SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Two years removed from a 9-19 overall record, the Concordia University volleyball program reached heights in 2019 that it previously could only dream about. The breakthrough season came to an end on Friday (Dec. 6) in the round of 16 at the NAIA Volleyball National Championship, staged at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Fourth-ranked Missouri Baptist made the plays down the stretch and took out the Bulldogs, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23.
It's both a badge of honor and an excruciating reality knowing the Bulldogs (25-8) are remarkably close to being a Saturday (semifinals/championship) team at the national tournament. This team had something special.
“We competed hard. They competed hard,” said head coach Ben Boldt, “There wasn’t much separation all night long. They would hit a shot and we would make an adjustment. Then they’d make an adjustment. Then we’d make an adjustment. We continued to play volleyball – they just made one more play than we did. It was really tight. We just couldn’t quite seem to get that lead. We were taking big swings. We didn’t play safe and I was really happy about that.”
There were moments of brilliance that provided hope of reaching the national quarterfinals. Concordia had a chance in every set. A Tristin Mason ace evened it up at 22-22 in the first set. The second set was knotted at 21-21 after a Spartan attack error. Then in the third set, Concordia held a 14-12 lead, fell behind and eventually tied it at 22-22. It really was that close, but each time Missouri Baptist (34-6) rose to the occasion. A different Spartan surfaced for the finishing kill in each of the three sets.
From a height standpoint, Missouri Baptist presents one of the NAIA’s most physically imposing teams. The 6-foot-2 Isidora Stojovic led the victors with 13 kills while 6-foot-4 Caterina Cigarini added 12 kills. The Spartans (11 all-time national tournament appearances) enjoyed an 8-2 advantage in blocks. They also outhit the Bulldogs, .286 to .208.
On the other side of the net, freshman Camryn Opfer turned in the most efficient attacking effort with nine kills on 20 swings. Junior Kara Stark paced Concordia with 13 kills. Missouri Baptist managed to hold senior Emmie Noyd (five kills, five errors) in check. All in all, it was a spectacular tournament for Noyd, who totaled 57 kills and 16 blocks over the four matches and ended her career with 973 kills.
Of course there were tearful hugs afterwards, particularly for Noyd and the other seniors, including Kaylie Dengel, Kaci Hohenthaner and Raymi Marquardt. Collectively, they bought in and helped build something that figures to last.
“I was telling the team, I kind of took us back to where we were at this point at the end of last season and everything we’ve put into this season,” Boldt said. “With the standards that we have, the results take care of themselves. We’ve got to continue those standards. One of the things we’ve taken from other Concordia programs is that tradition never graduates. It’s up to us to continue that work ethic and our core values.
“Nobody is ready to stop playing volleyball on our team. To have a close loss like that is more motivating than any words. They can feel what it’s like … I was super appreciative of the effort the seniors put in and I’m really happy for them.”
Junior setter Tara Callahan was credited with 33 assists on Friday while Erin Johnson posted 10 digs. Mason dropped in a pair of aces.
The program will miss the leadership of its current seniors, but there is plenty of firepower returning to expect more positive developments in 2020. The Bulldogs will almost certainly be ranked next preseason. Said Boldt, “We’ll stick to our core values. It’s stuff that we can control. I’ve had a couple of thoughts on where our program is at right now and what our message needs to be … we need to continue to get better.”
During its stay in Sioux City, Concordia earned wins over No. 19 Montana Tech and the University of Saint Mary (Kan.). As a result, the Bulldogs garnered the No. 1 seed in Pool C. The 2019 Bulldogs were the first in program history to ever reach the final site of the national tournament and the first to win a national tournament match.