bulldogs were one of three unbeaten squads remaining in the NAIA, along with Columbia International University (S.C.) (18-0) and Indiana Wesleyan University (18-0). The previous NAIA No. 1 team, Eastern Oregon University (15-1), was upset by Northwest University (Wash.) in five sets back on Sept. 16, paving the way for Concordia to move up from its previous position at No. 2. The current top five in the NAIA poll, following Concordia and Northwestern, includes No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 4 Eastern Oregon and No. 5 Corban University (Ore.).
· Briar Cliff made the Bulldogs sweat in the first set of last week’s first match in Sioux City. Concordia trailed 20-18 before coming back and claiming the win, 25-21, 25-8, 25-18. The next day, the Bulldogs earned another road victory, triumphing over Morningside, 25-19, 25-17, 25-20. The Mustangs stunned No. 10 Midland in their previous match of the weekend. Over the two victories, Concordia hit .299 as a team and had four players with at least 18 kills: Carly Rodaway (23), Camryn Opfer (20), Ashley Keck (18) and Gabi Nordaker (18). While quarterbacking the offense, setter Bree Burtwistle averaged 14.17 assists per set. Other leaders last weekend included Nordaker with nine blocks and Opfer and Becca Gebhardt with 27 digs apiece.
· A three-year starter at libero, Gebhardt achieved a milestone last week in eclipsing 1,000 digs for her career. Dig No. 1,000 came as part of the win at Morningside. Gebhardt was recognized with Honorable Mention All-GPAC accolades as a sophomore in 2022. There have been nine other players in the history of the program to hit the 1,000-dig mark. The group includes Opfer, who has run her career dig total to 1,483 (No. 4 on the program’s all-time list). Back on Sept. 20, Nordaker achieved a milestone of her own in moving past 1,000 career kills.
· Concordia has taken over the national lead in hitting percentage and is hitting an even .300 on the season. The Bulldogs also lead the NAIA in kills per set (14.74). At the conference level, the Bulldogs rank not only first in hitting percentage and kills per set, they also rank first in aces per set (1.88), fifth in blocks per set (1.99) and ninth in digs per set (17.10). On the individual GPAC leaderboard, Nordaker ranks first in hitting percentage (.394), Burtwistle ranks first in assists per set (11.60), Rodaway ranks fourth in hitting percentage (.340) and Keck ranks fourth in kills per set (3.54).
· Since beginning his tenure as Bulldog head coach in 2018, Ben Boldt owns an overall record of 117-43 for a winning percentage of .731. Earlier this season, Boldt moved past Rachel Miller (107-125) for No. 3 on the program’s all-time wins list. The top two head coaches on that list are Berniece Jones (181-200) and Vicki Boye (167-136).
The opponents
Defending NAIA national champion Jamestown lost four of its first five matches of this season before steadying the ship. The Jimmies had to adjust to the departures of First Team All-Americans Kalli Hegerle (national player of the year) and Anna Holen. On the plus side, Jamestown has been able to lean upon returning NAIA Defender of the Year Ellie Holen, who leads the GPAC with an average of 6.39 digs per set. Among GPAC teams, the Jimmies rank third in hitting percentage (.230), third in blocks per set (2.22), fourth in kills per set (13.06), fourth in aces per set (1.60) and fourth in digs per set (17.42). The signature win to this point for the Jimmies was their five-set triumph at then No. 3 Northwestern on Sept. 8. Named the 2022 NAIA National Coach of the Year, Jon Hegerle entered 2023 having compiled a record of 372-116 in 14 years leading the Jamestown program.
Dakota Wesleyan is following up the most successful season in school history. The 2022 squad went 25-8 overall and reached the NAIA national quarterfinals behind First Team All-American middle blocker Ady Dwight. A leading candidate for 2023 GPAC Player of the Year honors, Dwight tops the conference in kills per set (4.71) while ranking No. 2 in hitting percentage (.370). Throughout the ’22 season, Dwight was facilitated by Third Team All-American setter Madeline Else, who graduated and moved on. The setter this season is freshman Kayleigh Hybertson (10.39 assists per set). The Tigers appeared at No. 13 in the 2023 NAIA preseason coaches’ poll and are currently receiving votes nationally. Now in her 10th season as DWU Head Coach, Lindsay Wilber has taken the program to the national tournament in back-to-back years.
Next week
Another major matchup with GPAC title implications will be played on Saturday, Oct. 14 when Concordia is slated to visit No. 2 Northwestern for a 3 p.m. CT match in Orange City, Iowa. That contest will be next week’s lone outing for the Bulldogs.