2009 - Volleybal schedule/results

11-22 Overall, 3-13 GPAC - Season statistics

AUGUST
Aug. 22	Alumni Game	Seward, Neb.
Aug. 26	Peru State College	Peru, Neb.	W 3-1
Red Raider Classic:
Aug. 28	Waldorf College	Orange City, Iowa	W 3-1
Aug. 28	Peru State College	Orange City, Iowa	L 0-3
Aug. 29	Baker	Orange City, Iowa	L 1-3
Aug. 29	Jamestown	Orange City, Iowa	L 0-3
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 1	College of St. Mary	Seward, Neb.	W 3-2
CSM Labor Day Tournament:
Sept. 4	Hannibal La-Grange	Omaha, Neb.	W 3-1
Sept. 4	College of St. Mary	Omaha, Neb.	L 2-3
Sept. 5	Johnson & Wales	Omaha, Neb.	W 3-0
Sept. 5	Haskell Indian Nations	Omaha, Neb.	W 3-0
Sept. 9	Dana College *	Seward, Neb.	L 1-3
Chap Classic Tournament:
Sept. 11	Wayland Baptist	Lubbock, Texas	L 0-3
Sept. 11	Texas Wesleyan	Lubbock, Texas	L 0-3
Sept. 12	#15 Lubbock Christian	Lubbock, Texas	L 0-3
Sept. 12	Howard Payne	Lubbock, Texas	W 3-1
Sept. 16	#21 Doane College *	Crete, Neb.	L 0-3
Sept. 23	Nebraska Wesleyan *	Seward, Neb.	L 2-3
Sept. 25	Briar Cliff University *	Sioux City, Iowa	L 1-3
Sept. 26	#13 Morningside College *	Sioux City, Iowa	L 0-3
Sept. 29	York College	York, Neb.	W 3-0
OCTOBER
Oct. 2	Mount Marty College *	Seward, Neb.	W 3-0
Oct. 3	Hastings College *	Hastings, Neb.	L 0-3
Oct. 6	#17 Doane College * Dig Pink Night	Seward, Neb.	L 0-3
Oct. 9	#5 Northwestern College *	Seward, Neb.	L 0-3
Oct. 10	#24 Dordt College *	Seward, Neb.	L 0-3
Oct. 16	University of Sioux Falls *	Sioux Falls, S.D.	L 0-3
Oct. 17	Dakota Wesleyan *	Mitchell, S.D.	W 3-1
Oct. 21	Nebraska Wesleyan *	Lincoln, Neb.	L 0-3
Oct. 24	Hastings College *	Seward, Neb.	L 0-3
Oct. 28	#15 Bellevue University	Seward, Neb.	L 1-3
Oct. 30	Midland Lutheran * Senior Night	Seward, Neb.	W 3-0
Oct. 31	Dana College *	Blair, Neb.	L 2-3
NOVEMBER
GPAC Tournament:
Nov. 4	vs. Dana College	Blair, Neb.	L 1-3

*Indicates Great Plains Athletic Conference Games

All Home Matches in BOLD

2009 - Volleyball roster

No.	Name	Ht	Class	Pos	Hometown	Previous school
1	Nicolette Ethofer	5’4”	JR	DS	Omaha, NE	Bellevue West/North Platte CC
2	Allie Kenning	5’5’’	FR	DS	Hebron, NE	Thayer Central
3	Nicki Axelson	5’6’’	JR	DS	Westminster, CO	Denver Lutheran
4	Marlee Denton	6’0’’	SO	MB	Fremont, NE	Fremont
5	Sloan Brandon	5’9’’	FR	OH	Carrollton, TX	Prince of Peace
7	Kim Miller	5’9’’	FR	RS	Mason City, IA	Mason City
8	Karissa Weinrich	5’8’’	SO	S	Fremont, NE	Fremont
9	Angela Bruhn	5’8’’	FR	OH	Creston, NE	Leigh
10	Kaylie Mellema	5’10’’	SO	S	Axtell, NE	Axtell
11	Dani Hoagland	5’11’’	SR	MB	Rushville, NE	Gordon-Rushville
14	Valerie Schick	5’11’’	JR	OH/RS	Meadow Grove, NE	Lutheran High
15	Chelsea Vaudt	6’0’’	JR	MB	Kalispell, MT	Flathead
17	Kirsten Kohlwey	5’6’’	SO	DS	Seward, NE	Seward
18	Ashlea Vaudt	5’11’’	SO	MB	Kalispell, MT	Flathead
20	Lindsea Vaudt	5’9’’	FR	S	Kalispell, MT	Glacier
21	Lauryn Nyhoff	5’10’’	JR	OH/RS	Lincoln, NE	Lincoln Lutheran
22	Alex Szalawiga	5’8’’	JR	OH	Olathe, KS	Olathe
23	Jami Fowler	5’4’’	FR	DS	Hastings, NE	Adams Central
24	Megan Schmidt	5’9’’	FR	OH/MB	Seward, NE	Seward
25	Kaitlyn Tibben	5’10’’	FR	RS/MB	Danville, IL	Danville

2009 - Coaching staff

Head coach: Rachel Miller

Assistant coach: Danielle Schmidt

Concordia opens season with win over Peru State

26 AUG 2009

Concordia University 3, Peru State College 1 (view stats)

The Concordia University volleyball team opened the 2009 season with a 3-1 win over Peru State College on Wednesday evening. Scores of the match were 25-22, 21-25, 26-24 and 25-16.

“Tonight was a great win for us,” said Concordia head coach Rachel Miller. “We saw some things that we need to work on, but it was a nice start. We’re definitely excited to get the season going.”

Senior middle blocker Dani Hoagland led the way with 17 kills for the Bulldogs. Hoagland added two aces, three solo blocks and two assisted blocks on the night. Freshman outside hitter Sloan Brandon added 12 kills and three aces, while Chelsea Vaudt delivered 10 kills, three solo blocks and four assisted blocks. Junior defensive specialist Nicolette Ethofer led the team with 12 digs, and sophomore setter Kaylie Mellema had 40 set assists in the Concordia win.

The Bulldogs will take part in the Red Raider Classic tournament this weekend in Orange City, IA. Concordia plays Waldorf College and Peru State College on Friday with contests against Baker and Jamestown on Saturday.

Concordia takes part in Red Raider Classic

28-29 AUG 2009

Concordia University 3, Waldorf College 1 (view stats)

Concordia University 0, Peru State College 3 (view stats)

Concordia University 1, Baker University 3 (view stats)

Concordia University 0, Jamestown College 3 (view stats)

Concordia went 1-3 in the Red Raider Classic volleyball tournament over the weekend in Iowa. The Bulldogs earned a win over Waldorf College before losses to Peru State College, Baker University and Jamestown College. Concordia is now 2-3 on the season.

Concordia defeated Waldorf College in four games -- 21-25, 25-22, 25-22 and 25-22 -- in the opening game of the tournament. Dani Hoagland had 10 kills, and Sloan Brandon added nine kills in the win. Kaylie Mellema handed out 32 assists, while Brandon and Lauryn Nyhoff led the way with 14 digs apiece.

The Bulldogs suffered a 3-0 loss to Peru State College in the second game of the tournament. Chelsea Vaudt was the only player to reach double figures in kills with 10. Mellema had 31 set assists, and Nyhoff had a team-high 12 digs.

Baker University defeated Concordia in four games in the first contest for the Bulldogs on Saturday. Scores of the match were 25-23, 19-25, 25-16 and 26-24. Valerie Schick and Lauryn Nyhoff each had 10 kills to lead the way for Concordia offensively in the loss. Mellema had 29 assists, Dani Hoagland had three solo blocks and Nicole Ethofer had 20 digs for the Bulldogs defensively.

In the final game of the tournament, Jamestown College defeated Concordia in three games. Chelsea Vaudt had a team-high eight kills. Nicolette Ethofer again led the team with 10 digs, and Mellema had 24 set assists for the Bulldogs.

Concordia hosts the College of St. Mary on Tuesday evening in the 2009 home opener for the Bulldogs. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m. at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center.

Concordia opens play at HHPAC with 3-2 win over the College of St. Mary

1 SEP 2009

Concordia University 3, College of St. Mary 2 (view stats)

Concordia opened play in the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center with an exciting 3-2 win over the College of St. Mary on Tuesday evening. Scores of the match were 23-25, 27-25, 25-23, 18-25 and 15-7. The Bulldogs improved to 3-3 on the season with the win.

The Flames held on to win the opening game 25-23. CSM led 24-19 in the second game, but Concordia rallied and used kills by Sloan Brandon and Dani Hoagland to seal the 27-25 win. In the third game, Concordia held off a late St. Mary rally attempt to take a 2-1 lead. St. Mary controlled the fourth game to tie the match at 2-2. In the fifth game, the Bulldogs jumped out to a quick lead and closed out the match.

Dani Hoagland led a balanced offensive attack for the Bulldogs in the win. The senior middle blocker had a team-high 14 kills. Sloan Brandon, Chelsea Vaudt and Lauryn Nyhoff all had eight kills, and Kaylie Mellema had 34 set assists for the Bulldogs.

Defensively for Concordia, Nyhoff had a game-high 20 digs. Nico Ethofer had 12 digs, while Kirsten Kohlwey and Sloan Brandon each added 11 digs. Hoagland had one solo block and four assisted blocks, and Nyhoff added four assisted blocks for the Bulldogs on the evening.

Erin Dostal led the way for the College of St. Mary with a game-high 22 kills to go along with 14 digs. Jessie Clark added 11 kills and 17 digs for the Flames.

Concordia will take part in the College of St. Mary Labor Day Tournament this Friday and Saturday in Omaha. The Bulldogs face Hannibal La-Grange at noon on Friday followed by a 4 p.m. match against the College of St. Mary. On Saturday, Concordia faces Johnson & Wales at noon and Haskell Indian Nations at 4.

Concordia goes 3-1 at College of St. Mary tournament

4-5 SEP 2009

Concordia University 3, Hannibal La-Grange 1 (view stats)

Concordia University 2, College of St. Mary 3 (view stats)

Concordia University 3, Johnson & Wales 0 (view stats)

Concordia University 3, Haskell Indian Nations 0 (view stats)

Concordia went 3-1 in the College of St. Mary Labor Day Tournament over the weekend in Omaha. The Bulldogs are now 6-4 on the season.

Concordia went 1-1 on Friday afternoon in Omaha. The Bulldogs defeated Hannibal La-Grange 3-1 in the opening game of the day. Scores of the match were 25-22, 25-21, 11-25 and 25-23. In the second match of the day, the College of St. Mary edged Concordia 3-2. Scores were 25-20, 26-24, 20-25, 15-25 and 12-15.

Valerie Schick pounded 12 kills to lead the way for the Bulldogs in the win over Hannibal La-Grange. Chelsea Vaudt added nine kills, four ace serves and four assisted blocks. Freshman outside hitter Sloan Brandon also had nine kills to go along with 11 digs in the match, and Kaylie Mellema had 32 set assists. Nico Ethoffer had 17 digs, and Lauren Nyhoff added 10 digs to lead the way defensively for the Bulldogs in the win.

In the second match on Friday, the Bulldogs squared off against the College of St. Mary for the second time this week. Earlier in the week, Concordia rallied to beat CSM in five games. The Flames returned the favor on Friday with the 3-2 win over the Bulldogs.  Dani Hoagland had 12 kills to lead the Bulldogs offensively. Sloan Brandon and Chelsea Vaudt each added 11 kills, and Valerie Schick had 10 kills for Concordia. Mellema had 43 set assists, and Lauryn Nyhoff led the way with 15 digs for the Bulldogs.

On Saturday, Concordia cruised past Johnson & Wales 3-0. Scores of the match were 25-7, 25-18 and 25-10. Dani Hoagland had nine kills and three ace serves to lead the way, and Valerie Schick added eight kills for Concordia. Sloan Brandon added seven kills and three ace serves, and Chelsea Vaudt had six kills and three aces for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs concluded play in the tournament with a 3-0 win over Haskell Indian Nations on Saturday afternoon. Scores of the match were 26-24, 25-23 and 25-23. Lauryn Nyhoff had nine kills and 16 digs for Concordia in the win. Sloan Brandon and Dani Hoagland each added eight kills, and Mellema had 25 set assists for the Bulldogs.

Concordia hosts Dana College in the GPAC season opener on Sept. 9 at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center in Seward. The JV match begins at 6:00 with the varsity match scheduled for 7:30.

Bulldogs fall to Dana College in conference opener

9 SEP 2009

Concordia University 1, Dana College 3 (view stats)

Dana College defeated Concordia 3-1 in the GPAC volleyball opener for both teams on Wednesday evening in Seward. Scores of the match were 25-20, 25-20, 17-25 and 25-10. The visiting Vikings improved to 7-4 on the season with the win, and Concordia dropped to 6-5 on the year with the loss.

Valerie Schick, Chelsea Vaudt and Lauryn Nyhoff all had eight kills to lead Concordia offensively. Sloan Brandon added seven kills, and Dani Hoagland had six for the Bulldogs. Kaylie Mellema had 30 set assists, and Nico Ethofer had 14 digs to lead Concordia defensively.

Megan Higgins had 12 kills to lead Dana College. Kali Brayfield and Katie Dettmer added nine and eight kills, respectively, for the Vikings. Wendy Boller had 19 assists, and Stephanie Connell added 17 assists for Dana, and Erin Shanahan had a game-high 20 digs for the Vikings.

Concordia will take part in the Chap Classic tournament in Texas this weekend. The Bulldogs play Wayland Baptist and Texas Wesleyan on Friday with matches against Lubbock Christian and Howard Payne on Saturday.

Concordia loses first two games at Chap Classic

11 SEP 2009

Concordia University 0, Wayland Baptist 3 (view stats)

Concordia University 0, Texas Wesleyan 3 (view stats)

Concordia dropped its opening two games in the Chap Classic volleyball tournament in Texas on Friday. The Bulldogs suffered 3-0 losses to Wayland Baptist University and Texas Wesleyan University. With the losses, Concordia slipped to 6-7 overall on the year.

Scores of the Wayland Baptist match were 25-23, 25-17 and 25-23. Sloan Brandon had eight kills to lead the Bulldogs offensively. Chelsea Vaudt added seven kills, Dani Hoagland had six kills and Kaylie Mellema handed out 24 set assists. Defensively for Concordia, Nico Ethofer had a team-high 13 digs in the match. Mellema added 11 digs, and Lauryn Nyhoff also reached double figures with 10 digs.

Jennifer Wyatt had eight kills to lead Wayland Baptist. Anika Voigt had 30 set assists, and Desiree Luevano had a match-high 16 digs for the Pioneers.

A balanced Texas Wesleyan attack was too much for Concordia to handle in the second match of the day on Friday. Scores of the match were 25-21, 25-19 and 25-10. Texas Wesleyan had a .356 attack percentage compared to just .165 for Concordia. Dani Hoagland had a team-high 10 kills to lead the way offensively. Chelsea Vaudt added seven kills and two solo blocks for the Bulldogs. Kaylie Mellema had 20 set assists, and Nico Ethofer again led the way defensively with 13 digs.

Three players reached double figures in kills for Texas Wesleyan. Brittney Person had 12 kills to lead the team. Destiny Clemons added 11 kills, and Devin Warren added 10 kills in the match. Evoni Darling had 37 set assists, while Kristina Harris had a match-high 17 digs to lead the way for the Lady Rams.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs take on Lubbock Christian at 3 p.m. followed by a 5 p.m. match against Howard Payne to conclude play in the Chap Classic tournament.

Concordia goes 1-1 in final day of Chap Classic volleyball tournament

12 SEP 2009

Concordia University 0, Lubbock Christian 3 (view stats)

Concordia University 3, Howard Payne University 1 (view stats)

Concordia went 1-1 in the final day of the Chap Classic volleyball tournament on Saturday. The Bulldogs suffered a 3-0 loss to No. 15 Lubbock Christian but responded to defeat Howard Payne University 3-1 later in the day. Concordia went 1-3 overall in the tournament, and their record stands at 7-8 on the season.

Scores of the Lubbock Christian match were 25-17, 25-21 and 25-11. Lubbock Christian had a .274 attack percentage compared to .065 for Concordia. Freshman outside hitter Sloan Brandon had a team-high seven kills and added nine digs for Concordia in the loss. Kaylie Mellema had 21 set assists, and Nico Ethofer had a team-high 11 digs.

Elissa Loynes had 11 kills, and Melissa Green added 10 kills for Lubbock Christian offensively. Jordan Goings had 32 set assists, and Nikki Ralston had a match-high 24 digs for the Chaparrals.

Scores of the Concordia four-set win over Howard Payne University were 22-25, 25-17, 25-7 and 25-19. The Bulldogs had a .222 attack percentage in the match and held Howard Payne to a .020 hitting percentage.

Chelsea Vaudt led a balanced Concordia offensive attack with 13 kills, and Dani Hoagland added 12 kills. Alex Szalawiga and Sloan Brandon each had nine kills, and Lauryn Nyhoff added seven kills and 16 digs. Kaylie Mellema had 44 assists, and Nico Ethofer had a match-high 21 digs for the Bulldogs in the win. Tamika Heline had a double-double with 14 kills and 20 digs for Howard Payne University in the loss.

Concordia returns to conference play with a match at Doane on Sept. 16. The JV match is set for 6 p.m. with the varsity contest scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Crete.

No. 21 Doane sweeps Concordia

16 SEP 2009

Concordia University 0, Doane College 3 (view stats)

The Doane College volleyball team, ranked No. 21, cruised to a 3-0 win over Concordia on Wednesday night in Crete. Scores of the match were 25-16, 25-13 and 25-20. The Tigers improved to 14-4 overall and 1-1 in the GPAC with the win. The Bulldogs dropped to 7-9 overall and 0-2 in the GPAC with the loss.

Doane had a .375 attack percentage in the match compared to a .099 percentage for Concordia. The Tigers were led offensively by Ivie Speer’s 11 kills and Susan Rollman’s 10 kills. Heather Davison had 24 set assists, and Emily Schwisow had 13 digs to lead the way defensively for Doane.

Sloan Brandon led the way for Concordia with eight kills. Chelsea Vaudt added six kills and a team-high seven digs, and Kaylie Mellema had 19 assists in the Bulldog loss.

Concordia will host Nebraska Wesleyan on Sept. 26. The JV match starts at 6 p.m. with the varsity match scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center.

Nebraska Wesleyan downs Concordia 3-2

23 SEP 2009

Concordia University 2, Nebraska Wesleyan 3 (view stats)

Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Concordia 3-2 in GPAC volleyball on Wednesday evening in Seward. Scores of the match were 19-25, 25-18, 25-18, 17-25 and 15-9. Nebraska Wesleyan improved to 12-3 overall and 2-1 in the GPAC with the win. The Bulldogs dropped to 7-10 overall and 0-3 in the GPAC with the loss.

The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead in game one and cruised to the 25-19 win. The visiting Prairie Wolves responded in games two and three to take a 2-1 lead. In game four, Concordia again jumped out to a quick lead and managed to force a fifth and deciding game. Game five remained close early on. However, the Bulldogs would get no closer than four down the stretch, and Nebraska Wesleyan held on for the 3-2 win.

Concordia senior Dani Hoagland had a fantastic night. She had a match-high 23 kills and added two aces and two blocks on the night. Chelsea Vaudt was the only other player to reach double figures in kills with 10. Sloan Brandon had eight kills and 13 digs, and Lauryn Nyhoff added seven kills and 15 digs for the Bulldogs. Nico Ethofer had a match-high 18 digs, Kirsten Kohlway added 14 digs and Kaylie Mellema handed out 46 assists for Concordia.

Nebraska Wesleyan was led by Laura Brammeier’s 18 kills. Brittny Barber added 11 kills, Elise Schmid had eight kills and Ashley Jedlicka had 36 set assists for NWU.

Concordia travels to Briar Cliff on Friday and Morningside on Saturday. First serve on Friday is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and Saturday’s match is set to begin at 3 p.m.

Concordia falls to Briar Cliff 3-1

25 SEP 2009

Concordia University 1, Briar Cliff 3 (view stats)

Concordia remained winless in GPAC play with a 3-1 loss at Briar Cliff on Friday night in Sioux City. Scores of the match were 23-25, 25-18, 25-16 and 25-20. The Chargers moved to 9-9 overall and 3-1 in conference play with the win. The Bulldogs dropped to 7-11 overall and 0-4 in conference play with the loss.

Sloan Brandon led the way offensively for Concordia with a match-high 15 kills. Valerie Schick was the only other player to reach double figures in kills with 10. Chelsea Vaudt added nine kills and three solo blocks for the Bulldogs. Karissa Weinrich had 37 set assists and seven digs in place of starting setter Kaylie Mellema, who missed the game due to injury. Nico Ethofer had a match-high 22 digs, and Lauryn Nyhoff added 16 digs for Concordia.

Concordia head coach Rachel Miller commented on the effort of her team. “We played pretty great defense overall,” said Miller. “We just needed to play much cleaner throughout the game to pick up a win.”

Geri Heimann had 13 kills to lead the way for Briar Cliff. Alex Anstine had nine kills to go along with a team-high 19 digs, and Nicole Hoogeveen added eight kills for BCU. Inglish Hartwig handed out 22 set assists. Liz Krog had 15 digs, and Allison Holtgrewe added 13 digs to lead Briar Cliff defensively.

The Bulldogs return to action Saturday with a 3 p.m. match at Morningside College.

Game photos: estrada.cune.edu/17254/

No. 13 Morningside earns 3-0 sweep of Concordia

26 SEP 2009

Concordia University 0, Morningside College 3 (view stats)

No. 13 Morningside College earned a 3-0 volleyball win over Concordia on Saturday afternoon in Sioux City. Scores of the match were 25-14, 25-10 and 25-21. The Mustangs improved to 21-2 overall and 5-0 in the GPAC with the win. Concordia lost its fourth straight match to drop to 7-12 overall and 0-5 in the GPAC.

The Mustangs had a .391 team hitting percentage in the game compared to .122 for the Bulldogs. Jamie Vander Kooi had 13 kills to lead the way for Morningside in the win. Erin Downing added eight kills, and Liz Sutherland had seven kills. Jessica Tjaden had 30 set assists, and Amanda Nelson had a match-high 17 digs for Morningside defensively.

Dani Hoagland and Lauryn Nyhoff each had six kills for Concordia in the loss. Karissa Weinrich had 22 set assists, and Nico Ethofer had a team-high seven digs for the Bulldogs.

Concordia will travel to York College on Sept. 29 for a 7 p.m. match against York College.

Bulldogs take care of York College 3-0

29 SEP 2009

Concordia University 3, York College 0 (view stats)

The Concordia University volleyball team took care of business with a 3-0 sweep of York College on Tuesday night. Scores of the match were 25-17, 25-15 and 25-22. The Bulldogs improved to 8-12 on the year with the win.

Dani Hoagland led a balanced attack for Concordia with 10 kills, one solo block and one assisted block. Chelsea Vaudt added eight kills and two aces, while Lauryn Nyhoff and Alex Szalawiga had seven kills and six kills, respectively, for the Bulldogs in the win. Karissa Weinrich also had an impressive night with 29 set assists, seven digs and three aces. Sloan Brandon led the way defensively with 10 digs, and Nico Ethofer added seven digs for the Bulldogs.

Concordia head coach Rachel Miller talked about the importance of the win. “We were really pleased with our overall play tonight,” said Miller. “Tonight was a good match to build confidence as we look to stay on the winning track.”

Concordia hosts Mount Marty College on Oct. 2 with the JV match scheduled for 6 p.m. and the varsity match scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center.

Concordia earns first conference win with 3-0 sweep of Mount Marty

2 OCT 2009

Concordia University 3, Mount Marty College 0 (view stats)

The Concordia University volleyball team earned its first conference win of the season with a 3-0 sweep over Mount Marty on Friday night in Seward. Scores of the match were 25-8, 25-23 and 25-13. The Bulldogs improved to 9-12 overall and 1-5 in the GPAC with the win, while the Lancers dropped to 3-15 overall and 0-6 in the GPAC with the loss.

Concordia controlled play in the opening game and cruised to the 25-8 win. Mount Marty kept things close in game two and pulled within one point at 24-23. However, Sloan Brandon’s kill gave the Bulldogs the 25-23 win in the second game. The Lancers again kept game three close early on, but Concordia managed to pull away for the easy 25-13 win.

Concordia senior middle blocker Dani Hoagland talked about the victory. “Tonight was a good conference win for us,” said Hoagland. “We continued pulling together, and we played as a team.”

Junior outside hitter Lauryn Nyhoff also discussed the importance of the team’s first conference win of the season. “We need to keep this rolling and take the momentum from this win into our upcoming games,” said Nyhoff. “It was big to get another win at home.”

Chelsea Vaudt had a match-high 13 kills to lead a balanced attack for Concordia in the win. Nyhoff added 10 kills, Hoagland pounded eight kills and Sloan Brandon had seven kills for the Bulldogs. Karissa Weinrich had 35 set assists, while Nico Ethofer had 12 digs to lead the way defensively for Concordia.

Concordia head coach Rachel Miller hopes for more consistency from her team as conference play continues. “This win gives us some momentum heading into the Hastings match tomorrow,” said Miller. “We feel if we play consistently like we did in game one tonight that good things will happen for us.”

The Bulldogs face Hastings College on Saturday. The JV match is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. with the varsity match to follow at 3 p.m. in Hastings.

Hastings College downs Concordia 3-0

3 OCT 2009

Hastings College 3, Concordia University 0 (view stats)

Hastings College swept Concordia University 3-0 in GPAC volleyball on Saturday afternoon in Hastings. Scores of the match were 25-12, 25-16 and 25-15. Hastings College improved to 20-4 overall and 4-2 in the GPAC with the win. The Bulldogs fell to 9-13 overall and 1-6 in the GPAC with the loss.

Hastings College had a .284 attack percentage in the win compared to a .099 attack percentage for the Bulldogs. Dani Hoagland, Lauryn Nyhoff and Alex Szalawiga all had five kills for Concordia in the loss. Karissa Weinrich had 20 set assists, and Nico Ethofer had a team-high nine digs for the Bulldogs.

Kelsey Wells had a match-high 15 kills to lead the way for Hastings in the win. Wells also added two solo and three assisted blocks in the game. Kendra Schwein added 12 kills, Haley Beardsley had 34 set assists and Tracia Norblade had a match-high 14 digs for the Broncos.

Concordia hosts Doane College on Tuesday evening on Dig Pink Night. The JV contest is set for 6 p.m. with the varsity match scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center. All fans are encouraged to wear pink to the contests.

Concordia suffers 3-0 loss to No. 17 Doane College

6 OCT 2009

#17 Doane College 3, Concordia University 0 (view stats)

The Doane College volleyball team, ranked No. 17 in NAIA, earned a 3-0 sweep over Concordia on Tuesday evening at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center. Scores of the match were 25-19, 25-20 and 25-22. The Tigers improved to 19-4 overall and 6-1 in the GPAC with the win. Concordia dropped to 9-14 overall and 1-7 in the GPAC with the loss.

Dani Hoagland and Chelsea Vaudt each had nine kills for the Bulldogs in the loss. Valerie Schick, Lauryn Nyhoff and Alex Szalawiga all added five kills for Concordia. Hoagland and Szalawiga each added five assisted blocks on the evening. Nico Ethofer had 12 digs, and Karissa Weinrich had 27 set assists for the Bulldogs.

Susan Rollman had a match-high 12 kills to lead Doane. Emily Schwisow had a match-high 17 digs, and Heather Davison had 21 set assists for the Tigers.

Concordia will host Northwestern College on Oct. 9. The JV contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the varsity match to follow at 7:30 p.m. at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center.

No. 5 Northwestern College sweeps Concordia

9 OCT 2009

#5 Northwestern College 3, Concordia University 0 (view stats)

The No. 5 Northwestern College volleyball team cruised past Concordia 3-0 on Friday night in Seward. Scores of the match were 25-16, 25-10 and 25-12. The visiting Red Raiders improved to 22-2 overall and 8-0 in the GPAC with the win. The Bulldogs dropped to 9-15 overall and 1-8 in the GPAC with the loss.

The Raiders took control early and finished with an impressive .381 attack percentage for the match. Randa Hulstein’s 13 kills and six assisted blocks led the way for Northwestern College. Hillary Hanno put down eight kills, Rylee Hulstein added seven kills and Bobbie Jean Rich had six kills for the Raiders. Kaitlin Beaver had 33 set assists, while Delainye Woudstra had a match-high 11 digs for Northwestern in the win.

Dani Hoagland had six kills, a solo block and two assisted blocks for Concordia in the loss. Chelsea Vaudt added five kills, and Karissa Weinrich had 13 set assists. Weinrich, Nico Ethofer and Alex Szalawiga all had five digs to lead the way defensively for the Bulldogs in the loss.

Concordia hosts No. 24 Dordt College Saturday on homecoming at Concordia. The JV contest is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. with the varsity match scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center.

Dordt College hands Bulldogs fourth straight loss

10 OCT 2009

#24 Dordt College 3, Concordia University 0 (view stats)

The No. 24 Dordt College volleyball team earned a 3-0 sweep over Concordia on Saturday evening in Seward. Scores of the match were 25-15, 25-15 and 30-28. The Defenders improved to 19-7 overall and 7-2 in the GPAC with the win. The Bulldogs lost their fourth match in a row to fall to 9-16 overall and 1-9 in the GPAC.

Kendra Potgeter had 12 kills and six assisted blocks to lead the way for Dordt. Jana Van Zanten added seven kills, nine digs and four assisted blocks, and Dorinda Hibma had a match-high 17 digs for the visiting Defenders. Jessica De Stigter had 20 set assists, while Cassie Huizenga added 13 assists for Dordt.

Concordia was led by Chelsea Vaudt’s seven kills. Dani Hoagland and Valerie Schick each added six kills. Lauryn Nyhoff had a team-high 11 digs, and Karissa Weinrich handed out 20 set assists in the loss.

Concordia will travel to the University of Sioux Falls for a match against the Cougars on Oct. 16.

Sioux Falls cruises past Concordia 3-0

16 OCT 2009

University of Sioux Falls 3, Concordia University 0 (view stats)

The University of Sioux Falls handed the Concordia volleyball team its fifth straight loss with a 3-0 sweep of the Bulldogs on Friday evening. Scores of the match were 25-11, 25-18 and 25-17. The Cougars improved to 14-15 overall and 3-7 in the GPAC with the win. The Bulldogs dropped to 9-17 overall and 1-10 in the GPAC with the loss.

Sioux Falls had a .277 attack percentage in the contest compared to just .091 for Concordia. Danielle Roers had a match-high 11 kills to lead the way for USF. Amber Sneller added eight kills, and Sarah Kohler had seven kills. Kinzie Van Voorst and Alyssa Chambers each had six kills for the balanced Sioux Falls offensive attack. Rachel Heeney had a match-high 11 digs, and Samantha Haffke handed out 20 set assists for USF in the win.

Lauryn Nyhoff and Alex Szalawiga each had seven kills to pace the Bulldogs in the loss. Dani Hoagland added six kills on the evening, and Nico Ethofer had a team-high seven digs to lead the Bulldogs defensively. Karissa Weinrich and Kaylie Mellema split time at the setter position. Weinrich had 10 assists, and Mellema had 16 assists for Concordia in the loss.

The Bulldogs travel to Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday. The JV contest is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. with the varsity match scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

Concordia gets past Dakota Wesleyan for second GPAC win

17 OCT 2009

Concordia University 3, Dakota Wesleyan 1 (view stats)

Concordia University earned a 3-1 GPAC volleyball win over Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday evening. Scores of the match were 25-16, 20-25, 25-12 and 25-21. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Bulldogs. Concordia improved to 10-17 overall and 2-10 in the GPAC with the win. Dakota Wesleyan slipped to 11-18 overall and 1-10 in the GPAC with the loss.

Concordia had a .264 attack percentage in the match and limited Dakota Wesleyan to a .126 attack percentage. Dani Hoagland and Chelsea Vaudt each had 13 kills to lead a balance Concordia offensive attack in the win. Lauryn Nyhoff added a double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs, and Alex Szalawiga had eight kills for the Bulldogs.

Kaylie Mellema handed out 44 set assists in her first full game back from injury. Nico Ethofer had a team-high 13 digs, and Kirsten Kohlway to lead the Bulldogs defensively, while Hoagland had two solo and three assisted blocks in the Concordia win.

Meghan Cronberg had 13 kills, and Carina Fesenmaier had 35 assists for Dakota Wesleyan. Ashley Kley had a match-high 14 digs, and Amye Brown added 12 digs for the Tigers.

Concordia will travel to Nebraska Wesleyan on Oct. 21. The JV match is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the varsity match to follow at 7:30 p.m. in Lincoln.

Nebraska Wesleyan sweeps Concordia

21 OCT 2009

Nebraska Wesleyan University 3, Concordia University 0 (view stats)

Nebraska Wesleyan, ranked No. 21 in the AVCA/DIII Coaches’ Poll, earned a 3-0 win over Concordia on Wednesday evening in Lincoln. Scores of the match were 25-18, 25-18 and 25-19. The host Prairie Wolves improved to 17-8 overall and 7-6 in the GPAC with the win. Concordia dropped to 10-18 overall and 2-11 in the GPAC with the loss.

Nebraska Wesleyan had a .324 attack percentage in the match compared to .168 for the Bulldogs. Kelsey Elman had a match-high 14 kills to pace the Prairie Wolves offensively. Laura Brammeier added 10 kills and eight digs, Ashley Jedlicka had 34 assists and Brittny Barber had 10 digs for NWU.

Dani Hoagland had a team-high 13 kills to lead the way for the Bulldogs in the loss. Chelsea Vaudt had 11 kills; Alex Szalawiga added seven kills and Kaylie Mellema handed out 33 assists on the night. Lauryn Nyhoff’s 10 digs led the way defensively for Concordia.

Concordia hosts Hastings College on Oct. 24. It will be parent’s night at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center with the JV contest set to begin at 6 p.m. and the varsity match scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Hastings College defeats Concordia 3-0

24 OCT 2009

Hastings College 3, Concordia University 0 (view stats)

Hastings College defeated Concordia 3-0 in GPAC volleyball on Saturday evening in Seward. Scores of the match were 25-20, 29-27 and 25-16. The Broncos moved to 25-8 overall and 9-5 in the GPAC with the win. Concordia dropped to 10-19 overall and 2-12 in the GPAC with the loss.

Concordia had a chance to tie the match at 1-1 with a 24-19 lead in the second game. However, the visiting Broncos rallied for the 29-27 win and then cruised to an easy win in game three.

Leah Dostal had eight kills to lead the way for Hastings. Kendra Schwein added seven kills. Melynne Kessler had 14 digs, and Haley Beardsley handed out a match-high 31 set assists for the Broncos.

Chelsea Vaudt had a match-high 11 kills for Concordia. Valerie Schick added nine kills, and Dani Hoagland had six kills. Nico Ethofer had 14 digs, and Kaylie Mellema had 28 set assists in the loss.

Concordia hosts Bellevue University on Oct. 28 in a 7 p.m. match at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center.

No. 15 Bellevue University holds off Concordia 3-1

28 OCT 2009

#15 Bellevue University 3, Concordia University 1 (view stats)

The Concordia University volleyball team put up a fight but suffered a 3-1 setback to No. 15 Bellevue University on Wednesday evening in Seward. Scores of the match were 25-16, 18-25, 25-22 and 25-21. The visiting Bruins improved to 24-6 overall on the year, while the Bulldogs dropped to 10-20 on the season.

Early on, Bellevue University controlled play and cruised to the easy 25-16 win in game one. However, the Bulldogs responded with a strong effort to take game two by the score of 25-18.

Concordia let game three slip away. The Bulldogs came out on fire and led 5-0 early on. The Bruins quickly responded to tie the game at 10-10. Bellevue University led for the rest of the game and held off a late rally attempt by the Bulldogs for the 25-22 win.

The Bulldogs again held the lead for a good portion of the fourth game. With Concordia in front by the score of 17-16, Bellevue University rallied with six straight points to take control of the game. Concordia attempted another rally, but the Bruins held on for the 25-21 win.

Maureen Wardian had a match-high 14 kills to lead the way for the Bruins in the win. Wardian also added four solo blocks and three assisted blocks on the night. Kali Schnacker added 10 kills, while Rachel Muller and Lace Puffer had eight and seven kills, respectively, for the Bruins. Jordan Broady handed out 33 set assists, and Muller had a match-high 16 digs for Bellevue University.

Chelsea Vaudt and Alex Szalawiga each pounded 10 kills to lead the way offensively for Concordia. Kaylie Mellema had 28 assists, and Nico Ethofer had a team-high 15 digs for the Bulldogs. Dani Hoagland had one solo block and seven assisted blocks. Vaudt added one solo block and six assisted blocks, and Szalawiga added six assisted blocks to lead the way defensively for Concordia.

Concordia hosts Midland Lutheran on Oct. 30 on Senior Night at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center. Everyone is encouraged to wear costumes to the matches, and prizes will be awarded to those with the best costumes. The JV match is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the varsity match to follow at 7:30 p.m.

Senior night ends with 3-0 victory over Midland Lutheran

30 OCT 2009

Concordia University 3, Midland Lutheran 0 (view stats)

Concordia University cruised to a 3-0 sweep over Midland Lutheran on Senior Night at the Health, Human Performance and Athletic Center. Scores of the match were 25-14, 25-20 and 25-22. Concordia improved to 11-20 overall and 3-12 in the GPAC with the win, while Midland dropped to 8-16 overall and 4-11 in the GPAC with the loss.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 6-1 start to open the match and settled for the easy 25-14 win in the first set.

The second game was much more competitive early on, but Concordia pulled away late to take a 24-16 lead. Midland attempted to rally, but a Chelsea Vaudt kill sealed the 25-20 win for the Bulldogs.

Midland claimed an early lead in the third game. However, a key 5-0 run gave Concordia an 8-5 lead. The Bulldogs led the rest of the way and closed the match with a 25-22 win.

Dani Hoagland, the lone senior on this year’s squad, led the way for Concordia with a match-high 14 kills to go along with two solo blocks and two assisted blocks. After the game, Hoagland talked about her final home game as a Bulldog. “The best gift I could’ve received tonight was this win,” said Hoagland. “It was a feeling that I’ll always remember.”

Chelsea Vaudt added 12 kills and eight digs for Concordia. Alex Szalawiga had eight kills, while Lauryn Nyhoff added seven kills in a balanced offensive attack for the Bulldogs. Kaylie Mellema handed out a match-high 39 assists, and Nico Ethofer had a match-high 22 digs for Concordia.

Halie Wenel had a team-high 12 kills to go along with four assisted blocks for Midland Lutheran in the loss. Amanda Hunt added six kills, and Brittany Putham had a team-high 17 digs for the Warriors.

“I thought our girls played very well tonight,” said Rachel Miller, head coach of the Bulldogs. “We really needed this one, and it was tremendous for us to get this win for Dani in her final home game.”

Concordia concludes the regular season with a 4:30 p.m. match at Dana College on Saturday.

Dana College holds on for 3-2 win over Concordia

31 OCT 2009

Dana College 3, Concordia University 2 (view stats)

Dana College slipped past Concordia 3-2 in GPAC volleyball on Saturday evening in Blair. Scores of the match were 25-20, 21-25, 25-18, 18-25 and 15-12. The Vikings improved to 21-13 overall and 9-7 in the GPAC with the win. The Bulldogs dropped to 11-21 overall and 3-13 in the GPAC with the loss.

Dani Hoagland had 12 kills and four assisted blocks to lead Concordia in defeat. Chelsea Vaudt pounded 11 kills to go along with one solo block and three assisted blocks, while Valerie Schick added 10 kills on the evening. Sloan Brandon had eight kills, while Lauryn Nyhoff added six kills, six assisted blocks and a team-high 15 digs. Nico Ethofer had 11 digs, and Kaylie Mellema handed out 44 set assists for the Bulldogs.

Concordia will travel back to Blair for another meeting with Dana College in the first round of the GPAC volleyball tournament on Nov. 4. The match is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with the winner advancing to face Morningside College.

Bulldogs fall 3-1 to Dana College in first round of GPAC Tournament

4 NOV 2009

Dana College 3, Concordia University 1

The Concordia University volleyball team suffered a 3-1 loss to Dana College Wednesday evening in the first round of the GPAC Tournament. Scores of the match were 25-18, 23-25, 25-21 and 25-21.

Kali Brayfield had a team-high 10 kills to go along with eight ace serves to lead the way for Dana College. Megan Higgins and Katie Dettmer each added eight kills, and Courtney Aspegren had seven kills. Erin Shanahan had a match-high 20 digs, and Amberly Heslinga added 14 digs for the Vikings.

Concordia’s Dani Hoagland pounded a match-high 11 kills in her final game for the Bulldogs. Valerie Schick also reached double figures with 10 kills, and Chelsea Vaudt added nine kills for the Bulldogs. Kaylie Mellema handed out a match-high 37 set assists. Lauryn Nyhoff and Nico Ethofer had 13 digs and 11 digs, respectively, to lead Concordia defensively.

Concordia ended its season at 11-22. Dana College improved to 22-13 on the year and will take on Morningside College in the second round of the GPAC Tournament on Nov. 7.

Hoagland named A.O. Duer award winner

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced June 26 that Dani Hoagland of Concordia University, Nebraska is the 2009 female recipient of the prestigious A.O. Duer Award. The award is presented annually to a junior female and male student-athlete in any sport who has excelled in character, playing ability and scholarship. Since 1967, the A.O. Duer Award has been presented in honor of the late former NAIA executive director Al Duer who was responsible for the NAIA's role as the first collegiate organization to be fully integrated.

Hoagland, who calls Rushville, Neb., home, was selected by the NAIA Council of Faculty Athletics Representatives from a field of nominees who attend NAIA member institutions. Candidates must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.75 on a 4.0 scale. Concordia will receive a $1,000 scholarship award from Daktronics in Hoagland’s name.

Hoagland is a middle blocker for the Concordia Bulldogs volleyball team. Upon Hoagland's arrival at Concordia, she was already willing to sacrifice personal comfort for the betterment of the team by playing a position that she was not accustomed to on the court. Transitioning from middle blocker to right side hitter is a difficult change but with her athleticism and willingness to lead, she accepted the challenge and was a starter in her first collegiate season. In the subsequent years, she returned to her traditional position and has received numerous awards and accolades, including selection by her teammates as a captain in her junior year. Other awards include team Most Valuable Player, All-Tournament Team selection at the St. Ambrose Fall Classic and a repeat Booster Club Athlete of the Week. Success has followed her on the conference level. She was at the top of the team leader board in nearly every offensive category and received All-Conference honors in 2007 and 2008.

"Dani's teammates realize that she strives to lead by example and that she will work hard in every aspect of life," said Rachel Miller, head volleyball coach at Concordia. "They showed this respect by naming her the Bulldog Award winner, which is given to the player who gives 100% in practices, workouts and everything that involves Concordia volleyball. She is an integral part of our team's success and an absolute joy to coach."

Off the court Hoagland has collected many academic awards for her outstanding performance in the classroom. Among these are the Pflieger-Olson Scholar-Athlete Award, NAIA Scholar-Athlete Award and was a 2008-09 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District selection. Majoring in biology, she maintains a rigorous class load, works on campus in the science building and shadows the team physician in the Seward Memorial Clinic. She is studying for the MCAT and plans to become a physician.

Hoagland and Vaudt represent Bulldogs on GPAC All-Conference Team

Two Concordia University volleyball players were selected to the 2009 Great Plains Athletic Conference All-Conference Team which was announced on Wednesday morning. Dani Hoagland was a Second Team selection, while Chelsea Vaudt earned honorable mention honors for the Bulldogs.

Hoagland, the lone senior on the roster, pounded a team-high 279 kills to lead the way for the Bulldogs in 2009. She also led the team with 100 total blocks and added 61 digs on the season. Hoagland totaled 810 kills, 374 blocks and 235 digs in her Concordia career.

Vaudt, a junior middle blocker, was second on the team with 267 kills on the season. She added 98 total blocks and 52 digs for the Bulldogs in 2009.

Concordia finished the 2009 season with an overall record of 11-22. The Bulldogs were 3-13 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

Five Concordia volleyball players named as NAIA Scholar-Athletes

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced that a total of 304 volleyball players have been named 2009 Daktronics-NAIA Volleyball Scholar-Athletes. Five members of the Concordia University volleyball team earned the honor.

Nominated by each institution's head coach, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and have achieved junior academic status to qualify.

Dani Hoagland, the lone senior on the 2009 Concordia roster, was named a Scholar-Athlete for the second year in a row. Joining Hoagland on this year’s list are juniors Lauryn Nyhoff, Valerie Schick, Chelsea Vaudt and Nicki Axelson.

Concordia is the leader in all-time Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes, and the Concordia volleyball team has received the AVCA Team Academic Award for 11 straight years.

“I’m extremely proud of these five players for achieving this award,” said Rachel Miller, head coach for the Bulldogs. “We stress the importance of being a STUDENT-athlete at Concordia, and these players exemplify that. The academic excellence they have achieved in the classroom is outstanding!”