2024 GPAC All-Conference Volleyball Teams
First Team: Ashley Keck; Gabi Nordaker; Ella Waters.
Second Team: Addie Kirkegaard.
Honorable Mention: Becca Gebhardt; Savannah Shelburne.
SEWARD, Neb. – In conjunction with the 2024 GPAC All-Conference volleyball teams announced by the league office on Tuesday (Nov. 19), six Bulldogs were recognized with conference postseason awards. Concordia’s Ashley Keck was rewarded for an outstanding junior season with the GPAC Attacker of the Year award. Keck was joined on the GPAC’s first team by Concordia University, Nebraska teammates in Gabi Nordaker and Ella Waters. Second team honors went to Addie Kirkegaard and honorable mention status was placed upon Becca Gebhardt and Savannah Shelburne.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad is ranked No. 2 in the NAIA and will carry a 24-3 overall record into the NAIA national tournament. The Bulldogs will play at the national tournament for the sixth-straight year.
A Kearney, Neb., native and Kearney Catholic High School product, Keck has raised her game to another level in 2024. Through 27 matches (96 sets) this season, Keck has totaled 323 kills (3.36 per set) and 358 digs (3.73 per set) while hitting .236 from the outside. She has reached double figures in kills 22 times this season with a high of 19 in the four-set win at Dakota Wesleyan on Oct. 5. In her career, Keck has tallied 923 kills and 722 digs. She ranks 13th on the program’s all-time kills list with a full season to play. With Keck being honored as GPAC Attacker of the Year, Concordia has picked up a major conference player of the year award in back-to-back years (Bree Burtwistle was named GPAC Setter of the Year in 2023). Keck collected four GPAC Player of the Week awards in 2024 and is a three-time All-GPAC honoree (2022 GPAC Freshman of the Year).
A graduate student in her fifth season (‘COVID year’) in the program, Nordaker has earned her fifth career all-conference award. The Millard West High School product was named Second Team All-GPAC as a freshman in 2020 and proceeded to garner first team recognition each of the next four seasons. A two-time NAIA All-American, Nordaker has accumulated 233 kills (2.43 per set) and 130 blocks (1.35 per set) while hitting a team best .352 from her spot at middle blocker. Nordaker ranks second among GPAC players in blocks per set. The accomplished Omaha native currently owns program all-time rankings of third in blocks (588) and fourth in kills (1,393). Nordaker is set to lead the Bulldogs into her fifth career national tournament appearance.
In her first season of competition at Concordia, Waters has starred as a pin hitter in tandem with the likes of Keck and others. A Hickman, Neb., native and Norris High School alum, Waters has amassed 253 kills (2.69 per set) and 60 blocks and has hit .285 from the outside. Waters has reached the 10-kill mark 14 times this season with a high of 17 coming in the five-set win over then top-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University. Waters is a transfer from Washburn University.
As a junior, Kirkegaard stepped into a much larger role and took advantage of the opportunity. Through 27 matches this season, the Hastings St. Cecilia High School alum has tallied 212 kills (2.14 per set) and 72 blocks to go along with a .192 hitting percentage from the right side. Kirkegaard has achieved season highs of 15 kills in the straight-sets win at College of Saint Mary and eight blocks in the straight-sets home win over Doane.
At the libero position, Gebhardt has been a major factor in Concordia’s success over the past four seasons. The Norfolk, Neb., native and Lutheran High School Northeast alum has been named Honorable Mention All-GPAC for the third consecutive year. On the season, Gebhardt has produced 416 digs (4.29 per set) and 485 service receptions. Her season high of 32 digs came in the four-set win at Dakota Wesleyan. Gebhardt was twice honored this season as the GPAC Defender of the Week. She ranks No. 4 on the program’s all-time digs list with 1,630 (in addition to 1,667 career service receptions and 67 career aces).
A junior from Omaha, Shelburne has pulled in her first GPAC All-Conference award. A two-time GPAC Setter of the Week in 2024, Shelburne has paired with Lily Psencik in Concordia’s 6-2 system this season. In 27 matches this season, Shelburne has totaled 596 assists (6.02 per set) and 200 digs (2.02 per set) to go with a team high 31 aces. Shelburne has helped quarterback an offense that sports NAIA national rankings of seventh in kills per set (14.11) and 15th in hitting percentage (.234).
The 2024 season will continue on Saturday when the Bulldogs host Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas) in the opening round of the NAIA Volleyball National Championships. First serve is set for 1 p.m. CT from Friedrich Arena. Opening round winners advance to play at the final site, the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.