SEWARD, Neb. – Whenever a rough patch hits, this Concordia University Volleyball team always seems to have an answer. After slipping up in the third set on Saturday (Sept. 14), the third-ranked Bulldogs found their finishing touch and sent No. 20 Midland packing, 25-21, 25-17, 16-25, 25-17, inside Friedrich Arena. Three Concordia attackers tallied exactly 11 kills in a match that required the contributions of many. The Bulldogs exacted some measure of revenge in response to the 2023 national tournament loss to Midland that ended the season.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad improved to 10-1 overall while staying unbeaten (3-0) in league play. Concordia also won at home in four sets over College of Saint Mary on Wednesday.
“We’re coming together as a team,” Boldt said. “The storms are going to happen. It’s all a process all the way through it. They started going to their middles more in the third set. That was an adjustment that we had to make in terms of our blocking schemes. They started playing well and we couldn’t get out of a rotation. In the fourth set, we really got Gabi (Nordaker) going. Midland is a good blocking team. To make holes in their blocking is really tough to do. I thought down the stretch our serve and pass was the difference.”
Boldt credited the serving of Shandy Fa’ali’I and Ashlyn Wischmeier as a key factor in the Bulldogs hitting their stride in the fourth set. For a team that aspires to be gritty, Concordia certainly displayed that during a particular sequence in the second set when Lily Psencik chased down a ball near the student section and kept it alive. The point ended with an emphatic Molli Martin kill. The Bulldogs appeared to be in full control as the second set concluded. Concordia posted 17 kills and no hitting errors during a well-played second set.
A national tournament regular and GPAC power, Midland (6-7, 2-1 GPAC) fought back behind the likes of Brooklynn Snyder (18 kills) and Jacki Apel (11 kills). The Bulldogs hit .000 (eight kills and eight errors) in the third set. Concordia also found itself trailing in the fourth set before 7-0 run put it on the path to victory. Kya Scott did the honors of ending the match by pummeling her ninth kill of the afternoon.
The Midland match always comes with a unique twist for Scott, whose twin sister Kailyn plays in the Warrior back row. After striking for match point, Kya Scott also rang the bell while celebrating with a team that keeps growing. Said Scott, “This season has gotten off to a great start. This year, it seems like we’re a new team, but you would never guess we’re a new team. We have so much grit and our team culture is like none other.”
Eleven kills apiece were recorded by Ashley Keck, Addie Kirkegaard and Ella Waters. Keck also added a team high 17 digs. Other statistical leaders were Psencik in assists (24), Martin and Nordaker in blocks (four apiece) and Savannah Shelburne in aces (two). Concordia outhit Midland, .219 to .146, and had a slight advantage in blocks, 8-7. The 30 hitting errors by the Warriors loomed large.
Said Boldt, “Midland is a tough team. They’re scrappy and they’ve got a good block. They’ve got two middle blockers who are tough to get the ball past. You have to be clicking on all cylinders – the serve, the pass, the set and the attack – in order to get people clean looks. It was a team effort.”
The Bulldogs will have a break in the middle of this upcoming week before hosting Hastings (7-3, 1-1 GPAC) next Saturday at 3 p.m. CT. Concordia has won each of the past eight series meetings with the Broncos, who fell in four sets in this weekend’s clash with College of Saint Mary.