SEWARD, Neb. – The attack was back to operating at overwhelming efficiency. The sixth-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team swatted 53 kills on Wednesday (Oct. 19) while dispatching of visiting Doane, 25-12, 25-13, 25-17, in a match that lasted little more than an hour. It was a ghoulish way to treat the visitors on an evening when Bulldog fans fashioned their favorite Halloween costumes. Even parents of the players got in on the fun.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad moved its record to 18-3 overall (9-3 GPAC) while pushing the home win streak to 11. Concordia earned a season sweep of the Tigers.
“I thought we played clean and I thought we served really well,” Boldt said. “I don’t remember there being a non-purposeful serving error. Our transition game was good – we played like a team. (Morgan) Nibbe did great (as a starting middle). The thing about Nibbe is she always brings the effort and the energy. If you’re around Nibbe, you’re just going to get more energized.”
The Bulldogs dictated play, posting respective kill totals by set of 20, 17 and 16. Concordia had the advantage in every facet of the match as Doane managed only 24 kills (.140 hitting percentage) for the evening. The back row for Concordia (50 digs) set the tone and helped put setter Bree Burtwistle in prime positions to unleash the team’s powerful attack. Three Bulldogs reached double figures in kills: Carly Rodaway (13), Gabi Nordaker (11) and Camryn Opfer (11). Nordaker hit a sizzling .588 from the middle and Rodaway bombed away at a .429 clip from the right side.
It was a match that showed Concordia has the depth to overcome personnel losses. Nibbe stepped into the starting lineup with Kalee Wiltfong sidelined. Wiltfong left the five-set win over Northwestern early due to injury. Nibbe contributed five kills on Wednesday as one of seven Bulldogs with multiple kills.
Said Boldt, “We talk a lot about working off the net so we can put ourselves in good position when we go to attack. I thought we did that. I thought our first contact allowed us to kind of set anybody. It’s tough to defend that.”
On the season, Rodaway went past 200 kills and his hitting .290 from the right side. She also played a major role in this past Saturday’s victory over Northwestern. Said Rodaway, “The coaches have really been pushing me on widening my toolbox. I’ve been working on every single shot that I can and having as many options on the court to hit at.”
Burtwistle amassed 38 assists while quarterbacking an offense that hit .420. She also chipped in eight digs and four kills. Four Bulldogs had at least eight digs: Rebecca Gebhardt (14), Opfer (nine), Burtwistle and Lexie Kreizel (eight). Burtwistle and Opfer contributed two aces apiece. On the outside, Ashley Keck hit .500 with seven kills.
Doane (8-22, 1-12 GPAC) had already been eliminated from GPAC tournament qualification, but it gained some momentum last week when it beat Briar Cliff for its first GPAC win of the season. The Tigers got a team high six kills from Kirsten Bures on Wednesday. It just wasn’t enough to give Concordia a serious push in any of the three sets.
The Bulldogs will be on the road on Saturday for a rematch with 13th-ranked College of Saint Mary (17-5, 7-5 GPAC). First serve of the varsity match is set for 3 p.m. CT from the Lied Fitness Center in Omaha. Concordia won this season’s first meeting with the Flames, 25-14, 26-24, 25-13, in Seward. The Bulldogs won at CSM in last season’s GPAC semifinals.