BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Freshman Kalee Wiltfong elevated her game to new heights and the Concordia University volleyball team brushed off a scare in the second set while remaining unbeaten. Graceland University (Iowa) became the latest victim as the Bulldogs won in straight sets, 25-14, 25-22, 25-15, at the Baker Invitational in Baldwin City, Kan. The contest marked the first of three at the weekend event.
Head coach Ben Boldt’s squad avoided a potential letdown after vanquishing No. 14 Hastings in four sets two days earlier. Concordia is now 9-0 as it approaches the end of week three of the 2019 season.
“We got out to a decent start. Graceland was a pretty tough serving team,” Boldt said. “Our passing wasn’t necessarily in rhythm, but we did a good job of grinding through. Kalee had a really good match. We started getting her the ball when we did have good passes. She did a really good job. They were getting through our block so we had to make some adjustments and once we did we played pretty well.”
The numbers were eye-popping for Wiltfong, who hails from Doniphan, Neb. She slugged 15 kills on only 19 attempts for an out-of-this-world .737 hitting percentage. Perhaps undersized at 5-foot-10, Wiltfong has provided a huge lift on the front row along with the likes of senior Emmie Noyd, who added nine more kills on Friday. As a team, the Bulldogs outhit the Yellowjackets, .261 to .054.
Boldt continues to combine a nice mix of veteran experience with youth. Sophomore Erica Heinzerling also saw extended playing time and accumulated seven kills. Junior Tara Callahan racked up 35 assists while fellow junior Marrissa Hoerman led the way with 11 digs. Noyd was in on five of the team’s six blocks.
This was a match that tested Concordia’s ability to respond off of success and the high of beginning GPAC play with a win of significance.
“We talked to them about it before the match. We basically told them were not entitled to a win just for showing up,” Boldt said. “You have to earn your wins every single time you step on the floor. We need to focus on the present, where we’re at right now and making the future great. It’s about being right here, right now. That was our approach to today.”
Graceland (3-7) is a member of the NAIA’s Heart of America Athletic Conference. The Yellowjackets did manage to drop in four aces, including two by Sam Schell on the day. Shianne Cook was responsible for 11 of the team’s 24 kills.
In Saturday action at the Baker Invitational, the Bulldogs will play Haskell Indian Nations University (Kan.) at 11 a.m. and then weekend host Baker at 3 p.m. For live coverage of Saturday’s matches, visit Baker’s streaming website at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/Baker/.