SEWARD, Neb. – The 2024 regular season will conclude on Tuesday when the second-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Volleyball team pays a visit to No. 22 Midland. The Bulldogs will enter the matchup with a chance at sharing the GPAC regular season title for the second-straight year. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad stands at 21-2 overall (14-1 GPAC) after having taken this weekend off from competition. In the lone outing of last week, Concordia quickly dispatched of Doane, 25-20, 25-15, 25-17.
This Week
Tuesday, Nov. 5 at No. 22 Midland (16-9, 12-3 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
--104.9 Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Wikert Events Center (Fremont, Neb.)
GPAC Quarterfinals – Saturday, Nov. 9 vs. TBA, 5 p.m.
--104.9 Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
· In the sixth NAIA coaches’ poll released in 2024, the Bulldogs moved up a spot to No. 2, marking their highest ranking of the season. Concordia began this season at No. 4 and has remained inside the top five for the entirety of the fall. Meanwhile, GPAC rival Northwestern continues to hold down the NAIA’s No. 1 ranking. The Red Raiders (26-0, 15-0 GPAC) are one win away from winning the GPAC regular season title outright and from polishing off an unbeaten regular season. No matter the results on Tuesday, Northwestern will be the No. 1 seed and Concordia will be the No. 2 seed for the GPAC tournament. The Bulldogs and Red Raiders shared the 2023 GPAC regular season championship along with former conference member Jamestown.
· Concordia has won 13 of the past 14 meetings with Doane and swept the 2024 regular season series. In the latest get together, the Bulldogs stuffed the Tigers with 15 blocks and limited the opposition to an .042 hitting percentage. Six blocks or more were credited to Gabi Nordaker (nine), Addie Kirkegaard (eight) and Ava Greene (six). In addition, Ashley Keck continued her strong season by tallying 14 kills (.444) and 16 digs. Nordaker also added nine kills and Kya Scott supplied eight. The setter duo of Lily Psencik (two aces) and Savannah Shelburne combined for 36 assists. Becca Gebhardt chipped in 16 digs in the back row.
· In the month of October, the Bulldogs went an unblemished 9-0 while up against GPAC opponents in each outing. During the month, Concordia outhit its opponents, .243 to .102, and outnumbered them in kills, 470-359. The closest call came on Oct. 19 at Dordt when the Bulldogs escaped Sioux Center with a victory in five sets. Individually, it was a particularly impressive month for Keck, who collected 119 kills (3.84 per set) and 137 digs (4.42 per set). In the middle, Nordaker hit .406 and averaged 1.52 blocks per set. In addition, October saw Concordia win five times on the road and four times at home. The Bulldogs are 7-0 in GPAC road matches.
· A trio of Concordia players have placed themselves in elite company when it comes the program’s all-time statistical lists (as displayed below). Nordaker ranks top five in school history for blocks and kills while Gebhardt cracked the top five for digs earlier this season. In addition, Keck has moved to No. 15 on the program’s all-time kills list with 879. The program all-time leaders by category are Becky Ernstmeyer in kills (1,740) and digs (2,235) and Katie Werner in blocks (787).
o Gabi Nordaker – third all-time in blocks (566); fourth all-time in kills (1,363).
o Becca Gebhardt – fifth all-time in digs (1,559).
o Ashley Keck – 15th all-time in kills (879).
· Under the Boldts, Concordia has firmly established itself as a GPAC and NAIA power. The Bulldogs broke down a barrier in 2023 when they earned a piece of the conference regular season title. Since the start of the 2022 season, Concordia has posted a combined league mark of 40-7. Counting 2024, the Boldts will earn a top-three GPAC finish for the fifth time in seven years at the helm of the program. Once the postseason starts, the Bulldogs will be attempting to extend their string of three-consecutive GPAC tournament championship match appearances. Concordia has gone on to reach the NAIA national quarterfinals twice (2020 and 2021).
· Concordia and Midland are extremely familiar foes. The two programs met three times apiece in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons. The results have been competitive with the Bulldogs and Warriors having split their past 10 series meetings (see below). Three of those matchups have come in the postseason, including one in NAIA pool play and two in the GPAC tournament. Concordia won this season’s first meeting, which concluded in four sets in Seward. In that victory, Ashley Keck, Addie Kirkegaard and Ella Waters recorded 11 kills apiece and the Bulldogs outhit Midland, .219 to .146.
o 9/14/24 – Concordia, 3-1 (Seward).
o 12/1/23 – Midland, 3-0 (NAIA pool play – Sioux City).
o 10/31/23 – Concordia, 3-1 (Fremont).
o 9/6/23 – Concordia, 3-0 (Seward).
o 11/9/22 – Concordia, 3-2 (GPAC semifinals – Fremont).
o 11/1/22 – Midland, 3-0 (Seward).
o 9/7/22 – Midland, 3-2 (Fremont).
o 11/6/21 – Concordia, 3-0 (GPAC quarterfinals – Fremont).
o 9/29/21 – Midland, 3-2 (Fremont).
o 9/8/21 – Midland, 3-0 (Seward).
The opponent
Midland has hovered around 20th in the NAIA coaches’ poll (currently No. 22) since appearing at No. 6 in the preseason. The Warriors played a rigorous nonconference schedule and came away with a win over a Viterbo University (Wis.) team currently ranked 13th in the NAIA. From last season’s team that reached the NAIA quarterfinals, Midland welcomed back three All-GPAC players, including first team middle blocker Abbey Ringler and second team right side Jacki Apel. Now in his 15th season as head coach, Paul Giesselmann entered this season with a record of 333-128 at Midland. The perennially strong Warrior program reached the national semifinals in 2016, 2018 and 2022 and played in the national title match in 2020. Midland finished last season at 18-12 overall (10-6 GPAC). The Warriors will be the GPAC’s No. 3 seed when the conference tournament gets underway on Saturday.
GPAC Tournament
Concordia will host a GPAC tournament quarterfinal match at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday against an opponent to be determined. The eight-team GPAC tournament bracket will be announced by the league office once all regular season matches have gone final on Tuesday night.