CRETE, Neb. – Considering the standings, it would have been easy for the fourth-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team to have been caught looking ahead. With No. 1 Northwestern looming this weekend, the Bulldogs went to Crete, Neb., on Wednesday (Sept. 25) and took care of business, 25-16, 25-21, 25-10, while hitting a cool .300. The match barely lasted long enough to scuff the black top inside the Haddix Center.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad has won seven straight overall and remains unbeaten in league play (5-0) heading into the heavyweight battle with the Red Raiders.
“This was a tough environment to come into,” Boldt said. “They created a lot of energy. They came at us hard. I was really proud of our team being resilient. They came back in the first set and took the lead. We stayed steady. That’s really all you can ask for. We didn’t succumb to that or have multiple errors in a row or anything like that. We kept killing the ball and stayed true to ourselves.”
Concordia (12-1 overall) kept control of the rivalry with Doane (wins in 12 of the past 13 series meetings) while ending the night in emphatically dominant fashion. The Bulldogs hit .389 in the final set and played a role in the Tigers accumulating nine hitting errors. Whenever Doane did make a push, Concordia had the answer. Doane did manage to take a 13-12 lead in the opening set and got within 24-21 in the second after the Bulldogs had jetted out to a 15-5 advantage.
But Concordia was too mature and too focused to allow this one to become interesting. Reigning GPAC Attacker and Defender of the Week Ashley Keck starred again in supplying 12 kills (.429 hitting percentage) and six digs. Meanwhile, five teammates registered at least five kills apiece: Addie Kirkegaard (eight), Gabi Nordaker (seven), Ava Greene (seven), Kya Scott (five) and Ella Waters (five).
Greene also notched four blocks as she filled in admirably in the middle. The Bulldogs have been without junior Molli Martin for the past two matches, but the team’s depth has been a strength.
Said Boldt of Greene, “I’m a big fan. She’s stepped in and done a great job. Once we put her in, we had full trust in her ability because she brings it in practice every day. She’s a beast. It’s tough to get it past her. She’s been in big, competitive situations before. She went to Papio South and they won state championships. She knows how to get out there and compete.”
Other statistical leaders for Concordia included Cassidy Knust in digs (13) and aces (two) and Savannah Shelburne in assists (20). Waters equaled Greene with four blocks. The Bulldogs outnumbered Doane in kills, 44-25, as the home team hit just .049. Concordia sent 15 different players into the match.
Natalie Wood paced the Tigers with seven kills while Taylor Sluka added six. Doane slumped to 4-13 overall (0-5 GPAC).
A highly anticipated homecoming showdown is on the docket for Saturday when action gets underway at 4 p.m. CT from Friedrich Arena. Top-ranked Northwestern (15-0, 5-0 GPAC) will be the opponent in a rematch of last season’s GPAC tournament championship match won by the Red Raiders in five sets. Northwestern remained unbeaten on Wednesday with a home win over Waldorf.
As Boldt said. “We’re really looking forward to it. We want to be in those matches. We want to be the best team we can be, and we have to play matches like that to be able to do that.”