SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – It just wasn’t their night. Seeking their first win of GPAC play, the Bulldogs were toppled at sixth-ranked Dordt, which hit a blistering .341 on Friday night. The host Defenders brushed aside the Concordia University volleyball team, 25-18, 25-13, 25-18.
Seventh-year head coach Scott Mattera’s squad now stands at 5-10 overall. Concordia has one last match left in a string of six straight against each of the GPAC’s nationally-ranked teams.
Said Mattera, “Anyone who has played at Dordt knows that sometimes they just have nights where everything turns to gold. They played fantastic volleyball and we played just OK. That's enough to make the scores look the way they did. We battled with great energy in the third in a very tough environment but it just wasn't enough against a team that was on fire the way they were.”
The Defenders (16-3, 4-1 GPAC) hit .423 in the second set and then .367 in the third while making quick work of the Bulldogs. The primary villains were Ema Altena (12 kills, seven digs) and Leah Kamp (nine kills) for a squad that is now 5-0 at home. The perennially powerful Dordt program is coming off a national runner up finish in 2016.
Sophomore Alex La Plant delivered five of her seven kills in the opening set. She hit .389 on the evening while serving as the team’s top hitter at Dordt. As a team, Concordia managed only 25 kills compared to 40 for Dordt. The Defenders also owned advantages of 7-1 in aces, 44-30 in digs and 5-2 in blocks.
The Bulldogs will complete their weekend road trip with a 3 p.m. CT match at No. 24 Morningside (11-7, 3-2 GPAC) on Saturday. The Mustangs were also in action on Friday and outlasted 15th-ranked Doane in five sets in a contest played in Sioux City, Iowa. Morningside will carry a four-match win streak into the day.
“We are not hanging our heads at all and we're looking forward to another shot against a ranked team tomorrow,” Mattera said. “The attitude of the team is great and we are continuing to work towards where we know we can be.”