SEWARD, Neb. – This was the showcase match of the weekend across the entire NAIA volleyball landscape: the current No. 1 team in the nation versus the team that captured the 2022 NAIA national championship. As far as regular season contests go, this one meant just a little bit more. The top-ranked Concordia University Volleyball squad shook off a setback in a tight first set before charging back and finishing emphatically on Friday (Oct. 6) night. The Bulldogs treated the frenzied Friedrich Arena crowd to a 23-25, 27-25, 25-18, 25-13, victory.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad remained undefeated (16-0, 9-0 GPAC) after a battle between two sides that entered the night tied atop the GPAC standings. For the first time in Boldt’s six-year tenure, Concordia has slayed the perennially powerful Jimmies.
“That was a really good matchup. It’s awesome to play those guys – they never quit,” Boldt said. “That resolve is something I love to play against. I was really proud of how our team just battled all night. It’s hard to get the ball down on them. They’re very rangy on defense. We were hitting some really good attacks and they were getting them up. We stayed sharp, we stayed with it and finished it out.”
On the road to a hopeful GPAC championship, the Bulldogs had to figure out how to crack Jamestown’s code or be left without control of their own destiny over the second half of the conference slate. Concordia wouldn’t buckle, even after a first set in which attacking points were about like pulling teeth. The Bulldogs’ powerful attack was limited to a .119 hitting percentage in that opening set as it felt out the Jimmies’ defensive tactics.
Led by dynamic libero Ellie Holen, Jamestown threatened to take a 2-0 match lead while knotting the second set, 25-25, after the Bulldogs had owned a 19-14 lead. The freshman Maddie Paulsen then stepped up with back-to-back kills to flip the momentum in the other direction. Concordia proceeded to hit .277 in the third set and a scalding .533 in the fourth set while feeding off the energy of Friedrich Arena.
Said Boldt, “We talk about being the woman. That’s a mentality that we have. When it’s your turn, we want you to be the woman. Don’t wait for three reps down the road for your turn. We did challenge them. We said, ‘Hey, we can’t just put the ball over the net.’ We have to hit the ball hard. We have to hit the ball high. In the first set, they were blocking our hard shots, so we did have to adjust.”
The Bulldogs dropped the first set for only the second time this season, but fifth-year standouts Camryn Opfer and Bree Burtwistle weren’t willing to let this opportunity slip through their grasp. Opfer came through with 14 kills, 12 digs, an ace and a block in another fine performance. Burtwistle tallied 43 assists and eight digs. Burtwistle even dropped in a two-hand, no-look kill over the top of her head, playground-style. Afterwards, Opfer and Burtwistle rang the victory bell in tandem.
Said the All-American Opfer, “In our devotion before the game, Coach (Drew) Olson was like, ‘During these games, look at each other and soak in this moment.’ During the second set it was just, this is our court, everyone here loves us. Just soaking it in and looking around, I got goosebumps. It was so fun.”
Opfer and her teammates simply had to settle into the match. The fourth set snowballed on the Jimmies as Concordia rattled off the match’s final five points – three of which came on either kills or blocks by middle Gabi Nordaker. Sophomore Ashley Keck led all players with 16 kills to go along with her nine digs. Nordaker finished with 13 kills and six blocks while Paulsen and Carly Rodaway chipped in seven kills apiece. Concordia’s own backcourt stalwart, Becca Gebhardt, totaled 19 digs.
While adjusting to the departures of two First Team All-Americans, Jamestown (15-6, 8-1 GPAC) dropped four of its first five matches this season. The Jimmies are a different team now and have hit their stride in conference play. The loss snapped the Jimmies’ 10-match win streak overall and halted a 16-match GPAC regular season win streak. Jamestown was led on Friday by the 12 kills from Aleah Zieske. The Jimmies hit .176 for the night while putting to use their 6-2 system.
Give an assist to the Friedrich Arena crowd for this result. “Thanks to Bulldog Nation,” Boldt said. “Thanks to our administration. Thanks to everybody who helped get people here tonight. It was Bulldogs for Bulldogs. These are the environments we want our players to play in. Just a big thank you to everybody.”
The Bulldogs will be right back at Friedrich Arena on Saturday to host Dakota Wesleyan (15-10, 5-4 GPAC) for a 3 p.m. CT first serve of the varsity match. In Friday’s action, the Tigers earned a significant road win, triumphing in four sets at No. 10 Midland. A national quarterfinalist in 2022, the Tigers got the best of Concordia (in straight sets) in last season’s matchup in Mitchell, S.D.
Dawgs ring the bell after big Jamestown victory! #RTB ! #SkoDawgs @cunevolleyball pic.twitter.com/bTyEwRmHqt
— Concordia Bulldogs (@cunebulldogs) October 7, 2023