ORANGE CITY, Iowa – It was the only way. The GPAC Championship Match showdown between the second-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Volleyball team and No. 1 Northwestern just had to come down to a fifth set. Ultimately, it was Jazlin Douma and the Red Raiders who celebrated a second-straight GPAC tournament championship inside the Bultman Center in Orange City, Iowa, on Saturday (Nov. 16). Playing in front of a sea of red, Northwestern shook off a two-sets-to-one deficit and won, 19-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-17, 15-11.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad entered the day already knowing it will be one of the top seeds in the 2024 NAIA National Championship tournament. However, the Bulldogs (24-3) hoped to add a GPAC championship trophy to the list of 2024 accomplishments.
“We competed really well,” Boldt said. “Down the stretch there, there were just a couple of times when we couldn’t get our offense going. They made a couple of runs we couldn’t recover from. Every single point, I can tell you our team believed they were going to win that point. We keep talking about having joy when we play and before the next rally starts, we get back to our competitive mindset. I thought we did a good job throughout the match of competing. We didn’t quite get it this time, but I don’t feel like our team feels defeated by that. They are motivated to continue to get better. This is just a step in our journey to where we want to go.”
The GPAC Championship Match marked the fifth five-set contest in the past six Concordia-Northwestern meetings. The latest Bulldog lead in the fifth set came at 7-6. The Red Raiders proceeded to win seven of the next eight points while taking a 13-8 advantage. Three of those kills were delivered by Douma, who amassed an otherworldly 33 kills for the night. Match point occurred when Douma teamed up with Maddy Simpson for a block, a category Northwestern normally takes ownership of.
In two matchups this season with the undefeated Red Raiders (30-0), Concordia has proven to be nearly their equal. Some of the Bulldogs’ best stretch of play on Saturday came during the third set when All-American middle blocker Gabi Nordaker (seven blocks) helped spark her teammates. Concordia totaled seven of its 11 blocks during the third set as it staked itself to a 2-1 match lead. The script was a similar one to the 2023 GPAC tournament title match and this season’s first matchup with Northwestern.
In pacing the Bulldogs on Saturday, Kya Scott produced kills on each of her first three swings and finished with 12 for the evening. The team’s six attackers each posted at least seven kills: Ashley Keck (11), Addie Kirkegaard (nine), Nordaker (nine), Ella Waters (eight) and Ava Greene (seven). Northwestern outhit Concordia, .223 to .142, and totaled more kills, 64-56. Other Bulldog leaders were Becca Gebhardt in digs (20), Lily Psencik in assists (28) and aces (two). Concordia matched the Red Raiders block for block (11-11).
Northwestern set Douma 81 out of its 184 attacks. Sampson ranked second on the team with nine kills (to go with nine blocks). The Red Raiders will undoubtedly be the overall No. 1 seed heading into the national tournament.
As for the Bulldogs, they know they can tangle with anyone. Said Boldt, “Our team believes that when we step out on the floor, we can compete with anybody. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be gritty. I’m really proud of our team. We were really balanced. They set Douma 81 times and she had 33 kills. We have to go back to the film and really break down our defense and what we need to do. She had a great game. That’s part of the puzzle that we have to put together.”
Official NAIA national qualifiers will be announced by the NAIA as part of a live selection show scheduled for 12 p.m. CT on Monday. More information about the show can be found HERE. The Bulldogs are expected to host an NAIA Opening Round match on Saturday, Nov. 23. The opening round winners advance to play at the final site of the national tournament, the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, Dec. 4-10.