SEWARD, Neb. – Head Coach Ben Boldt and company knew the 2024 edition of Concordia University Volleyball would look different from the 2023 squad, but that’s not to say this particular season opener was any less anticipated. The fourth-ranked Bulldogs debuted a new two-setter system and got some big swings from junior Ashley Keck while rolling past visiting Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho), 25-18, 25-16, 25-18, on Friday (Aug. 16). Concordia and a back row led by Becca Gebhardt managed to limit the Warriors to a .000 hitting percentage.
The Bulldogs said goodbye to a couple of All-Americans from the 2023 team, but the beat goes on. Concordia rings in a new year with the usual high expectations. Ten days after reporting to campus, the Bulldogs passed an early test.
“It felt like it was quick. We reported on August 6 and we played August 16,” Boldt said. "It’s always a quick thing, but at the same time, I think we were ready to play somebody else. It was fun to get out there for sure. I thought we took them out of what they wanted to do from our serving standpoint. There were a lot of times when they were out of system and couldn’t get in a rhythm. That was something that I liked, and something that we’re emphasizing with our team.”
One night after LCS rallied to win at No. 17 College of Saint Mary in five sets, it looked a bit out of sorts. The Warriors had just as many kills as errors (20-20) while struggling to find unattended hardwood. Concordia cleaned things up with balance in the back as four players registered six or more digs: Keck (eight), Savannah Shelburne (eight), Becca Gebhardt (six) and Cassidy Knust (six). The largest kill total for a Warrior was just six by Juliauna Forgach Aguilar.
A junior out of Omaha, Shelburne started at setter for the Bulldogs and showed she was ready for primetime. She tallied 20 assists and an ace. The other part of the setter equation is Lily Psencik, who notched 16 assists and four digs in her most extended varsity action. The duo helped quarterback Concordia to 43 kills and a .298 team hitting percentage.
Said Boldt, “The benefit of running the 6-2 system is that you always have three attackers to choose from. We’re trying to be as balanced as we can and not lean on any one person too much. You could see it was pretty spread out. Our outsides were getting the majority of the sets. That’s kind of the nature of the beast, but we want to be balanced for sure.”
The rising star Keck bombed away with 12 kills and .500 hitting percentage from the outside. Meanwhile, two-time All-American Gabi Nordaker and transfer Ella Waters added nine kills apiece. This was the Bulldog debut for Waters, who is expected to get some run on both pins. On the right side, Addie Kirkegaard chipped in with five kills while Molli Martin and Kya Scott posted four kills each. In her opening act, freshman Shandy Fa’ali’i landed back-to-back aces while serving for the first time on the collegiate level. She finished with a match high three aces.
Lewis-Clark State (1-1) owned the edge in blocks, 5-2. That’s an area Boldt will be looking at for improvement heading into Saturday.
“From where it is and where it can be, I think we still need to get better,” Boldt said. “It’s a good point to learn from and to start from … We need to get better at blocking. That’s the initial focal point of what our defense is. When we get good touches on the block, that’s really frustrating to the other team.”
The Bulldog Bash will resume at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday as the first of three matches gets underway from Friedrich Arena. Concordia will wrap up the event by taking on Oklahoma City University at 3 p.m. CT. The Stars were defeated in straight sets by Hastings on Friday. OCU will also go up against CSM on day two of the Bulldog Bash.
Saturday Bulldog Bash Schedule
10 a.m. – College of Saint Mary vs. Oklahoma City University
12:30 p.m. – Hastings College vs. Lewis-Clark State College
3 p.m. – Concordia vs. Oklahoma City University