JAMESTOWN, N.D. – In its bid for the program’s first ever GPAC tournament title, the 19th-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team ran into the well-oiled machine that is top-ranked and undefeated Jamestown. The Jimmies hit .342 and piled up 49 kills while defeating the Bulldogs, 25-21, 25-18, 25-17, in the conference championship match played in Jamestown, N.D., on Saturday (Nov. 13). Both teams entered the evening having already secured bids to the opening round of the national tournament.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad, seeded sixth in the GPAC, reached the GPAC final thanks to wins over two teams ranked fifth in the NAIA at the time the matches were played – Midland and College of Saint Mary. Concordia will enter the national tournament with an overall record of 16-11.
“Credit to Jamestown. They did a really good job of keeping pressure on us the whole night,” Boldt said. “Their middles were really good and from a serve and pass standpoint, they always had a perfect pass. It was difficult to defend. I was happy with our fight. Jamestown was able to be more efficient than us.”
The Bulldogs showed some resilience in the opening set after immediately going down 7-1. A combined block by Gabi Nordaker and Camryn Opfer knotted the first set, 13-13. Concordia racked up 15 kills and hit .344 in the first set. It’s just not easy to keep up with the powerful Jimmies, who one-upped Concordia by pounding 18 kills (.432) in that same stretch. Jamestown’s two-setter arrangement featuring Megan Gaffney and Jackie Meiklejohn operates at near perfection.
The Jimmie combo of Corina Huff and Jayla Ritter combined for 13 kills on 28 swings in the middle. Meanwhile, Anna Holden led all players with 13 kills (.387). In addition to a 49-36 advantage in kills, Jamestown had the edge in blocks, 7-4, aces, 4-3, and digs, 56-51. Now a spotless 31-0, the Jimmies have won 26 times in straight sets this season.
On the other side of the net, Erica Heinzerling paced the Bulldogs with 11 kills and a .385 hitting percentage from the outside. Camryn Opfer put up 10 kills and 10 digs while Carly Rodaway posted seven kills (.385). Two others reached double figures in digs: Tara Callahan (11) and Bree Burtwistle (10). Callahan added 22 assists and an ace. Nordaker contributed four kills and one block while Kalee Wiltfong was in on three blocks.
Despite Saturday’s result, Boldt has reason to feel good about his team, which has defeated four teams ranked in the NAIA top 15 since Oct. 23. Concordia will appear at the national tournament for a third year in a row.
Said Boldt, “I think our team is playing with a lot of confidence. They trust each other. This run has been awesome. It’s been something we can build on going into the national tournament. We turn our focus there. We’re excited to get another opportunity to play.”
The opening round pairings for the national tournament are scheduled to be released at 10 a.m. CT on Monday via a selection show that will air on the NAIA’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PlayNAIA. All 24 opening round matches will be played on campus sites next Saturday (Nov. 20). The opening round winners then advance to the final site, the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.