HASTINGS, Neb. – Forget five sets. The Concordia University Volleyball team made things less dramatic on Tuesday (Nov. 2) by tearing through rival Hastings in a sweep. The Broncos had no answer for the attacking trio of Gabi Nordaker, Camryn Opfer and Kalee Wiltfong as they paced the Bulldogs to a 25-16, 25-21, 25-21, win inside Friedrich Arena. This was the final match of the regular season and perhaps the final match Concordia will play at home in 2021.
With three-straight wins (including two over ranked foes) to close the regular season, Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad should have solidified itself as an NAIA top 25 team when the next poll is released. There have been some frustrating moments, but the Bulldogs (14-10, 9-7 GPAC) have persevered and are now reaping the rewards.
“I was just really proud of our team’s growth from the beginning of the year until the end of the regular season,” Boldt said. “This thing could have unraveled a million different times having gone 0-7 in five-set matches. We find our grit and we find our ownership and then we go 2-0 in five-set matches and are playing well towards the end of the season. It’s a testament to their focus being in the right place.”
Following back-to-back wins over top 15 nationally ranked opponents (No. 15 Dakota Wesleyan and No. 14 Northwestern), Concordia wanted to make sure it would enter the postseason on a high note. Though Hastings provided some early resistance with its block, the Bulldogs did not take long to heat up. In particular, Nordaker and Opfer remained red hot. Opfer pulverized a match high 14 kills while hitting .300 and Nordaker delivered a dozen kills on the strength of a .500 hitting percentage. Also in the middle, Wiltfong needed only 13 swings to mount nine kills.
At the same time as Concordia is surging, the Broncos (14-14, 5-11) have been lassoed, dropping their final six matches of the regular season in the process of missing the postseason. But the ninth-place team in the GPAC isn’t your typical ninth-place team. Hastings enjoyed a 15-9 lead in the second set before the Bulldogs went on a 12-1 run to gain control. Wiltfong ended both the first and second sets with a kill and Arleigh Costello capped the third with a kill.
If this is indeed the final home match for one of the program’s all-time in greats in Tara Callahan (it may not be), this was a proper sendoff. She tallied 27 more assists and added a couple kills on Tuesday. A staple for the past five years, Callahan has been a rock for the 2021 team that needed one.
Said Callahan of what has made this fifth season worth it, “Honestly, being able to see the girls out here on the court with me flourish as players. We’ve done a couple firsts that I had not done in my first four years, like beating Northwestern in Orange City. During that match, I pulled the girls in and I was like, ‘I stayed here for a fifth year for a reason – and it was you guys.’ Being able to see them mature as people is the best feeling.”
The other part of Concordia’s setter duo, Bree Burtwistle, contributed 17 assists and led the team with 14 digs. Erica Heinzerling finished with six kills and Carly Rodaway added five. Opfer also posted 11 digs to go with her 14 kills. As a team, the Bulldogs outhit the Broncos, .285 to .136. Hastings had three different players with seven kills apiece.
GPAC Quarterfinals: Concordia will be the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament and will get another shot at Midland (23-4, 12-4 GPAC), which landed as the No. 3 seed. First serve of the GPAC quarterfinal clash from Fremont, Neb., is slated for 7 p.m. CT on Saturday. The Warriors won both regular season meetings with the second one going to five sets on Sept. 29. The winner will advance to play either seventh-seeded Dordt or second-seeded College of Saint Mary in the semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 10. For complete pairings, click HERE.