2014 Volleyball schedule/results
20-12 Overall, 10-6 GPAC - Season Stats
AUGUST | |||
| Aug. 23 | Blue-White Scrimmage | Seward, Neb. | 1 p.m. |
| Aug. 26 | Faith Baptist Bible College  | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 |
Asics/Wyndham Labor Day Tournament: Aug. 29-30 (Times are Pacific) | |||
| Aug. 29 | (22) Vanguard University (Calif.) | Irvine, Calif. | L, 0-3 |
| Westminster College (Utah) | Irvine, Calif. | W, 3-1 | |
| Aug. 30 | (2) Concordia University-Irvine | Irvine, Calif. | L, 0-3 |
| Hope International University (Calif.) | Irvine, Calif. | W, 3-1 | |
SEPTEMBER | |||
Hastings College Classic: Sept. 5-6 | |||
| Sept. 5 | Benedictine College (Kan.) | Hastings, Neb. | W, 3-1 |
| (14) Oklahoma Baptist | Hastings, Neb. | W, 3-1 | |
| Sept. 6 | Friends University (Kan.) | Hastings, Neb. | W, 3-1 |
| University of Montana Western | Hastings, Neb. | L, 0-3 | |
| Sept. 10 | * (9) Midland University | Fremont, Neb. | L, 1-3 |
Tri Match: Sept. 13 | |||
| Sept. 13 | vs. Peru State College | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 |
| Friends vs. Peru State | Seward, Neb. | 1 p.m. | |
| Friends University (Kan.) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 | |
| Sept. 17 | * Doane College | Crete, Neb. | W, 3-1 |
| Sept. 20 | * Mount Marty College | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 |
| Sept. 24 | * (18) Hastings College | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-2 |
| Sept. 26 | * (6) Northwestern College | Orange City, Iowa | L, 0-3 |
| Sept. 27 | * Morningside College | Sioux City, Iowa | W, 3-0 |
| Sept. 30 | * (22) Nebraska Wesleyan University | Lincoln, Neb. | L, 1-3 |
OCTOBER | |||
| Oct. 2 | College of Saint Mary | Omaha, Neb. | L, 2-3 |
| Oct. 4 | * Dakota Wesleyan Univ. (Homecoming) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-1 |
| Oct. 7 | York College | York, Neb. | W, 3-0 |
| Oct. 10 | *Doane College | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 |
| Oct. 15 | * Hastings College | Hastings, Neb. | L, 0-3 |
| Oct. 21 | * (15) Nebraska Wesleyan University | Seward, Neb. | L, 1-3 |
| Oct. 24 | * Briar Cliff University (Pink Out) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-2 |
| Oct. 25 | * (21) Dordt College | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-2 |
| Oct. 28 | Bellevue University | Bellevue, Neb. | L, 2-3 |
| Oct. 31 | * Mount Marty College | Yankton, S.D. | W, 3-0 |
NOVEMBER | |||
| Nov. 1 | * Dakota Wesleyan University | Mitchell, S.D. | W, 3-0 |
| Nov. 5 | * (12) Midland University | Seward, Neb. | L, 1-3 |
GPAC Tournament: Nov. 8, 12, 15 | |||
| Nov. 8 | Hastings College (GPAC Quarterfinals) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 |
| Nov. 12 | (7) Northwestern College (GPAC Semifinals) | Orange City, Iowa | L, 1-3 |
| Nov. 15 | GPAC Championship | TBA | TBA |
| Dec. 2-6 | NAIA National Championships | Sioux City, Iowa | TBA |
*Indicates Great Plains Athletic Conference Games
All Home Matches in BOLD
2014 Volleyball Roster
| No. | Name | Ht | Class | Pos | Hometown | Previous school |
| 1 | Katie Peterson | 5-8 | Jr. | M/OH | Ord, Neb. | Ord |
| 2 | Brianna Hughes | 5-11 | Sr. | M/RS | San Diego, Calif. | Concordia University Irvine |
| 3 | Jami Nekoliczak | 5-5 | Sr. | S | Greeley, Neb. | Greeley-Wolbach |
| 4 | Naomi Quigg | 6-0 | So. | OH/RS | Springfield, Ill. | Springfield Lutheran |
| 5 | Mariah Schamp | 5-10 | Sr. | M | Arvada, Colo. | Ralston Valley |
| 6 | Kendra Dinkel | 5-4 | Jr. | DS | Norfolk, Neb. | Lutheran Northeast |
| 7 | Claire White | 5-11 | Jr. | OH | Exeter, Neb. | Washburn University/Exeter-Milligan |
| 8 | Samantha McConnell | 6-0 | Jr. | M/RS | Atlantic, Iowa | Atlantic |
| 9 | Libby Zagel | 5-8 | Jr. | S/RS | Brighton, Colo. | Brighton |
| 10 | Paige Getz | 5-11 | So. | OH | Paola, Kan. | Paola |
| 11 | Amanda Abbott | 5-11 | Sr. | OH | Temecula, Calif. | Chaparral |
| 12 | Michala Maurer | 5-9 | Sr. | RS | Columbus, Neb. | Lakeview |
| 13 | Annie Friesen | 6-1 | Fr. | M | Wichita, Kan. | Trinity |
| 14 | Alayna Kavanaugh | 5-9 | So. | S | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Christian |
| 15 | Carli Smith | 5-3 | Sr. | DS | Temecula, Calif. | Temecula Valley |
| 16 | Shannon O'Hara | 5-11 | Fr. | RS | Lone Tree, Colo. | Heritage |
| 17 | Kayla Sombke | 5-4 | Jr. | DS | Indianapolis, Ind. | Lutheran |
| 18 | Alaina Ruszkowski | 5-10 | Fr. | RS | Orlando, Fla. | Lake Nona |
| 19 | Courtney Jurgens | 5-9 | Fr. | OH | Beatrice, Neb. | Beatrice |
| 20 | Allison Wiebe | 5-7 | So. | DS | Malcolm, Neb. | Malcolm |
| 21 | Taylor Gager | 5-5 | Jr. | DS/S | Arvada, Colo. | Lutheran |
| 22 | Kayla James | 5-6 | Sr. | S | Kearney, Neb. | Kearney Catholic |
| 24 | Jocelyn Garcia | 5-5 | Fr. | DS | Brighton, Colo. | Prairie View |
| 26 | Tiegen Skains | 5-10 | So. | OH/RS | Colorado Springs, Colo. | Pine Creek |
| 27 | Taylor Workman | 6-1 | So. | M | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Christian |
| 28 | Audrey Mehl | 5-8 | Sr. | OH | Concordia, Mo. | St. Paul Lutheran |
| 29 | Kelsey Dinkel | 5-9 | Jr. | OH | Norfolk, Neb. | Lutheran Northeast |
| 30 | Hannah Oberle | 5-8 | So. | S/DS | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Lutheran |
Head Coach - Scott Mattera
Assistant Coach - Alex Szalawiga
Graduate Assistant - Natalie Nieman
Director of Volleyball Operations - Rachel Miller
Momentum builds for volleyball in offseason training
After making a seven-win leap from 2012 to 2013, the Concordia University volleyball program is already several months into an offseason that will set the tone for the 2014 campaign. Head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs hit their conditioning program hard after Christmas break and are now in the midst of an eight-week spring practice schedule.
One primary focus of this offseason has been to bring the team even closer together while fostering a winning culture that cultivates character.
“They were disappointed when the season was over. We’ve seen a group that was really hungry to get back at it,” Mattera said. “Our focus has been on our team and program culture. We set out on a quest to lay out who we want to be and it’s really produced some awesome stuff in terms of our unity, vision and core values.”
Mattera and the program released five “vision areas” on the team’s Facebook page during the month of February. Those five components are (1) Competitive Greatness, (2) Academic Success, (3) Models of Christ in the Community, (4) Tangible Community Support and (5) Reputation of Volleyball Excellence.
These vision areas will help guide a program clearly on the rise. Last season’s 17 wins were the most for Bulldog volleyball since 2007. There were also hints at even better days to come. In the team’s final match, Concordia won the first set while pushing a Midland team that ended the season ranked No. 7 nationally.
It appears to be only a matter of time before that big breakthrough win surfaces. All the key players will be back in 2014, each stronger and more prepared to handle the rigors of the GPAC.
“So far Tiegen Skains and Taylor Workman have been highlights. They have really hit the weight room hard and made big gains athletically,” Mattera said. “Alayna (Kavanaugh) has had a real good offseason. Claire (White) has had to take some time off with a minor injury but she’s about as healthy now as she could possibly be.”
Paige Getz, who racked up 304 kills as a freshman outside hitter, has competed as member of the track and field team since the end of volleyball season. Her development along with the rest of the 2013-14 freshman class including Kavanaugh, Skains and Workman will be vital.
There are several other returners who will also factor into the team’s 2014 success.
“Some other highlights have been the way Kelsey (Dinkel), Kendra (Dinkel) and Libby (Zagel) have stepped up and bought in with their work ethic and leadership,” Mattera said. “They have developed not just as volleyball players but as young ladies. It makes my job a lot easier knowing I have so many girls I can trust.”
This spring Mattera has also had the opportunity to watch three of his four incoming recruits via the club circuit. Just like last year, newcomers will be given their chances to become part of the equation. The new class brings impressive credentials.
“Three of them had major offers but they preferred our culture,” Mattera said. “So they have already bought in.”
The 2014-15 recruiting class will include 6-foot-2 middle Annie Friesen (Trinity Academy – Kansas), 5-foot-5 defensive specialist Jocelyn Garcia (Prairie View High School – Colorado), 6-foot right side Shannon O’Hara (Heritage High School – Colorado) and 5-foot-11 right side Alaina Ruszkowski (Nona High School – Florida). Friesen and O’Hara are both explosive athletes that are strong both attacking and blocking. Garcia is a steady defensive standout who plays with “a ton of heart and athleticism.”
All of these pieces combined with a culture designed to breed winning and foster Concordia’s Christian athletes have the Bulldogs highly anticipating this fall. Concordia volleyball is ready to take on increasing expectations.
“The overall feel around this team is so much more about determination and confidence,” Mattera said. “Hopeful is too weak of a term. Expectations have risen but not in a way that puts too much pressure on us.”
The Bulldogs will continue spring practice throughout the month of April. The first match of the 2014 season will take place in late August. The full schedule will be released later this month.
Volleyball ramps up schedule difficulty for 2014
SEWARD, Neb. – The 2014 Concordia University volleyball team will be tested in a big way on the opening weekend of the new season. Third-year head coach Scott Mattera will put his Bulldogs up against 2013 national semifinalist Concordia-Irvine and perennial powerhouse Vanguard University (Calif.) as part of a challenging 13-match non-conference slate. The full schedule, released Wednesday, can be viewed HERE.
The season is set to open up 2014 on Aug. 29 at the two-day Asics/Wyndham Labor Day Tournament hosted by Concordia University, Irvine.
“I’m really excited about our schedule this year and the girls are too,” Mattera said. “Obviously what jumps out at you is the early season trip to California. We are at the stage in our program development that we want to go out and challenge the best and that’s what we are going to see out there. Also, playing our sister school of Concordia, Irvine is exciting for the Concordia community as a whole.”
The non-conference schedule will include four teams that were ranked in the NAIA’s 2013 postseason coaches’ poll: Concordia-Irvine (No. 3), Oklahoma Baptist (No. 13), Vanguard (No. 19) and Bellevue (No. 25).
The Bulldogs will be home for the first time on Sept. 13 when both Friends University (Kan.) and Peru State visit Walz Arena for a tri-match. Concordia will again host “Think Pink” night in support of breast cancer awareness. That match will take place Oct. 24 when Briar Cliff comes to town.
Other key home dates against 2013 top teams will be Oct. 25 versus Dordt (No. 11 in final 2013 poll) and Nov. 5 in the regular-season finale versus 2013 GPAC tournament champion Midland. The Bulldogs also host rivals in Hastings (Sept. 24), Doane (Oct. 10) and Nebraska Wesleyan (Oct. 21).
Based on the 2013 postseason poll, Concordia has 11 matches scheduled against teams that finished the season with votes in the national rankings.
“It’s a really difficult schedule with tough matches in and out of conference,” Mattera said. “Comparing records year over year isn’t really an accurate way of gauging improvement. We ramped up our out of conference schedule to see where we are and to prepare us for the always brutal GPAC. There’s a chance that over half of our matches will be against nationally ranked teams. We know we are ready for that level and excited to get after it.”
At the junior varsity level, the Bulldogs will have more non-conference contests in addition to the usual slate of league matches.
Spring match Friday vs. Iowa Western: Head coach Scott Mattera and the Concordia University volleyball program will host an official spring match open to the public at 7 p.m. on Friday (free admission). National junior college powerhouse Iowa Western Community College will visit Walz Arena and serve as the opponent.
“We see the finish of spring season as the start of the fall season,” Mattera said. “We are really excited to bring in a team like Iowa Western Friday night. It should be a good opportunity for the fans to see what we’ve been working on against a national power house.”
Volleyball spends summer serving the Lord near and far
By Jake Knabel, Director of Athletic Communications
SEWARD, Neb. – A program that produced the most scholar-athletes of any NAIA volleyball team last season is doing big things this summer that do not necessarily involve studying textbooks or spiking volleyballs. Where can you find Bulldog volleyball players this summer? Near and far, just about everywhere really. They’re making a difference, spreading the word of God and strengthening their own faith.
At least 10 of head coach Scott Mattera’s student-athletes have been involved in mission work or related service throughout this summer. It’s a number that shocked Mattera and provided further evidence of the special nature of the Bulldog volleyball program.
“I knew our girls were mission and service oriented but I honestly had no idea that this many of them were going on such exotic trips to live out their faith,” Mattera said. “I’d love to take some credit for it or claim that the program helped organize it, but this is just something these girls had in their hearts to do on their own. The one thing I will say for the program is how proud I am that we attract these types of young ladies to come play for us. Being Christ Centered and roles models are huge parts of our core values.”
Each of these faith-infused Bulldog athletes came away with powerful experiences from the road. Broken down by location, here are their stories.
Akiachak, Alaska
Focused on developing friendships and spiritual relationships in a small Alaskan village, Amanda Abbott and Katie Peterson joined a mission team from Seward’s St. John Lutheran Church for an adventure that spanned from June 20-28. Peterson, who also went with teammate Kayla James to Belize earlier in the summer, found plenty of reward in connecting with the locals through Bible school and basketball camp.
What Peterson observed in both of her trips were groups of people with incredibly strong faith in God.
“I keep telling people that I think I was impacted much more than the people we were aiming to help,” Peterson said. “It was truly an amazing and unexplainable experience and I think it is safe to say that I live my life differently after I have gone on these trips.”
Amanda and Katie even witnessed unfortunate circumstances occur during their stay when a member of the community died. Both were invited to the funeral and dinner, providing an experience that Abbott says she will never forget.
“The people up in Akiachak are amazing,” Abbott said. “Since it was my second summer going with St. John, the most rewarding part was building on the relationships I had made last year. I have made many friends up there, and I love playing and hanging out with all the kids, all while sharing the love of Jesus. Each relationship built is an opportunity to share the Gospel!”
Abbott even received a Yuppiik (native language) name “Panik,” which means sister. Says Abbott, “the people of Akiachak have truly changed my life, and I have been so blessed with the opportunity to go there twice to build and maintain those relationships.”
Belize
“It is a life changing experience,” senior Kayla James would go on to say after completing a mission trip in Belize that provided public health education. Among the highlights, the biology major took part in teaching children about healthy eating, hydration, exercise and routine daily tasks such as brushing teeth and washing hands. James was also involved in teaching women in some villages about how to check for breast cancer.
“The trip was amazing,” James said. “Being able to help the women know how to examine themselves for breast cancer was very rewarding. We taught them how to teach others so the knowledge would keep spreading. I learned how much I loved children. Playing with the children during their recesses or after school was probably one of my favorite things. They loved the attention.”
James traveled with Dr. Joseph Gubanyi, professor of biology and chair of the natural sciences department, along with seven Concordia students, including teammate Katie Peterson. They all had a chance to sing songs, read Bible verses and observe the clinic set up in a church where some of Belize’s sick and poverty-stricken were treated. The trip covered the areas of Orange Walk, San Ignacio and Belize City from May 26 to June 3.
“To be able to help the sick people was also very rewarding,” James said. “This might have been the saddest day. We really saw some of Belize’s poverty when we saw the sick. I will never forget this day, nor any day during our journey in Belize.”
Ghana, Africa
Junior Kayla Sombke, an early childhood education major, went with a group of five other Concordia students to Ghana, Africa, May 11-31 as part of a school outreach mission trip. As Sombke says, the mission was designed to build relationships and emphasize the message of Christ to students, faculty and staff at St. Paul’s and Trinity Lutheran Schools. Sombke and others involved attended daily morning chapel before being broken into groups for music and crafts. There was also time for side activities like visiting Kakum National Park and experiencing the local culture.
Sombke even had the chance to impact children who she said struggled to believe in Christ. This was an opportunity for the Indianapolis native to truly make a difference. In turn, there was plenty of reward for Sombke, whose passion lies in education.
“I was able to use and gain new teaching skills,” Sombke said. “I was able to share the love, grace and forgiveness of Christ with the students of Ghana. Their way and ease of life was refreshing. It filled my heart with joy. When people travel to Africa, there does not need to be a physical result of work, such as building a house or a well. Building relationships is the most important thing that you can do when traveling and doing mission work in Africa.”
Haiti
Senior Jami Nekoliczak recently returned from a mission trip to St. Raphael’s Church in Haiti. Along with members of her home church in Greeley, Neb., Nekoliczak helped in the construction of a new school and taught Bible school to children during the afternoons. The mission work in Haiti, which lasted from July 10-16, was the second such trip for the behavior science major, who also went to Gautemala following her freshman year at Concordia.
“Out of this opportunity I was hoping to get a renewed relationship with Jesus Christ, and I was also wanting to help people like we did in Guatemala,” Nekoliczak said. “As I have returned home I have realized once again that you go to help others on mission trips, but when coming back to the U.S. you realize you are the one who has received the help.”
What made this adventure even more special for Nekoliczak was the fact that her father Tom also came along. Says Nekoliczak, “I have been praying for an opportunity to go on another one. God answered by giving my home church a calling to go on this mission trip, so when I heard about it I knew I had to take it! I was lucky enough to take my dad along on this mission trip. It was an opportunity I am so thankful we could do together.”
Tijuana, Mexico
A little girl named Dana left a lasting impression upon senior Carli Smith, who traveled with Peace Lutheran Church of Arvada, Colo., to Tijuana, Mexico, in late June for a mission at Rancho De Sus Ninos. Smith met Dana, an orphan, at Rancho and spent an entire day with her, taking part in arts and crafts before moving on to hair and nails.
“She was such an amazing little girl and she made such an impact on my life by meeting her and attempting to talk in Spanish with her,” Smith said. “I just loved being on this mission trip and getting the chance to pray and share the Word of God with these children and families and I would definitely recommend going to Rancho De Sus Ninos. I would go back there in a heartbeat.”
Other activities included “water ministry,” involving door-to-door offerings of prayer and free water, prior to “trailer ministry” in which locals were invited to participate in games, skits and music
“The families and children loved it and we were able to share the word of God with them as well, which was the most important part about it all,” Smith said. “This was by far my favorite activity we did on the trip because it was just amazing to see all the children and families come out to listen to us about God's word and God's love for them all and play games with us.”
Lincoln, Nebraska
Sure there are many foreign nations to traverse when serving others, but Alayna Kavanaugh has made her impact right in her hometown of Lincoln. The biology/pre-medicine major is working with Americorps at two area elementary/middle schools to promote healthy lifestyles. Many of the children Kavanaugh works with have been dealt difficult circumstances such as rough home lives or poverty. Kavanaugh says she acts as a ‘big sis’ for these area youth, providing them a role model to look up to.
“This job is unbelievably rewarding,” Kavanaugh said. “Many of these kids have very, very rough home lives. They often need someone to talk to. I have loved forming relationships with these kids and earning their respect and trust. I really want to make a difference in their lives and believe I have a little bit.”
Kavanaugh says one of the most rewarding parts of her work so far was being able to teach the children about the food groups and how to eat healthy. Many were unaware of the different types of food groups.
“I would recommend trying it out for sure,” Kavanaugh said of the experience. “It is definitely not the easiest job I've done, but it’s very rewarding in many different ways. I have learned so many things this summer from this and feel like I have grown up and grown as a person.”
Nahtahwaush and White Earth Reservations, northern Minnesota
A veteran of the Nahtahwaush and White Earth Indian reservations, senior-to-be Michala Maurer has now been on the same mission trip eight different times with her high school youth group from St. John’s Lutheran Church of her hometown Columbus, Neb. The latest vacation Bible school ran from June 23-27 and involved infants and adults alike from the reservations.
The mission, also attended by Concordia alum Rev. Brad Birtell, involved the reading of Bible stories, arts and crafts time for the children, refreshment breaks of cookies and juice and gifts for the area youth. Maurer says the children have emphatically embraced these spiritual sessions and made a big impact upon her career path.
“This trip is what really inspired me to want to become a teacher,” Maurer said. “I want to have a Christ-centered impact on children every day and be able to share the love the Savior has for them along with me. I love helping children learn and getting to become close to them within a matter of days. It is amazing to me how much the children will share with me and let me into their lives.”
Incoming student-athletes
The impressive work done by Concordia volleyball players does not end with just returning athletes. Incoming freshmen Courtney Jurgens and Alaina Ruszkowski also got into the act this summer. Jurgens went with her church to help uplift poor communities in Arkansas from June 8-14. Meanwhile, Ruszkowski just finished a mission trip with her local youth group to Taylorsville, N.C. (July 12-20).
Volleyball tabbed seventh in GPAC preseason coaches’ poll
SEWARD, Neb. – In Tuesday’s release of the GPAC volleyball preseason coaches’ poll, third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs tied for seventh with a total of 40 points. A steadily improving program, Concordia finished eighth last year and went 17-14 overall for the team’s first winning record since 2007.
The Bulldogs will take aim at the top half of the league this season with a more experienced group. They return every significant contributor from the 2013 team and have an abundance of senior leadership. New to the program last year, the likes of outside hitters Paige Getz and Claire White, setter Alayna Kavanaugh and middle Taylor Workman figure to be more comfortable with their surroundings.
“We’re proud of the work we’ve put in but we’re still at the point we keep talking potential,” Mattera said. “It’s about the results. Our off-the-court results have been phenomenal – in the classroom and our spiritual life. The culture and the chemistry is absolutely fantastic. Last year was a solid step in the right direction – first .500 season in a little while but we haven’t gotten over the hump yet. That’s where we see this going.”
More details on the 2014 Concordia volleyball team will be available in our soon-to-come season preview.
2014 GPAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Northwestern – 98 (8)
2. Midland – 91 (3)
3. Dordt – 83
4. Hastings – 69
5. Nebraska Wesleyan – 63
6. Briar Cliff – 55
T7. Concordia – 40
T7. Doane – 40
9. Morningside – 36
10. Mount Marty – 20
11. Dakota Wesleyan – 10
Volleyball hosts Faith Baptist Tuesday in first 2014-15 home athletic contest
-Team season preview
-Live webcast
SEWARD, Neb. – Tuesday marks the official start of the 2014-15 Concordia University athletics season as the Bulldog volleyball team welcomes Faith Baptist Bible College. First serve as set for 6 p.m. from Walz Arena.
Faith Baptist, located in Ankeny, Iowa, is a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association’s (NCCAA) Midwest Christian College Conference (MCCC). Last season the Eagles went 20-15 overall with a 6-3 MCCC mark. They were 5-4 in road matches. Head coach Lanny Nihart owns a career record of 500-343 at Faith.
Meanwhile, third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs return every key piece from last year’s squad that went 17-14 overall, producing the program’s first winning record since 2007. Concordia appears poised to take another step in a positive direction behind the likes of powerful outside hitters Paige Getz and Claire White, blossoming setter Alayna Kavanaugh and athletic middles Mariah Schamp and Taylor Workman. Mattera also believes a few freshmen have a chance to make an impact.
In addition, Mattera sees this as a big year for the Bulldogs to show the program’s progress with more improvement on the court.
“Last year was a solid step in the right direction – first .500 season in a little while but we haven’t gotten over the hump yet,” Mattera said. “That’s where we see this going. I’d say the progress we’re making in terms of reputation, in terms of the pool that we’re swimming in in recruiting, the growth in our camps – things like that speak to a program on the rise. That’s a credit to the ladies here and the support system we have in place.”
After taking on Faith Baptist on Tuesday, the Bulldogs will get set to depart from Seward at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday as they begin a journey destined for Irvine, Calif. Concordia will play two matches each on Friday and Saturday at the Asics/Wyndham Labor Day Tournament hosted by Concordia University, Irvine. The weekend slate includes matches against two teams rated in the top 25 of the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll – No. 2 Concordia-Irvine and No. 22 Vanguard University (Calif.).
Getz and company hit .419, dominate season opener
SEWARD, Neb. – Opening the 2014 season, the Concordia University volleyball team shook off a slow early start to run away with a 25-15, 25-11, 25-9 victory over visiting Faith Baptist Bible College on Tuesday evening. With the expectation of another leap forward in head coach Scott Mattera’s third season, the Bulldogs gave fans plenty to cheer about after the initial lull.
“We got down right away but we pulled out of it really quickly,” Mattera said. “That’s a positive rather than something I’m really worried about. It was good that we got pushed right at the beginning there.”
Concordia found itself trailing the Eagles 4-0 at the outset of game No. 1, then turned it on and later enjoyed a 20-11 lead following a 12-3 run. The Bulldogs would never look back, leaning on exceptional passing from setter Alayna Kavanaugh (24 assists in the first two sets before giving way to Libby Zagel in the third) and the power of a host of attackers that combined for a .419 hitting percentage for the match.
Kavanaugh impressively distributed the ball to a bevy of hitters. Paige Getz shined on the outside, pummeling 12 kills on 19 swings. The right-hand smashes delivered by the likes of Getz, middle Mariah Schamp and many others often resulted in awkward dig attempts by Faith defenders. Junior Kelsey Dinkel also got hot in the second set when she nailed four kills in as many swings.
Concordia’s improved depth was clearly on display.
“You look down the list at how many different girls had kills and really good hitting percentages – it’s really spread out well,” Mattera said. “Paige led the way with 12 and got a lot of good swings, but huge hitting percentages from just about everybody else.
“That speaks to who we want to be – a very diverse offense where we can hit anywhere across the net. I was very happy seeing very, very little drop off when we started subbing. It speaks to depth.”
Four different Bulldogs had five or more kills, including six apiece from Schamp and sophomore Taylor Workman and five from Claire White, and seven had two or more. Plus White added five aces, all coming in succession at the beginning of the second set, in which Concordia jumped out to a 6-0 advantage.
“We started out a little slow but I think we all got together and we all did what we were supposed to do and played as a team really well,” Getz said. “It was just so nice to be able to have players come in off the bench and do well and get swings and kills.”
With the Bulldogs taking full control after taking the first two games, Mattera tinkered with the roster in the final set. Three freshmen all saw their first collegiate action as Mattera sent Annie Friesen, Jocelyn Garcia and Shannon O’Hara into the match together. O’Hara stifled a couple attacks with her two solo blocks while adding three kills.
The Eagles, a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association’s (NCCAA) Midwest Christian College Conference (MCCC), was also playing their season opener after a 20-15 campaign in 2013. Head coach Lanny Nihart’s squad got five kills from Emily Wolfe but was limited to a .102 team hitting percentage.
The Bulldogs will depart from Seward at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday as they begin a journey destined for Irvine, Calif. Concordia will play two matches each on Friday and Saturday at the Asics/Wyndham Labor Day Tournament hosted by Concordia University, Irvine. The weekend slate includes matches against two teams rated in the top 25 of the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll – No. 2 Concordia-Irvine and No. 22 Vanguard University (Calif.).
“We’re going to get tested real hard four times out there, but it should be a real good team-building trip for us and let us know where we’re at,” Mattera said.
Added Getz, “We’re really excited, not just to go to the beach but we’re playing the No. 2 team in the nation. And we have other really good competition out there so we’re really excited to see where we’re at now.”
Skains enjoys solid day in Friday split in Irvine
IRVINE, Calif. – The Concordia University volleyball team continued its solid early-season play by splitting a pair of matches against quality competition on Friday at the Asics/Wyndham Labor Day Tournament hosted by Concordia University-Irvine. The Bulldogs dropped a competitive straight-sets loss to No. 22 Vanguard University (Calif.) before completing the day with a 25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 25-17 win over Westminster College (Utah).
Head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs are 2-1 overall entering Saturday’s second and final day of the event in The Golden State.
In the early-morning match, Concordia played the nationally-ranked Lions closely in all three sets. Mattera especially liked his team’s play after facing a 20-11 deficit in the third set. That’s when sophomore Tiegen Skains shined in leading the Bulldogs on an 8-0 run that gave them a fighting chance.
“It was an amazingly intense match against Vanguard,” Mattera said. “We played really good volleyball just couldn't catch a break and couldn't find a way at the end. (Mariah) Schamp and Taylor (Workman) were unstoppable when we were in system and all the other hitters had their moments as well.
“We've got to be excited with how tough we played them but we are also disappointed in that we know we missed a chance to get a marquee win on a national stage. I’m very happy about our comeback in the third game triggered by some awesome net play by Tiegen Skains.”
Skains, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., contributed on five-straight points during the third-set spurt. She assisted on three-straight blocks and then powered down a kill that got Concordia within 20-17. The two teams then traded blows down the stretch until Vanguard’s Kelly Dalrymple notched match point with an ace.
Schamp led the way in match No. 1 with 10 kills from the middle. Alayna Kavanaugh dished out 27 assists and Claire White dug out 15 attacks. Skains chipped in four kills and three blocks. As a team, Concordia hit .138 compared to .172 for Vanguard.
In its afternoon contest, Concordia rebounded with a four-set triumph over Westminster. Again showing their balanced attack, the Bulldogs got contributions from up and down the roster. Paige Getz and Kelsey Dinkel topped the squad with 11 kills apiece while Alayna Kavanaugh came up with 33 assists.
“The second match was pretty disjointed,” Mattera said. “Westminster is extremely well-coached defensively and kind of awkward to defend. We didn't handle the hot gyms very well and played kind of tired. That being said, we figured out ways to win and got one on the board against a historically good program. We had a very well spread offense with all seven players who saw the front row getting five kills or more.”
In addition, the Bulldogs got 10 digs or more from three players: Carli Smith (19), Kavanaugh (12) and Kendra Dinkel (10). Continuing a nice day, Skains posted eight kills on 19 swings. Concordia bumped its collective hitting percentage up to .196 in the day’s second match.
Westminster, a member of the Frontier Conference who equaled Concordia’s 17-14 record in 2013, got a match-high kill total of 13 from Alyse Horton despite falling to 3-3 overall.
The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday in Irvine. Ratings-wise, they get their most difficult challenge of the season at 12 p.m. PDT/2 p.m. CDT when they take on tournament host and second-ranked Concordia University-Irvine. Mattera’s club finishes its California road trip at 6 p.m. PDT/8 p.m. CDT with Hope International University (Calif.).
Volleyball completes 2-2 road trip in California
IRVINE, Calif. – After testing its mettle against the No. 2 team in the NAIA, the Concordia University volleyball team ended its California road trip with an 18-25, 25-18, 26-24, 25-17 win over Hope International behind a big performance from sophomore middle Taylor Workman. The Bulldogs completed play in The Golden State with two wins in four tries and are now 3-2 overall.
In the final match for Concordia at the Asics/Wyndham Labor Day Tournament, Workman pounded down 15 kills on 21 swings from the middle in one of the best efforts of her career. She had already racked up 13 kills after two sets in leading the victory over Hope International.
“After struggling with our middle connections in the first match, it was really clicking in this match,” Mattera said. “Taylor was basically unstoppable and (Mariah) Schamp and Annie (Friesen) both had big contributions as well.”
The huge effort from Concordia’s middles included six kills and four blocks from Schamp and three kills and two blocks from Friesen. They were the driving force, along with Workman, for an attack that hit .219 as a team to drop Hope International to 1-4.
After having a long wait between matches on the day, Mattera liked the way his team responded in closing out the weekend.
“Hope International is a much better team than their record last year would indicate and we knew we were in for a fight after having seen them play earlier in the day,” Mattera said. “We had a long layoff in a hot and humid gym between matches so I was worried with how we would come out.
“We played pretty lackadaisical in the first game and got what we deserved against a fired up team playing really disciplined volleyball. We came back so strong though in game 2. Game three was up and down and we went down 24-22, but refocused on our blocking and came back to win. That type of mature finishing and fighting back is something we've been looking for.”
Claire White finished with 12 kills while Alayna Kavanaugh dished out 38 assists in the win. Hope International was led by the 12 kills of Mikayla Derieg.
Facing perhaps its most difficult test all season, the Bulldogs appeared up for the challenge – at least in the early going. Concordia trailed just 19-18 late in the first set before Jessica Israel and the Eagles ran off the next four points to gain control. Israel (match-high 13 kills) and company proved too powerful. Concordia-Irvine hit a scorching .432 to improve to 8-0 (seven wins in straight sets) at the time.
“We looked very good at times playing against an absolute power house,” Mattera said. “We pushed them early in the match and early again in the third but eventually their size and experience took over. I'm very happy that we made them earn their points. We only had 14 attack errors in three games and that includes their six blocks. That shows how clean we generally played but to get to that level.
“We can't give up 49 kills and a .432 efficiency to them. Their attackers are just so experienced with their shot selection. It was a great learning experience for us and we're going to use it as such.”
For Concordia, White fueled the attack with a team-best 10 kills on 24 swings. Workman put up four kills and four blocks as part of her big day. Tiegen Skains contributed seven kills.
“Claire had a nice match attacking wise and Tiegen had some really solid swings,” Mattera said. “They clearly focused on taking away our middles and that really hurt us as normally our speed there gives teams fits. When we aren't diverse we aren't great. Part of that was choices, part of that was timing part of that was ball control, and part of that was them taking things away from us.”
The Bulldogs remain on the road next weekend for the Hastings College Classic, Sept. 5-6. Mattera’s squad will play two matches on both days. Included in another four-match weekend is a clash with No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist on the first day of the event.
Recruiting class of 2013 injects shot of confidence into Bulldog volleyball
By Jake Knabel, Director of Athletic Communications
With the volleyball program in need of an infusion of talent and athleticism following the 2012 campaign, third-year head coach Scott Mattera found exactly the right mix. As part of his first complete recruiting class, Mattera welcomed the likes of then incoming freshmen Paige Getz, Alayna Kavanaugh, Tiegen Skains and Taylor Workman and NCAA Division II transfer Claire White.
With some key upperclassmen such as middle Mariah Schamp already in the mix, Concordia went 17-14 in 2013 to mark the program’s first winning season since 2007. Now the outlook appears even rosier in 2014 with the cupboard fully stocked.
Should the Bulldogs reach the lofty heights they seek over the coming seasons, the 2013 recruiting class will serve as the driving force.
“I loved the idea of being able to help build up a program,” Getz said. “It feels good to be part of something so big.”
‘Something big’ did not seem farfetched at all for a group that all brought winning pedigrees. All knew what success felt like having played for high achieving high school club teams. They planned to continue those winning ways no matter what recent seasons looked like for Bulldog volleyball.
“Us incoming freshmen were all on very good high school and club teams, so we were used to winning,” said Kavanaugh, a product of Lincoln Christian High School. “Our mindset was different. We expected to win. I never knew there wasn't a winning season here since 2007 until we began our season. We were determined to have a winning season.”
That’s not to say things came easy in year one for the new group of Bulldogs. They rattled off five wins to begin the season, but there were growing pains at times. And the top dogs of the conference were there to remind Concordia of who it wanted to be and that it still had to blossom in order to reach that level.
Getz, a native of Paola, Kan., said she could feel the obvious step up in talent, moving from high school to college. She found her groove in the latter half of the season and wound up second on the team with 304 kills in her rookie season.
“The biggest adjustment I faced was that everyone plays at the same (high) level – no one really stands out,” Getz said. “That is a major adjustment coming from a smaller high school where people really stand out. There's so much talent in our league. It takes a lot of hard work to keep up.”
Concordia is equipped as its been in several years in regards to keeping up in a league that boasts three teams ranked in the top 13 of the national poll. One of those squads – No. 7 Midland – got all it could handle in the GPAC quarterfinals last season. The Bulldogs took the first set before ultimately falling victim to the eventual conference tournament champion.
“I think the end of last season, especially the game against Midland, proved that we have great potential,” Workman said. “After that game, we saw just how good of a team we could be and everyone was motivated to put in the work it took to become that team. We all worked really hard during spring season, getting stronger, faster and more explosive. I expect that if we continue working as hard as we have during spring season and preseason this year, we will be a very successful team.”
The talented class fit in well among teammates known for their high quality character, hard work on and off the court and commitment to serving others. Several Bulldogs described moments that confirmed they made the correct decision to join the program. Specifically, Skains always looks forward to the trips to away matches when she is able to bond with her teammates.
“I think the van rides were honestly the best thing for me,” Skains said. “On those trips, I knew I was in the right place with the right people because we would laugh until we couldn't breathe and we made it fun no matter what. The girls in this program are truly special people and I couldn't imagine being with any other team.”
Skains’ comments about her teammates sound nearly identical to the types of things Getz, Kavanaugh and Workman had to say. They believe their quick adaptation to the college game and rigors of the GPAC has been accelerated by excellent team chemistry.
“The most rewarding thing about being a part of this program is how close the team is,” Workman said. “Everyone genuinely cares about one another and wants everyone to succeed. Because we are so close, we are not afraid to give and accept advice from each other which is something that not many teams do. This team is also very selfless and people are willing to fill other roles in order to help out the team.”
That selflessness is a key for a team blessed with depth at each position. After last season’s breakthrough, the Bulldogs are setting some lofty goals for what they want to attain in the coming years, with the 2013 recruiting class as a foundation.
They are not shying away from talking about things like championships and competing on a national level. As Mattera has pointed out, a team that can rise to the top of the rugged GPAC is very likely to be relevant on a national scale.
“We’re not satisfied yet and we won’t be until we’re competing for championships, not only GPAC but at the national level,” Mattera said prior to the start of the season. “We believe very strongly we will do that sooner rather than later.
“I don’t mean to put more pressure on ourselves but this is a key season for us to keep that momentum going from year 1 to year 2, that slow and steady build. We need to have a good season this year to show that all the initiatives we’ve been working on are actually paying dividends on the court.”
One thing is clear: there is no shortage of confidence among the second-year Bulldogs.
“We are no longer practicing like the team just trying to get a winning season,” Kavanaugh said. “We are practicing like the team that wants to go to nationals and finish as one of the top teams in the country. We know this is no easy road, but we are willing to accept the challenge.”
Added Getz, “I have some pretty high expectations for us. There will definitely be some national appearances coming up really soon. I can't wait to see the reactions people will have when we make it to the national championships.”
Bulldogs upend No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist in 2-0 day at Hastings Classic
HASTINGS, Neb. – Vying for the program’s first victory over a ranked opponent since 2007, the Concordia University volleyball team upset No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist University, 25-22, 26-28, 25-19, 25-17 in its second match of the Hastings College Classic on Friday. A few hours earlier, the Bulldogs knocked off Benedictine College (Kan.), 25-16, 22-25, 25-20, 25-18.
Friday’s sweep gives third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs a three-match win streak and an overall record of 5-2.
“We’ve really been trying to get over the hump and hang that national win on the board,” Mattera said. “I think the most gratifying part about it was the girls kind of acted like it was no big deal, like this is what we should be doing. That’s a cool place to be. I think it’s starting to set in that we can be a really good team.”
Despite feeling a little under the weather, junior Claire White produced in a big way with 39 kills on the day, including a match-high 20 in the win over Oklahoma Baptist. She also put up 11 and 12 digs, respectively.
It was an impressive effort for someone who Mattera wasn’t certain would be able to play entering the day.
“She’s a tough kid. She’s probably the sickest girl on the team right now,” Mattera said. “We weren’t sure if she was going to play. We were looking at different options to try to get her some rest. She came through with probably her best day as a Bulldog. I don’t know if the sickness helped her focus in or what. She just battled through it.”
With White hitting a cool .350 from the outside, Concordia dispatched of Oklahoma Baptist in surprisingly swift fashion. Senior Mariah Schamp pounded down 11 kills on 18 swings from the middle and sophomore outside hitter Paige Getz added 10 of her own.
After dropping a tight second set, Concordia won the final two by margins of six and eight points to put away the Bison (5-4) and secure the program’s first win over a top 25 team since beating then No. 9 Hastings in four sets on Aug. 29, 2007.
“OBU is a national power. They have been for years,” Mattera said. “We took it to them pretty good. We really turned it up in the third and fourth sets. I’m really, really happy with so many individual efforts today.”
In a match that got started at 1 p.m., the Bulldogs used a .327 hitting percentage to topple Benedictine, a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh dished out 30 of her 69 assists on the day in leading the attack versus the Ravens. Sophomore Tiegen Skains floored seven kills on 15 attacks. Schamp chipped in three blocks.
Mattera also commended senior Jami Nekoliczak for her work in the back row while also complimenting the play of freshman defensive specialist Jocelyn Garcia and sophomore middle Taylor Workman. Senior Carli Smith combined for 26 digs while playing left back as opposed to her typical spot in the middle of the back row.
The perennially powerful Bison are coming off a 33-7 season in 2013, during which they did not lose a single Sooner Athletic Conference match. They were led by the 15 kills of Priscila Mendes on Friday.
The Hastings College Classic continues on Saturday as the Bulldogs play again at 1 and 5 p.m. Up first is a tussle with Friends University (Kan.) (26-13 in 2013) followed by a matchup with the University of Montana Western (10-24 in 2013). These matches can be seen live on the web HERE.
“We’ve got two tough matches on Saturday,” Mattera said. “Friends is a really underrated team, really strong in the middle and a very offensive setter. Montana Western is very legit. They took Wayland Baptist to five today. We’re going to learn a lot about who we are with how we come back from success.”
Volleyball completes 3-1 weekend at Hastings Classic
HASTINGS, Neb. – Third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs completed a solid weekend at the Hastings College Classic by splitting a pair of matches on Saturday. A day after upsetting No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist University, Concordia finished at 3-1 on the weekend by taking care of Friends University (Kan.) (25-27, 25-21, 25-21, 25-19) prior to a loss to the University of Montana Western, 25-19, 29-27, 25-23.
The nightcap defeat snapped a four-match win streak. The Bulldogs are now 6-3 overall.
In the win over Friends to begin the day, three different Bulldogs floored 10 or more kills as sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh (53 assists) distributed the ball around to the team’s bevy of hitters. Sophomore Paige Getz paced Concordia with 14 kills (.333 hitting percentage) followed by 12 from junior Claire White and 10 from sophomore Taylor Workman.
“Paige had a really nice match,” Mattera said. “Our middles were very efficient again with Taylor and Schamp both hitting .471. After struggling early on, Alayna really came on with better decisions and execution and racked up a huge number of assists. When you look at her distribution, she really spread it around after that first game and that opened everything up.”
Concordia shook off a close defeat in the first set against a Falcons bunch that went 26-13 overall last season. Friends got a strong effort at the net from Morgan Riley, who piled up eight blocks. It was not enough for the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member to overcome an attack percentage disadvantage of .213 to .158.
“We survived a scare,” Mattera said. “Friends is a really well coached team that plays hard and does some really awkward things offensively that we struggled to control. We finally got it figured out at the end of the third game and really put the fourth away comfortably.”
In a battle of Bulldogs, Montana Western got the upper hand behind 13 kills from Emily Erickson, who hit .423. Setter Paige Latimer dished out 42 assists for an attack that hit .321 compared to a .220 clip for Concordia.
“The story on this one is quite simple – they played a great match and we did not,” Mattera said. “That is a very good team. They play extremely fast and they play extremely hard. We just couldn’t find the gas to keep up with them and they were fired up to play us. We hit .220 which is good enough to win, but we gave up .321. We aren’t going to win a lot doing that. Our block had a very hard time getting lined up and up off the floor in time.”
Mattera’s squad was led in its second match by the nine kills of Getz. Freshman Annie Friesen did some good things, putting up four kills and three total blocks. Mariah Schamp (eight kills), Taylor Workman (seven kills) and Friesen all hit .375 or better from the middle.
Mattera believes the final match of the Hastings Classic provided another lesson for his still developing squad.
“They are a good team that played great and we’re a good team that didn’t play great,” Mattera said. “We will learn from it and get better.”
The Bulldogs now look forward to the start of conference play with seventh-ranked Midland (9-3) coming up on Wednesday (Sept. 10). The 2013 GPAC tournament champion Warriors will host the JV/varsity doubleheader. First serve in the varsity contest is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Second-set rally not enough at No. 9 Midland
FREMONT, Neb. – In a pre-match interview, Midland head coach Paul Giesselmann commented that he “wouldn’t be surprised if it goes five” when breaking down Wednesday night’s match with the Concordia University volleyball team. The Bulldogs, who received votes in the national coaches’ poll released Tuesday, were not going to sneak up on the ninth-ranked Warriors, who won 25-19, 23-25, 25-17, 25-17 in the conference opener for both teams.
The loss dropped head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs to 6-4 overall and 0-1 in conference action.
Concordia appeared doomed to fall behind two sets to none as the high-powered Warriors built a 16-8 lead in the second set. Midland (10-3, 1-0 GPAC) seemed to maintain control with a 20-13 advantage late in the set, but the Bulldogs never quit. Leaning on its wall up front, Concordia piled up five blocks in the second game, including two in a row to finish off a 25-23 triumph and improbable comeback.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs played catch up all night. Midland responded to the second-set Concordia rally by rolling through the third game. The Warriors raced out to a 10-2 lead and snuffed the Bulldog attempt at another rally in an impressive set for Midland. Paige Getz did some of her best work on the outside during the third game, but the hole had been too big to dig out of.
The Warriors then put it away by hitting a razor-sharp .476 in the fourth game, ending any hope Concordia had of pulling a stunner on the road. The biggest difference maker for Midland was Heather Pribyl, who had 13 kills (.550 hitting percentage) and six blocks (two solo) while helping to contain Concordia’s fine group of middles.
The Warriors also did a solid job of limiting Concordia’s attack near the antennas as the Bulldogs hit .046 for the match. However, the Bulldogs got good play at the net from freshman middle Annie Friesen (four block assists) and from sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh (six blocks).
On the outside, junior Claire White topped Concordia with 10 kills and 15 digs while Getz added nine.
Accomplished setter Megan Farley spurred the Midland attack with her 41 assists. The Bulldogs did a commendable job holding the Warriors, winner of four-straight matches, to a .173 hitting percentage compared to their season clip of .213.
After nine-straight neutral/away matches, the Bulldogs return home on Saturday to host a tri-match with Peru State College and Friends University (Kan.). Concordia will take on Peru State at 11 a.m. and then Friends at 3 p.m. Peru State and Friends will go head-to-head at 1 p.m. All three matches will take place inside Walz Arena and will be webcast live via the Concordia Sports Network. The Bulldogs’ contest with Friends is a rematch of their Sept. 6 meeting when Concordia won in four sets at the Hastings College Classic.
Volleyball hosts tri-match with Friends and Peru State on Saturday
SEWARD, Neb. – After hitting the road for its past nine matches, the Concordia University volleyball team returns home on Saturday to host both Friends University (Kan.) and Peru State College in a tri-match. Head coach Scott Mattera’s squad, now receiving votes in the national poll, will look to get back in the ‘W’ column after consecutive losses snapped a four-match win streak that included an upset of No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist University.
“The bottom line is we’re finally at home again,” Mattera said. “The girls are excited to get back home and get in front of our own crowd. You can see how hungry they are for that.”
The first of three matches inside Walz Arena on Saturday will get underway at 11 a.m. Frank Greene will call the action for both Bulldog contests via the Concordia Sports Network. The Bulldogs are 1-0 at home this season and 9-5 at Walz since the start of the 2013 campaign.
TRI-MATCH INFO
Saturday, Sept. 13
11 a.m. – Concordia vs. Peru State
1 p.m. – Friends vs. Peru State
3 p.m. – Concordia vs. Friends
Site: Seward, Neb.
Arena: Walz Arena
Webcast: Concordia Sports Network
National Recognition
Concordia received some national respect on Tuesday when it garnered 11 points in the first regular-season NAIA Volleyball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. In the official GPAC ratings released on Monday by the NAIA, the Bulldogs were placed fifth.
“I think we handled that pretty well in that we took confidence from it,” Mattera said about the national votes. “Obviously we got punched in the mouth a bit on Wednesday night (four-set loss at No. 9 Midland), but we fought back. We need to be a cleaner, more consistent team, point-in and point-out. I think we’re starting to understand, now that we’re getting votes no one is taking us lightly.”
Concordia volleyball last appeared inside the NAIA’s top 25 poll during the preseason of 2001 when it checked in at No. 20. During the 2000 season, then head coach Rebecca Ernstmeyer’s Bulldogs garnered top 25 billing in eight different polls, rising as high as 12th on Sept. 26. They finished the season at 23-13 overall and 9-1 in the GPAC, earning a share of the conference title. Concordia was ranked 18th in the final poll that season.
Official GPAC ratings (Sept. 8)
1. Northwestern
2. Midland
3. Hastings
4. Dordt
5. Concordia
6. Briar Cliff
7. Doane
8. Morningside
9. Mount Marty
10. Dakota Wesleyan
Strong Up the Middle
One reason for Concordia’s resurgence is the strong play from its middles. The Bulldogs rank 31st in the NAIA in hitting percentage behind the great production of middles in sophomore Taylor Workman (66 kills, .429 hitting percentage, 31 blocks), senior Mariah Schamp (63 kills, .333, 17 blocks) and freshman Annie Friesen (12 kills, .250, 10 blocks). Workman had the biggest statistical match of her career when she hammered a career-high 15 kills on 21 swings in the four-set win over Hope International University (Calif.) on Aug. 30. Schamp now has 671 career kills over 380 sets the past four seasons. Meanwhile, Friesen continues to improve in her first collegiate season. She had a season best four blocks in Wednesday’s match at No. 9 Midland.
“It’s been a great situation,” Mattera said. “Of course our middles are competitive. All three want to be in all the time but they’ve handled it beautifully the way we’ve rotated the three of them through. I think it’s helping them in terms of being fresher. We’re not taxing their bodies nearly as much.
“If you look at our matches when our middles are connecting and getting the ball a lot, we’re really, really good.”
Who Can It Be Now?
As Midland head coach Paul Giesselmann commented before taking on Concordia on Wednesday, you can’t hope to defeat the Bulldogs by simply stopping one player. Led by those powerful middles, Mattera’s squad has seven players with 23 or more kills on the season, giving sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh plenty of options. Last year’s team kills leader Claire White (339 kills in 2013), again tops the Bulldogs with her 102 kills in 2014. Even Kavanaugh has chipped in 30 herself. As a team, Concordia ranks 38th in the NAIA with 12.4 kills per game.
Concordia kills leaders
1. Claire White – 102
2. Paige Getz – 94
3. Taylor Workman – 66
4. Mariah Schamp – 63
5. Tiegen Skains – 50
6. Alayna Kavanaugh – 30
7. Kelsey Dinkel – 23
Scouting Friends
Saturday’s battle between Concordia and Friends is a rematch of their Sept. 6 meeting at the Hastings College Classic where the Bulldogs fended off the Falcons in four sets. Since then, Friends has played just one match, earning a straight-sets win over Saint Mary (Kan.) to improve to 8-7 overall. Bailey Burnett ranks 31st nationally with 5.1 digs per game. Morgan Riley is the team leader with 104 kills over 48 sets played. Guided by 11th-year head coach Martin Ayin, Friends has won 20-or-more matches six-straight seasons.
“Friends is a really nice team,” Mattera said. “It’s almost like playing against a team that runs a triple option. They do some things that you don’t see all the time, especially with their setter and the moves she makes. They’re tough to play. They have some really nice middles. We’re definitely not going to be taking them lightly.”
Scouting Peru State
The Bobcats have a first-year head coach in Nathan Baker. Coming off a 21-14 season in 2013, Peru State is out to a 6-4 record. Baker’s squad has already played one GPAC opponent, falling in four sets to Doane on Aug. 22 in the season opener for both teams. The Bobcats then won five in a row prior to dropping three of their past four matches. Outside hitter Rian Kirby has racked up 103 kills and is hitting .291. Concordia last played Peru State in an official match on Sept. 7, 2012, when the Bulldogs won in four sets.
“We saw Peru in the spring,” Mattera said. “Coach Baker is a really solid guy with a really good résumé and really good reputation. I’m sure he’ll have them ready to go.”
‘Dogs follow Kavanaugh’s lead in pair of home routs
SEWARD, Neb. – For the bulk of Saturday’s pair of home matches, the Concordia University volleyball team operated with the beauty of a Beethoven symphony. Sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh played the role of maestro in directing an attack that hit .372 on the day to power a pair of impressive straight-sets victories. The Bulldogs defeated both Peru State College, 25-8, 25-14, 25-18, and Friends University, 25-17, 25-16, 25-16, as part of a tri-match inside Walz Arena.
Third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs bumped their records to 8-4 overall and 3-0 at home.
“To play six games at that high of a level and stay that consistent all the way through, I’m really happy,” Mattera said. “Friends and Peru are both a lot better than we let them look today. I’m really, really happy with these wins.”
As has often been the case this season, Concordia displayed its depth of attackers with 10 different players recording at least one kill in the first match and another eight hammering one kill or more in the afternoon affair. Kavanaugh put up 75 combined assists on the day. Junior Claire White was her most frequent target as the native of Exeter, Neb., went for match highs of 12 and nine kills, respectively.
In the middle, freshman Taylor Workman dominated with six kills on seven swings and then eight more kills on only 12 attempts. Mariah Schamp had similar success with 11 total kills on 19 attacks and six total blocks for the day. With seemingly endless threats coming off the bench, Kavanaugh had a field day.
“It’s awesome,” Kavanaugh said of the team’s dearth of talent and depth. “I know if the pass is off I can jack it back to the right side or I can always give to the outside. We’ve been working a lot on feeding it to the middles so that keeps us offensively strong.”
Concordia hit an unheard-of .667 in the very first set versus Peru State to set the tone for a dominant day. The Bulldogs did not commit a single attack error during the set in running away from the Bobcats, who never seriously threatened in any of the three games.
In a rematch of a battle that took place just a week earlier at the Hastings College Classic, Concordia again got the upperhand on Friends. Nearly the entire Bulldog team saw action once again. Led by Kavanaugh’s precise passing, Concordia hit .330 compared to .084 for the Falcons.
“We had a couple of out-of-system misses, but when we were in system we didn’t make a lot of mistakes today,” Mattera said. “We had solid play all the way around. Alayna played beautiful – 38 assists in three games (versus Friends) is a ridiculous number. Libby (Zagel) came in at the end and made a couple nice sets, too.”
Freshman Annie Friesen’s addition to the Bulldogs gives the team even more depth in the middle. Friesen had a career high seven kills (11 attempts) in the victory over Peru State. She was then a perfect 4-for-4 on the attack in the day’s final match.
A total of 17 different Bulldogs saw action in at least one of the six sets on Saturday.
Peru State is now 7-5 overall after a loss to Concordia and a win over Friends. The two Saturday losses dropped the Falcons to 8-9 overall.
One of the things Mattera liked the most about Saturday was how the team’s chemistry helped lift the Bulldogs back up after the loss to No. 9 Midland on Wednesday.
“We got down to just the basics of not thinking too much and stopped worrying about all the outside stuff,” Mattera said. “We wanted to get back to playing volleyball with the people we love and have fun doing it. It showed today.”
The Bulldogs get back to conference action on Wednesday when they play Doane College (7-9, 0-1 GPAC) in Crete for a junior varsity/varsity doubleheader at 6/7:30 p.m.
Behind Skains’ big swings, Bulldogs top Doane for first time since 2007
CRETE, Neb. – Doane may have entered Wednesday night’s match with an overall record of 7-9, but third-year Concordia University volleyball head coach Scott Mattera knew it would take a gritty road performance to knock off a longtime nemesis. Despite the Tigers’ insistence on limiting the Bulldogs’ talented middles, Concordia topped its rival to the southeast on Wednesday, marking the first win over Doane since 2007.
The Bulldogs, who continue to receive votes in the NAIA national rankings, moved to 9-4 overall and 1-1 in GPAC play with the 25-20, 13-25, 26-24, 25-22, win in Crete.
“Any road win in the GPAC is a great win,” Mattera said. “We know the history with Doane. We’re 9-4 and we’ve got another tough match on Saturday. That’s the way we’re looking at it. I know that sounds cliché – one match at a time – but that’s where we need to be right now.”
The Bulldogs exercised some demons despite Doane’s defensive strategy that contained Concordia’s trio of middles that includes senior Mariah Schamp, sophomore Taylor Workman and freshman Annie Friesen. With the Tigers cheating towards the middle, sophomore right side Tiegen Skains came through with a career high 10 kills, including several that put away important momentum-building points.
“A lot of it was Alayna (Kavanaugh) did a good job of distributing the ball amongst all our hitters,” Skains said. “The middles did a great job of keeping the blockers there so Claire (White) and I could hit around them. It was a lot of good sets and keeping the blockers away from us so that we could get some kills.”
There were struggles during the second set when the Tigers dominated by taking it 25-13. At one point in the second game, White rocked three-consecutive attacks out of bounds. She recovered in impressive fashion and tied a match high with 16 kills.
Nothing was easy on Wednesday, but Skains and White oftentimes came through when it was needed most. With the trifecta of Schamp, Workman and Friesen held to a combined 11 kills, others had to rise to the occasion.
“Clearly they knew about our middles,” Mattera said. “If you watch video you know how great our middles are and how dominating they can be. Frankly (Doane) stacked up against them pretty hard. They brought their left side blocker in quite a ways. They did what we call a ‘pinch.’ So our middles didn’t have as many opportunities as in some other matches.
“Some other girls stepped up. You saw some huge kills from Tiegen. She had an awesome match on the right side and really took advantage.”
Concordia played its cleanest volleyball in the first and fourth sets, hitting .310 in both games. The Bulldogs ended up with a slight edge on the attack, .172 to .162. Mattera’s club had to sweat out a third set in which it appeared to have won 25-23 on a Skains’ kill, but a net violation gave Doane a point and extended the set.
Other leaders for Concordia on Wednesday were Kavanaugh with 36 assists and senior Carli Smith with her 21 digs. Fellow senior Jami Nekoliczak added 13 digs of her own. Workman posted six kills.
The Tigers, who have dropped their first two conference matches to Hastings and Concordia, got 16 kills from Shelbi Mlynczak.
Wednesday’s win was simply part of the growing process for a program that is trending upward.
“We came in with the mindset of – we haven’t proven anything yet,” Skains said. “We talked about beating teams like Midland and Doane, but we hadn’t proven anything yet. This year it’s a lot about proving ourselves. Last year was a lot of building.”
The Bulldogs look to extend their current eight-match home win streak when they return to Walz Arena on Saturday to host Mount Marty (4-7, 0-1 GPAC) at 11 a.m. (junior varsity at 9:30 a.m.). Concordia has won each of the last six meetings with the Lancers.
Volleyball carries eight-match home win streak into Saturday tilt
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University volleyball team will carry streaks of three-straight wins overall and eight-consecutive home victories into Saturday morning’s contest with visiting Mount Marty College. The Bulldogs enter the weekend fresh off their first win over rival Doane since 2007 and are receiving votes in the national poll. Saturday’s action begins with a junior varsity match at 9:30 a.m. followed by the varsity at 11 a.m.
MATCH INFO
Saturday, Sept. 20
11 a.m. – Concordia (9-4, 1-1 GPAC) vs. Mount Marty (4-7, 0-1 GPAC)
Site: Seward, Neb.
Arena: Walz Arena
Webcast: Concordia Sports Network
Play-By-Play: Frank Greene
TEAM LEADERS
Concordia
Head Coach: Scott Mattera (36-39, 3rd year)
Kills: Claire White – 139 (3.02/game)
Assists: Alayna Kavanaugh – 439 (9.76/game)
Digs: Carli Smith – 158 (3.51/game)
Blocks: Taylor Workman – 32 (0.84/game)
Aces: Claire White – 22 (0.48/game)
Mount Marty
Head Coach: Candice Climer (29-78, 4th year)
Kills: Sierra Kloth – 117 (2.93/game)
Assists: Caitlyn Illg – 237 (7.18/game)
Digs: BreAnne Theege – 176 (4.51/game)
Blocks: Jena Peters – 29 (0.74/game)
Aces: Laura Groseth – 11 (0.32/game)
Fast start
Since the 2005 Bulldogs ran off 18-straight wins to begin the season, the best 13-match start for a Concordia volleyball team has been a 9-4 mark, accomplished three times (2007, 2013, 2014). In just three seasons at the helm, Scott Mattera has overseen two of those 9-4 starts, including one last season when the program enjoyed its first winning season since 2007. The team’s steady improvement has been noticed by coaches nationally as Concordia continues to receive votes in the NAIA top 25 poll.
Efficiency on the attack
Last season Concordia ranked a respectable 74th among 222 NAIA volleyball program with a .199 hitting percentage. That figure has rocketed up to .236 in 2014, placing the Bulldogs 17th nationally in hitting percentage. Sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh has distributed the ball well to a stable of Bulldogs hitters. Sophomore Taylor Workman sports a sparkling .438 hitting percentage on 153 swings. Concordia also has lofty numbers from its two other middles – Annie Friesen (.383) and Mariah Schamp (.338). Among GPAC schools, only Northwestern (.277) and Nebraska Wesleyan (.248) have higher team hitting percentages.
Skains’ career day
Sophomore Tiegen Skains emerged as one of the heroes of the win at Doane on Wednesday. Skains put down a career high 10 kills to help the Bulldogs secure the four-set victory over the Tigers. She hit .280 on the night, delivering several powerful swings that gave Doane blockers/defenders little chance to react. The native of Colorado Springs has already surpassed her kill total of 56 from her freshman season. She has 67 this season in 43 games.
Career high kill totals
Mariah Schamp – 24 (8/24/2013 – Mount Vernon Nazarene)
Claire White – 21 (8/30/2013 – Ozarks; 8/31/2013 – Ottawa)
Paige Getz – 15 (10/23/2013 – Nebraska Wesleyan; 11/2/2013 – Dakota Wesleyan)
Taylor Workman – 15 (8/30/2013 – Hope International)
Tiegen Skains – 10 (9/17/2014 – Doane)
Annie Friesen – 7 (9/13/2014 – Peru State)
Scouting Mount Marty
After back-to-back six-win seasons in 2011 and 2012, the Lancers improved considerably in 2013 with 13 victories. This season the Lancers are 4-7 with wins over York College, Presentation College, Waldorf College and the University of Sioux Falls. Head coach Candice Climer has both of her honorable mention all-conference selections back from last season in sophomore middle hitter Allison Cross and senior setter Caitlyn Illg. The Bulldogs have won each of the last six meetings with Mount Marty, including both of last year’s contests in straight sets.
Volleyball fends off Mount Marty in highly-competitive straight-sets match
SEWARD, Neb. – Seven different Bulldogs tallied at least one kill to boost the Concordia University volleyball team its ninth-consecutive home victory. Third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs defeated visiting Mount Marty College, 25-22, 29-27, 25-23, on Saturday in a late-morning match.
Winner of four in a row overall, the national vote-getting Bulldogs improved to 10-4 overall and 2-1 in conference action. While Concordia won in straight sets, nothing came easy against an improved Lancer team that played exceptionally well defensively.
“Their blocking and their defense were fantastic, and we did not see that on film quite honestly,” Mattera said. “They played fantastic volleyball. If they play like that they’re going to give a lot of teams a lot of trouble.”
Mount Marty often frustrated Concordia with its activity at the net. A lengthy Lancer front row combined for 14 blocks, led by the nine from middle Allison Cross. That effort helped limit the Bulldogs to a .207 hitting percentage. The Lancers actually held a slight edge in that statistic with their own .210 clip on the attack.
Mount Marty made Concordia sweat by committing just 13 attack errors to go along with a stellar defensive effort. The Lancers forced a drawn-out second set after rallying back from a 22-18 deficit. They never had a set-point opportunity but pulled even with the Bulldogs on several occasions.
“We went into the locker room after that second game kind of frustrated like, ‘why aren’t we rolling,’” Mattera said. “They made almost no mistakes.”
Concordia’s wealth of attacking options proved to be enough and sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh piled up 42 assists. After a slow start, junior outside hitter Claire White rebounded and totaled a match high 16 kills. Middle Mariah Schamp had the most efficient day with seven kills (and three blocks) on 12 swings.
Led by Carli Smith’s 13 digs, the Bulldogs got steady play defensively. Eight different players had three or more digs, including eight apiece for Kavanaugh and senior Jami Nekoliczak.
In many ways, Saturday’s match paralleled Wednesday’s affair at Doane. Neither performance was perfect for Concordia, but it still figures out how to gut out wins.
“We stayed aggressive and we grinded it out again,” Mattera said. “That’s part of becoming a mature team. When things aren’t going your way, you keep fighting and find a way to pull out the win.”
As part of her impressive day, Cross posted eight kills on 15 attempts. Mount Marty was led by the nine kills by Sierra Kloth.
The biggest takeaway for Mattera was how much the Lancers have improved.
“Any GPAC win is a good win,” Mattera said. “Let’s be honest, if we’re looking at the 10th best team in our conference (according to official rankings), then our conference is ridiculous.”
Concordia’s nine-match home win streak dates back to a straight-sets win over York College on Oct. 8, 2013. Eight of the nine victories have come in three sets.
The Bulldogs remain at home on Wednesday to play a ranked foe for the fifth time this season. No. 16 Hastings (10-5, 1-2 GPAC) serves as the opponent for a match slated to start at 7:30 p.m. The Broncos have won 13-straight meetings dating back to October 2007.
Kavanaugh nabs GPAC setter of the week honors
SEWARD, Neb. – After adding 78 more assists last week, sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Setter of the Week, as announced by the league on Tuesday. The award is the first such honor in the career of Kavanaugh, a Lincoln Christian High School product.
In last week’s action, Kavanaugh totaled 36 assists in a 25-20, 13-25, 26-24, 25-22 win at Doane on Sept. 17. She then piled up 42 assists in the 25-22, 29-27, 25-23 home victory over Mount Marty. The native of Lincoln, Neb., has 481 assists over 48 games on the season. Her average of 10.0 assists per game ranks third among all GPAC players and 23rd among all NAIA players.
Last week Kavanaugh also chipped in 13 digs, eight kills and two blocks. She was also named the Bulldog Booster Club Female Athlete of the Week on Tuesday.
Kavanaugh and the Bulldogs (10-4, 2-1 GPAC) are back at home on Wednesday when they take on No. 16 Hastings (10-5, 1-2 GPAC) at 7:30 p.m. Concordia will look to extend its current nine-match home winning streak.
Volleyball plans to ‘pack the pound’ for tonight’s match vs. No. 18 Hastings
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University volleyball program garnered some national notice by knocking off then No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist on Sept. 5. A conference victory over No. 18 Hastings tonight (Sept. 24) would be even more significant for third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs, who enter the day with records of 10-4 overall and 2-1 in GPAC action.
Concordia has not defeated the rival Broncos since Aug. 29, 2007, when the Bulldogs took down a Hastings team that was ranked ninth in the NAIA.
“This is a huge match,” Mattera said at Tuesday’s Bulldog Booster Club gathering. “It’s probably the biggest one since I’ve been here. For the life cycle and momentum of the program, this is a big one for us.”
Concordia expects a significant crowd inside Walz Arena for what has been dubbed “pack the pound.” Students in attendance will receive one free bag of popcorn and one free fountain drink. The Bulldog pep band will also be on hand.
MATCH INFO
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m. (JV at 6 p.m.)
No. 18 Hastings (10-5, 1-2 GPAC) at Concordia (10-4, 2-1 GPAC)
Site: Seward, Neb.
Arena: Walz Arena
Webcast: Concordia Sports Network
Play-by-play: Frank Greene
Promotion: ‘pack the pound’ (students get one free popcorn and one free drink)
TEAM LEADERS
Concordia
Head Coach: Scott Mattera (37-39, 3rd year)
Kills: Claire White – 155 (3.16/game)
Assists: Alayna Kavanaugh – 481 (10.02/game)
Digs: Carli Smith – 171 (3.56/game)
Blocks: Taylor Workman – 33 (0.83/game)
Aces: Claire White – 23 (0.47/game)
Hastings
Head Coach: Matt Buttermore (61-24, 3rd year)
Kills: Katie Zoucha – 196 (3.44/game)
Assists: Katie Placke – 597 (9.95/game)
Digs: Jill Bax – 263 (4.38/game)
Blocks: Jessica Osterhaus – 55 (1.02/game)
Aces: Lindy Matthews – 22 (0.37/game)
Protect this house
It’s been nearly a year since Concordia’s last home loss – a four-set defeat at the hands of Nebraska Wesleyan on Oct. 1, 2013. Since then the Bulldogs have rattled off nine-straight wins inside Walz Arena. During that run, Concordia has lost only one set with eight of the nine wins coming in straight sets. Three of the nine victories have come against GPAC opponents.
Nine-straight home wins:
Oct. 8, 2013 – York College, 3-0
Oct. 18, 2013 – Dakota State University, 3-0
Oct. 19, 2013 – Mount Marty, 3-0
Oct. 29, 2013 – College of Saint Mary, 3-0
Nov. 2, 2013 – Dakota Wesleyan, 3-1
Aug. 26, 2014 – Faith Baptist Bible College, 3-0
Sept. 13, 2014 – Peru State College, 3-0
Sept. 13, 2014 – Friends University, 3-0
Sept. 20, 2014 – Mount Marty, 3-0
Kavanaugh earns GPAC weekly honor
Sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh added 78 more assists last week in pair of wins on the way to earn GPAC setter of the week accolades. In last week’s action, Kavanaugh totaled 36 assists in a 25-20, 13-25, 26-24, 25-22 win at Doane on Sept. 17. She then piled up 42 assists in the 25-22, 29-27, 25-23 home victory over Mount Marty on Sept. 20. The native of Lincoln, Neb., has 481 assists over 48 games on the season. Her average of 10.0 assists per game ranks third among all GPAC players and 23rd among all NAIA players.
White surpasses 500 career kills
With 16 kills in Saturday’s straight-sets win over Mount Marty, junior outside hitter Claire White eclipsed 500 for her career. The native of Exeter, Neb., ranks seventh in the GPAC this season with 3.16 kills per game (team high 155 total kills). White now has 494 kills in her career as a Bulldog. She spent her freshman season at NCAA Division II Washburn University, where she appeared in 30 matches and produced 15 kills. Six different Bulldogs have produced 1,000 or more career kills in a Concordia uniform.
Concordia 1,000-kill club
1. Becky Ernstmeyer (1993-96) – 1,740
2. Katie Werner (2004-07) – 1,600
3. Rachel Kirchner (1998-01) – 1,315
4. Renae Beikmann (1992-95) – 1,223
5. Darcy Lindner (1989-91) – 1,204
6. Mindy Evans Miller (1995-98) – 1,000+
Scouting Hastings
Hastings began the season outside the national top 25 but leapt all the way to No. 16 in the Sept. 16 NAIA coaches’ poll after an impressive early season run that has included wins over No. 3 Wayland Baptist University, No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist, No. 16 MidAmerica Nazarene and another over a College of the Ozarks squad that was receiving votes at the time of the match. Head coach Matt Buttermore’s Broncos are led by 2013 all-conference performers in senior right side Katie Zoucha (first team) and senior middle Jessica Osterhaus (second team). They also rely on standout freshmen such as setter Katie Placke and defensive specialist Jill Bax (Sept. 3 GPAC defensive player of the week). The Broncos are only two years removed from a 30-win season and GPAC regular-season title in 2012.
Bulldogs knock off No. 18 Hastings in front of electric Walz crowd
SEWARD, Neb. – There was no downplaying it in the days leading up to Wednesday night’s GPAC battle. Third-year head coach Scott Mattera called it a “huge match.” The Concordia University volleyball team already owned one win over a ranked opponent, but this was different. On Wednesday the Bulldogs sent rival and 18th-ranked Hastings to a 25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 19-25, 15-12, defeat, marking Concordia’s first win over the Broncos since August 2007.
In front of an electric Walz Arena crowd, the Bulldogs improved to 11-4 overall and 3-1 in GPAC action while extending their home win streak to 10.
“I don’t think either of us was ready for this type of environment tonight,” head coach Scott Mattera said. “We knew about it and we knew it was coming, but we’ve never seen anything like this in Walz. It was unbelievable.”
The raucous crowd reached its peak as Hastings’ Lindy Matthews’ attack went underneath the net for match point in the fifth set. The Broncos (10-6, 1-3 GPAC) had been thrown out of system on a vicious swing from Taylor Workman on the night’s final rally. Match point saw the student section, dressed all in white, erupt and the entire Bulldog volleyball team embraced in the middle of the court, some members even dogpiling on top of each other.
“We were pumped up,” senior Mariah Schamp said. “Last night during practice we said we have to come and play harder than the other team. That is the key to this. We got a crowd that just rocked it. The electricity and the atmosphere were great the entire night.”
In the fifth set, Concordia leaned upon outside hitter Claire White, who obliged the crowd with four of her 13 kills during that set. White hammered thunderous kills for point Nos. 2, 9, 13 and 14 in the fifth game. White made Hastings pay for pinching the Bulldogs in the middle.
That super-charged fifth set was made possible by an impressive response to a dominant first set from Bronco star Katie Zoucha, who put away seven kills to lead Hastings to a 25-22 triumph in the opening game. The Bulldogs then dug in defensively and limited the Broncos to hitting percentages of .000 and .107, respectively, over the next two sets – both of which belonged to Concordia.
Not surprisingly, a Hastings squad that owns three wins this season over ranked foes, came back with a response of its own. Led by Zoucha (match-high 21 kills), Hastings hit .393 in the fourth set to force a fifth set.
But on this night, the Bulldogs would not be denied. They never believed themselves to be underdogs.
“We decided that we’re going to go in confident and feeling we’re the better team,” Schamp said. “In our mind this isn’t an upset. We just proved to Hastings and the rest of the GPAC that we’re not a team to mess with. We’re no longer an underdog. We’re here to fight.”
Concordia never trailed in the deciding set and led by a margin as large as 13-9. The Bulldogs ended up slightly out-hitting Hastings (.178 - .175) on the night, but they held a .194 - .000 advantage in the fifth set when the crowd and a determined group of Bulldogs carried the day.
And you thought this team was confident before?
“I just see this one giving us so much confidence going forward,” Mattera said. “I can’t wait to get out there (at No. 6 Northwestern) on Friday night.”
But for right now, it’s difficult not to bask in the glow of the biggest win for Bulldog volleyball in several years.
“We had so much fun,” Mattera said. “It got our brains out of the way. It’s such a key to volleyball. You need to think the game a little bit, but when you start thinking too much you hesitate and don’t play as aggressive. You just saw us go for it down the stretch.”
Schamp finished with nine kills (.364 hitting percentage) and five total blocks. GPAC setter of the week Alayna Kavanaugh dished out 45 assists. Sophomore Paige Getz topped the team with 16 kills while White’s 11 digs were a Concordia best.
The Bulldogs also piled up 15 aces, including four from Carli Smith and three from White.
For Hastings, Abigayle Preissler followed Zoucha’s 21 kills with 12 of her own.
The schedule won’t lighten up for the remainder of the week with matches at No. 6 Northwestern (17-2, 4-0 GPAC) on Friday (7:30 p.m.) and at Morningside (13-5, 1-2 GPAC) on Saturday (3 p.m.). Concordia is 6-4 in contests played outside of Walz Arena this season. The last time out on the road, the Bulldogs defeated Doane in four sets on Sept. 17.
White floors 16 kills in loss at No. 6 Northwestern
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – Host Northwestern showed why it’s the No. 6-ranked volleyball team in the NAIA on Friday night in Orange City, Iowa. The Red Raiders (18-2, 5-0 GPAC) rolled through a hot Concordia team coming off an emotional five-set win over No. 18 Hastings on Wednesday. Two nights later the Red Raiders took care of the Bulldogs, 25-18, 25-19, 25-20.
The loss halted a five-match win streak for head coach Scott Mattera’s squad, which now sits at 11-5 overall and 3-2 in GPAC action. Despite the defeat, Mattera still likes where his team is at.
“We played good. Northwestern played great,” Mattera said. “We had more kills and more attacks. We actually controlled a lot of the play. We hit over .200 and that’s saying something against Northwestern. They just didn’t make any mistakes.”
Junior Claire White, who powered down some of the Bulldogs’ biggest points in the victory over Hastings, emerged as the biggest bright spot on Friday evening. White nailed a match-high 16 kills on 33 swings to top Concordia in what was one of her best outings as a Bulldog.
“Claire was awesome,” Mattera said. “She led with positivity all night. Their coach even said they had no answer for her. She had every shot in the book working. She was everywhere.”
An ultra-efficient team that entered play leading the GPAC with a .278 hitting percentage, Northwestern out-hit the Bulldogs, .333 - .204. The Red Raiders, paced by Kaitlin Floerchinger’s 11 kills, committed just 13 errors for head coach Kyle Van Den Bosch.
Northwestern held a significant defensive edge at the net with 8.5 blocks to Concordia’s two.
But the statistics don’t tell the entire story. Mattera applauded the work of defensive specialist Jocelyn Garica, outside hitter Paige Getz, setter Alayna Kavanaugh and middle Mariah Schamp, among others. Concordia did not leave Orange City any less confident than it entered it.
“The girls are a little discouraged because they want to win. That’s a good place to be,” Mattera said. “When reality sets in they will be able to process the fact that we did a lot of things well. Northwestern just played so well. I’m not upset at all with the girls. I’d be upset if we had given in, but we fought and kept coming back.”
Concordia showed it wasn’t intimidated by scoring four points in a row in the first set as Northwestern got stuck on 24 points. After falling behind 9-2 in the second set, the Bulldogs soon followed with a 10-2 run that got them within 22-19. In the third set, Concordia acquitted itself well with a .308 hitting percentage.
It was clear that the Bulldogs’ strong start to the season had caught the Red Raiders’ attention.
“They will be a force to be reckoned with over the next couple of years,” Van Den Bosch said of Concordia in a postgame interview carried on the Northwestern webcast. “They’re long and athletic and play good team volleyball.”
Getz finished with nine kills on 27 attacks. Kavanaugh totaled 32 assists and Carli Smith added a team high 10 digs. Northwestern standout Karlie Schut chipped in nine kills and three blocks.
The Red Raiders have had Concordia’s number, winning each of the last 12 meetings dating back to 2006.
The Bulldogs remain in western Iowa for the night and will take on Morningside (13-6, 1-3 GPAC) at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The Mustangs dropped a home match to Doane, 25-17, 16-25, 25-23, 25-14, on Friday night.
Middles boost Bulldogs to first win at Morningside since 2003
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – It’s been a season of breaking streaks – in a good way – for the Concordia University volleyball team. In a one-week span, the Bulldogs picked up wins over both Doane and Hastings for the first time since 2007 and on Saturday the program earned a win at Morningside for the first time since October 2003. Concordia won the latest meeting in Sioux City, Iowa, 25-23, 25-22, 25-13.
Winners of six of their last seven matches, the Bulldogs are now 12-5 overall and sit in a three-way tie for third in the GPAC standings at 4-2.
The only negative to come from Saturday’s match was an apparent knee injury to sophomore middle Taylor Workman, who was forced to leave the court during the second set. Workman went off in the first set with eight kills and still led the team with 10 kills overall despite sitting out the entire third set.
“Taylor was having the match of her life,” Mattera said. “We’re concerned about it but I’m proud of the way that the girls refocused. In the break between games 2 and 3, Taylor just told the team the best thing they could do for her was to play well. We took it to them in the third game.”
Entering the night with the 20th-best hitting percentage among all NAIA teams, Concordia put together a rock solid .260 hitting percentage at Morningside. Workman needed only 14 swings to dial up her match-high 10 kills. Paige Getz also had a solid afternoon on the outside with nine kills and Claire White posted eight coming off a big performance a day earlier at No. 6 Northwestern.
Mattera said that the team placed a significant emphasis on feeding its talented middles on Saturday. Workman and Mariah Schamp floored a combined 16 kills (on 34 attacks) and four blocks. Once again, Concordia’s dearth of hitters was fed by sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh (32 assists).
“Alayna was great again,” Mattera said. “We mixed it up well like usual. When you see that kind of spread in the kill numbers – that’s when we’re at our best. A lot of credit goes to our serve receive and Alayna.”
Morningside came into the match at 13-6 overall and 6-2 at home. The win for the Bulldogs was yet another example of how far the program has come in a short time. In the process, Concordia evened up its conference away mark at 2-2.
Considering the Bulldogs got the signature win they sought on Wednesday by topping No. 18 Hastings, it was a pretty big week for a program that seems to have announced its arrival.
“I’m really happy,” Mattera said. “It’s was a big prove-yourself kind of week. The win over Hastings was big. Looking at the film of yesterday’s match, we actually did play really well at Northwestern. We know what we need to do to get on that level.
“Morningside is another nice win. We’re pretty with how the week went.”
The Mustangs finished with a .173 hitting percentage. They got great production from Kecia Verburg, who totaled a team best nine kills on 13 attacks.
The Bulldogs hit the road again on Tuesday when they play Nebraska Wesleyan (10-3, 2-3 GPAC) in Lincoln at 7:30 p.m. The Prairie Wolves are 1-1 this season on their home court.
Stanek and No. 22 Prairie Wolves overcome strong Bulldog road effort
LINCOLN, Neb. – The Concordia University volleyball team appeared to be rolling along after winning the first set and then taking a 9-3 lead in the second, but host and NCAA Division III 22nd-ranked Nebraska Wesleyan responded on its home floor. The Prairie Wolves (11-3, 3-3 GPAC) overcome a big night from Bulldog middles Annie Friesen and Mariah Schamp to claim a 20-25, 25-23, 25-17, 29-27 win in Lincoln on Tuesday.
Nebraska Wesleyan, which had lost three in a row since a 10-0 start, sent head coach Scott Mattera’s squad to 12-6 overall and 4-3 in conference action.
“It was a weird match. We feel bad that we lost but it was a situation where both teams think they should win,” Mattera said. “We didn’t catch a lot of breaks. We didn’t play great but played well. Wesleyan caught fire in the second game and did some things we didn’t have an answer for.”
Playing for the first time this season without sophomore Taylor Workman (.408 hitting percentage), the Bulldogs showed their depth in the middle. Friesen and Schamp went toe-to-toe with Prairie Wolf star middle Alyssa Stanek, who entered play leading NCAA Division III with 1.64 blocks per set. Friesen (10 kills) and Schamp (12 kills) hammered a combined 22 kills with the help of sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh, who again sprinkled the ball all over the court.
“Obviously we miss Taylor,” Mattera said. “But that wasn’t a major factor in why we lost. Our middles were very effective. Annie played really well offensively and had some nice blocks. Schamp was Schamp. They both did a lot of good things.”
But this was a win Stanek (2013 first team all-conference) and the Prairie Wolves needed at home. They finally put it away when Stanek smashed a kill in the fourth set to end the back-and-forth affair. Concordia had missed its opportunity after serving for set point three times, including once after a thunderous kill from Claire White made it 26-25.
The momentum switched in the second set after the Bulldogs raced out to an early six-point lead. Nebraska Wesleyan went on an 8-0 run (six points coming on Concordia errors) to provide an 11-8 Prairie Wolf advantage. The Bulldogs regained the lead, 19-18, on a Paige Getz kill, but they eventually suffered a close defeat despite out-hitting Nebraska Wesleyan in the set.
“They got on a really good service run,” Mattera said. “We were not in system enough. When we were in system we were really good. I think there were good defensive adjustments both ways. We made some plays, just not enough to win.”
For the match, Concordia hit .209 compared to .243 for the Prairie Wolves. The Bulldogs came out sizzling with a .367 first-set hitting percentage that made a potential third GPAC road win a distinct possibility. Nebraska Wesleyan did its best work on the attack in the third set, posting a .359 clip.
Stanek finished with 15 kills and seven total blocks. Senior outside hitter Katelyn Walsh may have been the match’s biggest star though, as she floored 16 kills while committing only one attack error.
Getz topped Concordia with 15 kills. The blossoming Kavanaugh assisted 54 of the team’s 58 kills. Kavanaugh’s 54 assists were a career high for a four-set match and two short of her personal best of 56 assists in a five-set win over Ottawa University (Kan.) last season.
The Bulldogs had hoped to duplicate their result from 2012 when they surprised Wesleyan in four sets in what was likely the biggest win of Mattera’s first season as head coach.
Last week’s victory over No. 18 Hastings nearly vaulted Concordia into the NAIA top 25 rankings released on Tuesday. The Bulldogs appeared first (26th overall) among the “others receiving votes.”
The Bulldogs will dip outside of the conference on Thursday when they play at College of Saint Mary (12-3) in Omaha. First serve is set for 7 p.m. Last season the Bulldogs made quick work of the Flames, 25-16, 25-12, 25-18, in Seward.
Kavanaugh racks up career high assist total in five-set road loss
OMAHA, Neb. – Last season the Concordia University volleyball team made quick work of College of Saint Mary, winning in straight sets in Seward. This year’s meeting proved much more treacherous for the Bulldogs, who fell to the host Flames in five sets, 25-18, 16-25, 27-25, 20-25, 19-21, in Omaha on Thursday night.
The second-straight road loss dropped head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs to 12-7 overall.
“It certainly wasn’t our best match,” Mattera said. “We got beat by a team that played fantastic. It wasn’t that we weren’t prepared. We played really well in the first set and kind of got lulled to sleep. Saint Mary stepped up and we didn’t. We had 36 (attack) errors, which is outrageous. I’m not sure if we got tired or what.”
The fifth and deciding set saw Concordia take a 7-5 lead. The Flames later led 14-12, forcing a Concordia timeout. The Bulldogs came back with the next two points, resulting in a seesaw finish. The Flames ultimately won on a match point that was not without controversy.
“Game five was an example of great volleyball,” Mattera said. “As a coach, you hate to see it end that way. We felt like we should not have let it come down to that.”
The Bulldogs sparkled in the first set, hitting .355, to come out on top, 25-18. Unsurprisingly, sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh impressively spread the ball around. She piled up a career high 63 assists. Fellow sophomore Paige Getz led the team with 16 kills while Mariah Schamp (15 kills) and Annie Friesen (career high 15 kills) followed close behind.
But a Flames squad guided by Alexis Anderson (match high 19 kills) outplayed the Bulldogs after the first set. White-hot College of Saint Mary won for the 13th time in its last 14 matches.
“Honestly, everyone did a lot of good and bad for us tonight,” Mattera said. “We were just up and down.”
College of Saint Mary, a member of the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference, went 17-19 last season but entered Thursday night’s tilt at 12-3 overall in 2014. The Flames had already played two GPAC opponents this season, dropping four-set decisions to both Briar Cliff and Midland.
“Saint Mary is legit,” Mattera said. “They’ve beaten some good teams. But this is one that hurts a bit. We have higher expectations for who we can be.”
On the night, the Flames hit .207 compared to Concordia’s .176 clip and also had a 14-8 advantage in blocks. College of Saint Mary got 17 kills and 10 digs from Mallory Babic.
The Bulldogs jump back into GPAC play on Saturday as they host Dakota Wesleyan (5-11, 0-6 GPAC) as part of homecoming Saturday. First serve is set for 4:30 p.m. from Walz Arena. Concordia will attempt to extend its streak of 10-consecutive home victories. Included in that streak was a four-set win over Dakota Wesleyan on Nov. 2, 2013.
Volleyball carries 10-match home win streak into homecoming Saturday
SEWARD, Neb. – After back-to-back road losses, the Concordia University volleyball team returns to friendly Walz Arena, a place where the Bulldogs have not lost since Oct. 1, 2013. As part of homecoming Saturday on campus, Concordia welcomes Dakota Wesleyan University (5-11, 0-6 GPAC) for a 4:30 p.m. first serve.
The last time the Bulldogs played in Seward, they knocked off No. 18 Hastings in five sets in front of a frenzied white-out crowd. Concordia is 5-0 at home with two of those wins against conference opponents.
MATCH INFO
Saturday, Oct. 4, 4:30 p.m.
Dakota Wesleyan (5-11, 0-6) at Concordia (12-7, 4-3)
Site: Seward, Neb.
Arena: Walz Arena
Webcast: Concordia Sports Network
Play-by-play: Frank Greene
TEAM LEADERS
Concordia
Head Coach: Scott Mattera (39-42, 3rd year)
Kills: Claire White – 214 (3.10/game)
Assists: Alayna Kavanaugh – 707 (10.40/game)
Digs: Carli Smith – 234 (3.44/game)
Blocks: Mariah Schamp – 45 (0.67/game)
Aces: Claire White – 30 (0.43/game)
Dakota Wesleyan
Head Coach: Lindsay Wilber (5-11, 1st year)
Kills: Lauren Tadlock – 168 (3.29/game)
Assists: Michelle Van Epps – 574 (9.73/game)
Digs: Maggie Stehly – 210 (3.75/game)
Blocks: Mallory Jark – 37 (0.67/game)
Aces: Michelle Van Epps/Mackenzie Stevens – 13 (0.22/game)
So close
Last week’s win over No. 18 Hastings helped bump Concordia up to fourth in the official GPAC rankings and nearly vaulted it into the Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. With 87 points in the poll, the Bulldogs were the first team listed among “others receiving votes.” Concordia is looking to crack the national rankings for the first time since the 2001 preseason poll. The last Bulldog volleyball team to end a season ranked in the top 25 was the 2000 squad that finished No. 18 and rose as high as 12th during the campaign. Then coached by Becky Ernstmeyer, the Bulldogs went 23-13 overall and shared the GPAC title on the way to reaching the NAIA Region IV playoffs.
Official GPAC rankings
1. Northwestern
2. Midland
3. Dordt
4. Concordia
5. Hastings
5. Briar Cliff
7. Doane
8. Morningside
9. Mount Marty
10. Dakota Wesleyan
*Nebraska Wesleyan is designated as NCAA DIII in volleyball
Kavanaugh dishes
In Thursday’s five-set defeat at College of Saint Marty, sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh piled up a career high 63 assists. With 707 assists on the season, the Lincoln native is well on her way to becoming the seventh player in program history to eclipse 1,000 in a campaign. Kavanaugh’s average of 10.4 assists per game ranks 16th among all NAIA players and puts her within range of the 10.68 per game that Stacy Stuckenschmidt averaged in 1995 when she set a program record with 1,676 assists on the year. Stuckenschmidt (1992-95) also owns the school record for career assists (4,949).
Bulldogs with 1,000+ assists in a season
1,676 – Stacy Stuckenschmidt (50 matches), 1995
1,303 – Karin Krieger (35 matches), 2005
1,282 – Stacy Stuckenschmidt (48 matches), 1993
1,188 – Jenny Rempe (40 matches), 1996
1,121 – Stacy Stuckenschmidt (42 matches), 1994
1,039 – Kelly Brown (34 matches), 1997
Getting offensive
Said Northwestern head coach Kyle Van Den Bosch of Concordia, “They’re long and athletic and play good team volleyball.” That team approach, spearheaded by Kavanaugh’s role as facilitator, has helped the Bulldogs become one of the most proficient attacking teams nationally. Concordia ranks 17th among all 219 NAIA volleyball programs with an average of 13.07 kills per game. Kavanaugh and company also rate 24th nationally in hitting percentage (.224). The Bulldogs have hit above .200 in 12 of their first 19 matches. They are 9-3 in those dozen outings.
Working without Workman
Sophomore middle Taylor Workman suffered a knee injury in Concordia’s straight-sets win over Morningside on Sept. 27. In their two matches without Workman, the Bulldogs have relied more upon freshman Annie Friesen, who has delivered with combined totals of 25 kills and six blocks. Mattera also has dependable senior Mariah Schamp (team leader with 45 blocks) in the middle.
Workman was leading the Bulldogs with a hitting percentage of .408 (106 kills and 26 errors on 196 attempts) before going down. That figure, if using a 3.33 attacks/game minimum (as used by the NCAA), would rank in the top five nationally.
Scouting Dakota Wesleyan
Lindsay Wilber is in her first season as head coach after replacing Eric Viney. Wilber’s Tigers have lost four of their first six GPAC matches in straight sets and the other two in four sets. Dakota Wesleyan gave No. 18 Hastings a bit of a scare by taking the first set in their meeting in Mitchell, S.D., on Sept. 27. The Tigers own wins over Dickinson State University (twice), Johnson & Wales University, Presentation College and Valley City State University. Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Tadlock ranks third in the GPAC with 3.3 kills per set. As a team, the Tigers own a .188 hitting percentage (eighth in the GPAC).
Scalding .522 fourth-game hitting percentage completes 11th-straight home win
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University volleyball team made itself cozy once again inside Walz Arena. The Bulldogs dispatched of visiting Dakota Wesleyan in four sets, 25-16, 25-22, 23-25, 25-13, on homecoming Saturday to run their home winning streak to 11. A brief lapse cost Concordia the third set, but it rebounded with a dominant fourth game in which it hit .522 to close out the victory.
The win bumped the Bulldogs’ records to 13-7 overall and 5-3 in conference action. Third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s squad currently sits in fourth place in the GPAC.
“Every team in the GPAC has the potential to win on any given day,” Mattera said. “I got in their grill a little between three and four. I’m really proud of the way they responded. I thought game 4 was pretty.”
Concordia ended up hitting .333 on the afternoon, marking its third highest attack percentage this season. Red-hot sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh dished out 49 more assists while going for a career best nine kills. She paved the way for a match-high 21 kills for junior outside hitter Claire White.
“We really have six girls on the court all the time that can do anything we ask them to do,” White said. “Our offense is really, really coming together. Even on our off days, we’re still doing good things. Our hitters are going to keep working and keep our offense strong.”
While the offensive attack remained efficient, Mattera liked what his team did defensively as well. Concordia may have finished with only five blocks, but it dug out nearly half of the Tiger attacks, making Dakota Wesleyan earn any points it got.
“We were getting a lot of touches (at the net) that allowed our defense to play really well behind us,” Mattera said. “We had 43 digs. That’s a huge number with them having 100 attacks. That tells us our blocks are in the right place and we’re forcing them to do what we want them to do.”
Just like its kill numbers, the Bulldog dig totals were spread amongst many individuals. Senior Carli Smith led the way with 16 digs, while budding freshman Jocelyn Garcia came in next with eight digs.
After a too-close-for-comfort triumph in game 2, Dakota Wesleyan again hung tight in a third set that it ultimately won. The Tigers rattled off the final six points in the set to come back from a 23-19 deficit. The fourth set could not have been more different. White and the Bulldogs made it look easy the rest of the way.
“Set 4 was just a pretty set all the way around,” Mattera said. “We were passing well and our serve game was fantastic. I was actually worried we were too aggressive. It thought we were going to miss a few of those.
“But our serve game was great. We got a few blocks there. Our transition game was solid and we were mixing it up. That’s what we look like when we’re on.”
Coming off a career high 63 assists in Thursday’s loss at College of Saint Mary, Kavanaugh helped three Bulldogs reach double figures in kills on Saturday. Paige Getz hit .400 on the outside and totaled 12 kills. Middle Mariah Schamp came up with 11 kills and two blocks. Freshman middle Annie Friesen produced five kills – several coming on emphatic finishes at the net.
The Tigers were led by their season kills leader Lauren Tadlock, who added 13 more kills to her total on Saturday. Mallory Jark posted four block assists in the middle.
Bulldogs hit .323 to put away York in straight sets
YORK, Neb. – The Concordia University volleyball team looked sharp on Tuesday night in carrying over its hot hitting in the final set of a win three days earlier over Dakota Wesleyan. The Bulldogs hit .414 in the opening set on the way to blazing past host York College, 25-16, 25-21, 25-18.
In picking up its third true road win of the season, head coach Scott Mattera’s squad moved to 14-7 overall.
“It was a pretty solid performance tonight,” Mattera said. “We got the straight-sets win in under an hour, hit well, served extremely well and were able to get a lot of people significant playing time.”
York (4-14) pushed the Bulldogs in the second set, during which the Panthers claimed an 18-14 lead. While mixing up its lineup, Concordia battled back to take a 20-19 advantage and eventually won it when Mariah Schamp hammered down a free ball for set point.
The first and third sets were dominated by the Bulldogs. They hit .343 in the final set to ensure that they put away the Panthers in swift fashion. Junior Claire White crushed six of her match-high 12 kills in the third, including match point off the assist from setter Libby Zagel.
Schamp did her best work in the second set to help the Bulldogs rally. The senior middle went for five of her 10 kills during this stretch. She floored point Nos. 18, 23 and 25. The native of Arvada, Colo., also came up with a pair of blocks on the night.
Said Mattera, “Schamp was really good on transition quick stuff in the middle and Claire was such a stabilizing force, keeping things under control when we were mixing and matching people.”
White and Schamp were two of eight Bulldogs with at least one kill. Sophomore Tiegen Skains needed only eight swings to put up five kills. Freshman middle Annie Friesen produced six kills and three blocks. Junior Kelsey Dinkel came off the bench and posted three kills on four attempts.
Sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh racked up 34 assists before giving way to Zagel (five assists) in the third set. Defensively, senior Carli Smith led the way with 11 digs. Freshman Jocelyn Garica added seven digs while also making life tough on the Panther serve receive.
“Only six aces don’t even begin to tell the story of how well we served again tonight,” Mattera said. “Jocelyn was really sending some BB’s over there and taking them out of system.”
The Panthers got a team best nine kills from Sarah Mertens. Setter Melanie Baxa dished out 21 assists for a York attack that Concordia limited to a .163 hitting percentage.
Ten of Concordia’s first 21 matches have been decided in straight sets. The Bulldogs are now 6-4 on those occasions.
The Bulldogs get back to conference play on Friday when they host Doane (10-12, 3-4 GPAC) at 7:30 p.m. (JV at 6 p.m.). Concordia will look to defend Walz Arena, a place where it has won 11-straight matches. Also in play is a chance to sweep the rival Tigers having already won at Doane on Sept. 17.
The Bulldogs would love to entertain a super-charged crowd like the one they saw on Sept. 24 when they knocked off No. 18 Hastings.
“Overall I’m pretty happy with tonight and really excited to get in the gym and get ready for a very big match at home on Friday night,” Mattera said.
Volleyball hosts Doane Friday, aims for season sweep of Tigers
SEWARD, Neb. – Winner of two in a row, the Concordia University volleyball team returns home Friday night (7:30 p.m.) for another in-state clash against a GPAC rival. The red-hot Doane Tigers will serve as the opponent. The Doane will enter play with plenty of confidence coming off of wins over No. 16 Dordt on Oct. 3 and then No. 15 (NCAA DIII) Nebraska Wesleyan on Wednesday.
“This match just became huge,” Bulldog head volleyball coach Scott Mattera said at Tuesday’s booster club gathering. “They beat Dordt. They’re really improving so we have to be ready.”
Concordia has won 11-straight matches played inside Walz Arena. In this season’s first meeting with Doane, the Bulldogs won 25-20, 13-25, 26-24, 25-22 in Crete, marking the first time Concordia had beaten the Tigers since 2007.
MATCH INFO
Friday, Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m. (JV at 6 p.m.)
Doane (11-12, 4-4) at Concordia (14-7, 5-3)
Site: Seward, Neb.
Arena: Walz Arena
Webcast: Concordia Sports Network
Play-by-play: Frank Greene
TEAM LEADERS
Concordia
Head Coach: Scott Mattera (41-42, 3rd year)
Kills: Claire White – 247 (3.25/game)
Assists: Alayna Kavanaugh – 790 (10.53/game)
Digs: Carli Smith – 261 (3.48/game)
Blocks: Mariah Schamp – 49 (0.66/game)
Aces: Claire White – 34 (0.45/game)
Doane
Head Coach: Gwen Egbert (27-30, 2nd year)
Kills: Shelbi Mlynczak – 301 (3.38/game)
Assists: Haley Norvell – 465 (5.22/game)
Digs: Julie Els – 363 (4.08/game)
Blocks: Breanna Fye – 59 (0.67/game)
Aces: Haley Norvell – 32 (0.36/game)
Taking care of business
After suffering back-to-back road losses at the hand of No. 22 Nebraska Wesleyan and College of Saint Mary, the Bulldogs defeated Dakota Wesleyan in four sets (Oct. 4) and York in straight sets on Tuesday. The loss to College of Saint Mary was just the second this season that came against an unranked opponent. Head coach Scott Mattera’s squad is 9-2 when going up against unranked opponents in 2014. In those nine wins, the Bulldogs have taken three in straight sets and the other six in four.
Top 20 NAIA attack
Concordia has maintained one of the NAIA’s top 20 offensive attacks, in terms of kills per game and hitting percentage, throughout this season. The Bulldogs rank 12th nationally with 13.33 kills per game and 19th with a hitting percentage of .233. They bumped the hitting percentage up a couple ticks over the past two matches by posting clips of .333 and .323, respectively, in the wins over Dakota Wesleyan and York.
Home streaking
Concordia’s 11-match home win streak now includes five victories over GPAC opponents (see below). Over those 11 matches, the Bulldogs have dropped just four combined sets.
11-straight home wins
Oct. 8, 2013 – York College, 3-0
Oct. 18, 2013 – Dakota State University, 3-0
Oct. 19, 2013 – Mount Marty, 3-0
Oct. 29, 2013 – College of Saint Mary, 3-0
Nov. 2, 2013 – Dakota Wesleyan, 3-1
Aug. 26, 2014 – Faith Baptist Bible College, 3-0
Sept. 13, 2014 – Peru State College, 3-0
Sept. 13, 2014 – Friends University, 3-0
Sept. 20, 2014 – Mount Marty, 3-0
Sept. 24, 2014 – No. 18 Hastings, 3-2
Oct. 4, 2014 – Dakota Wesleyan, 3-1
White out
Junior Claire White’s second season as a Bulldog has been even more productive than her first in terms of raw kill numbers. The native of Exeter, Neb., is averaging a career best 3.25 kills per game (sixth in the GPAC) and is on pace to outnumber her 339 kills in 2013. In the win over Dakota Wesleyan, White floored 21 kills to tie a single-match career high. She has reached the 20-kill plateau on five occasions in her career.
Kavanaugh continues impressive production
Last week sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh topped a career high by dishing out 63 assists in the loss at College of Saint Mary. Her statistical production is up across the board and her 10.53 assists per game rank as the 13th best average in the NAIA and rate second among GPAC players. The Lincoln native has 790 total assists, putting her on track to blow past the 866 assists she recorded as a freshman. Only five players in program history have eclipsed 1,000 assists in a single season.
Scouting Doane
The Tigers have reversed their fortunes by winning four of their last five matches since falling to seventh-ranked Northwestern on Sept. 19. The only loss during the current hot streak was a four set decision at No. 10 Midland. Despite a below .500 overall mark, Doane has shown an ability to pull the upset, registering wins this season over No. 15 (NCAA DIII) Nebraska Wesleyan, No. 16 Dordt and No. 16 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.). The Tigers needed only three sets to take care of Nebraska Wesleyan behind 15 kills and 15 digs from star Shelbi Mlynczak (36th in the NAIA with 3.38 kills per game). Head coach Gwen Egbert’s squad appears to be hitting its stride at an opportune time. The race for top-four seeding and the right to host in the GPAC tournament remains wide open.
Bulldogs roll up season sweep of red-hot Doane
SEWARD, Neb. – Up against a red hot Doane squad, the Concordia University volleyball team elevated its play on Friday to sweep the regular-season series with the Tigers (11-13, 4-5 GPAC). The Bulldogs won the latest matchup, 25-18, 25-17, 25-21, in front of a large Hawaiian-themed Walz Arena student section. Concordia’s four-set victory at Doane on Sept. 17 marked the program’s first over its GPAC neighbor since 2007.
Winner of three-straight matches, the Bulldogs boosted their records to 15-7 overall and 6-3 in GPAC action, tying them for third with No. 21 Dordt (one-half game behind No. 8 Midland). After an excellent practice Thursday evening, Mattera felt good going into Friday’s tilt.
“I’m excited right now,” Mattera said. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself but that’s a great win against a team that’s really hot right now.”
Using its full complement of offensive weapons, Concordia outhit Doane .287 to .161. The Bulldogs also had their serve game working as they piled up 11 aces (three from Mariah Schamp) while making life tough on the Tiger serve receive.
Defensively, senior Carli Smith and company cleaned up. Smith dug up a team high 10 attacks and junior Claire White and sophomore Alayna Kavanaugh added eight apiece in stifling a Doane squad that had just knocked off No. 21 Dordt and No. 15 (NCAA DIII) Nebraska Wesleyan in its two prior matches.
“We actually worked on serve receive a lot yesterday in practice,” Smith said. “We knew that Doane is a great serving team. How we were going to get this win was by passing. A bunch of serves got on us today but we were able to pull them out. We had great passing.”
That serve receive helped pave the way for Kavanaugh’s 24 assists and for five different Bulldogs to post five or more kills. White shined with a match-high tying 10 kills on 22 swings (just two errors). Concordia also got offensive production from the likes of sophomores Paige Getz (10 kills) and Tiegen Skains (six kills, .545 hitting percentage), Schamp (five kills) and freshman Annie Friesen (five kills).
Employing a strategy similar to what it used in the first matchup with Concordia, Doane endeavored to contain the Bulldog middles. However, Mattera’s club simply had too much firepower for the Tigers to handle.
“What would you key on if you were trying to play against us?” Mattera said. “You could see what they chose. They picked their poison to try to shut down our middles. They hung on our middles so our outsides and our right sides just got it done.
“This is where we need to be.”
The Bulldogs jumped on Doane early in all three sets. Concordia got out to leads of 18-12 in the first, 16-7 in the second and 11-4 in the third. Down 20-12 in the second, the Tigers tallied the next four points before Concordia restored order with kills by Schamp and White in succession. Doane also made a push in the third set, rallying back to knot it at 21. The Bulldogs responded with the next four points, punctuating the win with a monster Getz kill for match point.
Even the knit pickers would struggle to find any fault in Concordia’s impressive night that included hitting percentages of .303 in the first set and .360 in the second.
“Doane is a great team,” Smith said. “But we came together. We knew what hitters we needed to get on, what hitters we needed to block and what players we needed to serve. We got it done. Coach told us exactly what we needed to do tonight and we followed him and got the win.”
Mattera’s game plan worked to perfection, even if he was at times distracted during the match by a spirited crowd in ridiculous attire.
“When have you seen Bulldog volleyball with a crowd all dressed up like that,” Mattera said. “They were into the match the whole time. I was getting distracted laughing at them. They were fantastic.”
The Bulldogs have the next four days off before returning to action on Wednesday when they play at Hastings (14-7, 4-4 GPAC) at 7:30 p.m. In the first meeting, Concordia topped the then No. 18 Broncos in five sets inside Walz Arena on Sept. 24. That win marked Bulldogs’ first over Hastings since 2007.
Mattera doesn’t expect anything to be easy from here on out.
“Someone was asking when a big match is. I said, ‘the rest of them.’
Broncos block Bulldog bid for season sweep of rival
HASTINGS, Neb. – Hoping to duplicate its home win over then No. 18 Hastings on Sept. 24, the Concordia University volleyball team hit only .107 in a 25-20, 26-24, 25-19 loss to the host Broncos at Lynn Farrell Arena on Wednesday night. Hastings (15-8, 5-5 GPAC), which defeated then No. 8 Midland a week earlier, won for the third time in its last four matches.
Third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s squad saw its three-match win streak snapped and moved to 15-8 overall and 6-4 in the GPAC (tied for fourth place).
Any momentum Concordia mustered seemed to be followed by a Hastings block. Ranked 24th in the NAIA in blocks per game (2.21) entering the night, the Broncos piled up 18 on Wednesday. They got 12 from reigning GPAC player of the week Logan Drueppel and six from Katie Zoucha to stifle a typically efficient Bulldog offensive attack.
“Wow, we flat out ran into a buzz saw tonight,” Mattera said. “Hastings played amazingly well. Their blocking was off the charts good tonight and they backed it up with some really scrappy play and some lights out serve receive. We played a pretty solid match, they were just better.”
Even in a straight-sets defeat, Mattera saw many things he liked from his squad. But playing on the road in the GPAC is rarely a cakewalk.
“Our serve receive was good, our blocking and defense was good, our attitude and effort were good,” Mattera said. “We need to make a few adjustments to throw their block rhythm off a bit more and maybe serve a bit tougher but this is not one to hang our heads about. This is life in the GPAC.”
The Broncos set the tone in the first set by jumping out to a 13-5 advantage, forcing two quick Concordia timeouts. Concordia got back within 15-11 before the home team regained control. In the second set, the Bulldogs tallied the first three points in what turned into tight game all the way through.
The Bulldogs got 13 kills and 10 digs from junior Claire White and another eight kills from sophomore Tiegen Skains. Sophomore Alayna Kavanaugh dished out 33 assists while senior Michala Maurer dropped in a pair of aces.
Morgan Heise led the way with 10 kills for a Bronco attack that hit much better on Wednesday (.252) compared to its hitting percentage (.175) in the first meeting with Concordia.
The Bulldogs have the weekend off before beginning a busy week at home next Tuesday when they welcome No. 14 (NCAA DIII) Nebraska Wesleyan (16-4, 4-4 GPAC) for a 7:30 p.m. match. Concordia will try to avenge a four-set loss to the Prairie Wolves in Lincoln on Sept. 30.
Twelve-match home win streak snapped by No. 14 Nebraska Wesleyan
SEWARD, Neb. – A typically potent offensive team, the Concordia University volleyball team got caught up in a defensive battle on Tuesday night inside Walz Arena. NCAA Division III’s No. 1-ranked blocking squad, Nebraska Wesleyan, snapped Concordia’s 12-match home win streak by holding the Bulldogs to a .174 hitting percentage. The 14th-ranked (NCAA Division III) Prairie Wolves won it, 25-19, 25-22, 18-25, 27-25.
Third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s squad, which had not lost at home since a four-set defeat to Wesleyan on Oct. 1, 2013, fell to 15-9 overall and 6-5 in conference play. The Bulldogs remain in the thick of the race to host a GPAC tournament quarterfinal match, but Tuesday’s loss stung.
“We had a fantastic practice last night and we came in feeling pretty confident,” Mattera said. “We started off like gangbusters. I was completely baffled by our lack of energy in games 1 and 2. We came out hard and played really well in 3 and had every chance to win in 4. I thought we deserved 4, but that’s the way the ball goes sometimes.”
Junior Claire White tried to will the Bulldogs back in the fourth set. She hammered down kills for point Nos. 22, 24 and 25 after Concordia had fought back from a 22-19 deficit. The Bulldogs even served for set point, leading 25-24, but the Prairie Wolves put up three points in a row with match point coming on Heather Muller’s kill.
While Concordia fell into a lull after sprinting out to a 9-3 lead in the first set, it rode the big night of Mariah Schamp. She seemed to wake the team back up with her stellar work at the net. Schamp really got going in the second set when she notched six of her 13 kills as well as one of her career-high nine blocks. She floored a kill to get the Bulldogs within 24-22 in the second, but Wesleyan followed with the next point.
Tiegen Skains powered the attack in the third set, during which she went for five of her 11 kills on just seven swings. She thundered down set point on a night when she had several powerful attacks. Of course Schamp also came through with three blocks in the third game.
After Concordia jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the first set, Nebraska Wesleyan called timeout, regrouped and got on a roll. The Prairie Wolves spread their offensive attack around with four different players recording between nine and 11 kills. Star middle Alyssa Stanek had 10 kills (20 attempts) and four blocks. Setter Alexa Rosenau was especially impressive as she notched nine kills, 24 assists, two aces, six digs and four blocks.
White ended up with a match-high 14 kills. She also added 12 digs. Carli Smith led the team with 14 digs. Alayna Kavanaugh dished out 42 assists. Off the bench, middle Annie Friesen contributed six kills and two blocks for a Bulldog team that totaled 13 blocks.
A busy week at home continues on Friday and concludes on Saturday. Next up is Briar Cliff (17-7, 6-5 GPAC) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday when the Bulldogs host their pink out. Concordia’s pink night will raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Fans are encouraged to wear pink. T-shirts for the event can be purchased in the student life office located in the Janzow Campus Center.
The Bulldogs will also be at home to take on No. 21 Dordt at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
“Two very tough matches and two very important matches,” Mattera said. “Win those two and we’re right back in it. We just have to get ourselves a bit more even and not have these ups and downs.”
Volleyball hosts crucial matches Friday (pink night) and Saturday
SEWARD, Neb. – Now in the stretch run of conference play, the Concordia University volleyball team hosts a pair of matches critical to its chances of reaching its goal of a top-four GPAC seed and the right to a league tournament quarterfinal home match. After dropping a four-set contest to No. 15 (NCAA DIII) Nebraska Wesleyan on Tuesday, the Bulldogs have two more prime opportunities for signature home victories with Briar Cliff (Friday – pink out) and No. 21 Dordt (Saturday) coming to town.
“Two very tough matches and two very important matches,” Bulldog head coach Scott Mattera said following Tuesday’s loss. “Win those two and we’re right back in it. We just have to get ourselves a bit more even and not have these ups and downs.”
Concordia will be facing both Briar Cliff and Dordt for the first time this season. On Wednesday Briar Cliff topped Dordt in five sets in a match played in Sioux City, Iowa.
MATCH INFO
Friday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m. (JV at 6 p.m.)
Briar Cliff (18-7, 7-5) at Concordia (15-9, 6-5)
Site: Seward, Neb.
Arena: Walz Arena
Webcast: Concordia Sports Network
Play-by-play: Frank Greene
Promotion: Pink out (breast cancer awareness)
Saturday, Oct. 25, 3 p.m. (JV at 1:30 p.m.)
No. 21 Dordt (14-9, 8-4) at Concordia (15-9, 6-5)
Site: Seward, Neb.
Arena: Walz Arena
Webcast: Concordia Sports Network
Play-by-play: Frank Greene
TEAM LEADERS
Concordia
Head Coach: Scott Mattera (42-44, 3rd year)
Kills: Claire White – 284 (3.30/game)
Assists: Alayna Kavanaugh – 889 (10.46/game)
Digs: Carli Smith – 293 (3.45/game)
Blocks: Mariah Schamp – 61 (0.73/game)
Aces: Claire White – 38 (0.44/game)
Hitting %: Mariah Schamp – .340
Briar Cliff
Head Coach: Trevor Schirman (38-24, 2nd year)
Kills: Rachele Harrill – 242 (2.49/game)
Assists: Dani Helland – 595 (7.53/game)
Digs: Amy Frank – 475 (4.90/game)
Blocks: Breanna Nogelmeier – 95 (0.98/game)
Aces: Amy Frank – 27 (0.28/game)
Hitting %: Breanna Nogelmeier – .355
Dordt
Head Coach: Chad Hanson (77-47, 4th year)
Kills: Brooke Wolterstorff – 287 (3.12/game)
Assists: Kayla Bartman – 865 (9.40/game)
Digs: Meghan Krausman – 271 (3.35/game)
Blocks: Elizabeth Kiel – 101 (1.10/game)
Aces: Meghan Krausman – 23 (0.28/game)
Hitting %: Brooke Wolterstorff – .284
Bulldogs host pink night Friday in support of breast cancer awareness/prevention
Friday, Oct. 24 has been designated as “pink night” for the Concordia volleyball program. The event is designed to raise awareness for breast cancer prevention and to raise funds to help local families in conjunction with the Pink Bandanas organization. Fans in attendance are encouraged to wear pink to support the cause. Pink night activities include the sale of T-shirts, bake sale, silent auction and a special ceremony between the second and third sets. Bulldog players will be performing in honor or in memory of someone inflicted by breast cancer. Revenue generated from the event will be donated to the Pink Bandanas.
GPAC jockeying
A look at the GPAC standings (see below) reveals just how critical this weekend’s contests are in the race for a top-four seed. When throwing out Nebraska Wesleyan (NCAA Division III for the sport of volleyball), Concordia sits fifth in the conference with both of its next two opponents appearing directly in front of it. The Bulldogs are seeking their first top-four finish in the GPAC since a second-place claim in 2001. Concordia (23-13, 9-1 GPAC in 2000) shared the regular-season league title with both Dordt and Hastings in 2000 under then head coach Becky Ernstmeyer.
GPAC standings
1. Northwestern – 11-0
2. Midland – 9-2
3. Dordt – 8-4
4. Briar Cliff – 7-5
5. Concordia – 6-5
6. Hastings – 5-6
7. Doane – 4-7
Walz unkind to visitors
An improved Bulldog squad along with increasingly amped up crowds have made life difficult for opponents inside Walz Arena. Concordia went more than a year without losing a match until Tuesday’s four-set defeat at the hands of Nebraska Wesleyan. The Bulldogs had won 12-straight in Seward before the Prairie Wolves halted the streak. Concordia is 7-1 at home this season following an 8-5 record at Walz in 2013.
Join the club
In the history of a Concordia volleyball program that dates back to the late 1960s, a 300-plus kill season has been achieved 25 times. Current Bulldogs Claire White and Paige Getz both eclipsed that number last season. With 284 kills (3.30/game) this season, White is on track to move past 300 this weekend. Getz still has a shot to again reach that number. She has 231 kills (2.69/game). Becky Ernstmeyer (inducted into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame earlier this month) has the top two single-season kill totals in school history – 598 (1995) and 501 (1996). White’s 339 kills last season ranks as the 18th highest season total in program annals.
#SchampBlock
With a career high nine blocks on Tuesday, senior Mariah Schamp moved up to 16th among all GPAC players with an average of 0.73 blocks per game. Schamp has 61 total blocks on the season and 323 for her career (430 sets). In her first three years, the native of Arvada, Colo., posted at least 77 blocks in each season.
Schamp’s top block games
9 – Oct. 21, 2014 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan
8 – Aug. 24, 2013 vs. Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio)
8 – Sept. 10, 2011 vs. Union (Ky.)
8 – Oct. 22, 2011 vs. Briar Cliff
Bulldogs on the offensive
Led by White and Schamp, Concordia’s offensive attack rates among the best in the NAIA. Out of all 219 volleyball programs in the NAIA, the Bulldogs rank 16th in kills per game (13.28), 20th in assists per game (12.05), 21st in hitting percentage (.227) and 30th in aces per game (1.80). Each of those figures place Concordia second among GPAC teams.
Individually, Alayna Kavanaugh ranks 13th nationally in assists per game (10.46) and 35th in total assists (889). White rates 49th in the NAIA in both aces per game (0.44) and kills per game (3.3).
Scouting Briar Cliff
Briar Cliff enters Friday’s match with momentum after having toppled No. 21 Dordt in five sets in Sioux City, Iowa, on Wednesday. The Chargers also came close to pulling an upset of No. 11 Midland on Oct. 18 when the Warriors prevailed in another five-set match. Head coach Trevor Schirman’s squad, which ranks 32nd among all NAIA teams with 12.65 kills per game, has been solid away from home with records of 5-3 on the road and 6-1 in neutral matches. Junior defensive specialist Amy Frank tops the GPAC with 4.90 digs per set. Five Chargers have recorded more than 100 kills as part of a balanced offensive attack. Senior outside hitter Rachele Harrill leads the way with 249 kills for a squad that ranks 52nd in the NAIA with a .202 hitting percentage.
Scouting Dordt
Ranked 21st in this week’s NAIA coaches’ poll, the Defenders own a solid resume that includes six wins over top 25 opponents: No. 6 Grand View (Sept. 9), No. 15 Nebraska Wesleyan (Sept. 26), No. 16 Hastings (Sept. 20), No. 17 Rocky Mountain College (Aug. 22), No. 19 The Master’s College (Aug. 22) and No. 24 Davenport (Aug. 30). Mattera describes Dordt as a team that’s “big and powerful.” The 5-foot-11 sophomore middle/outside hitter Brooke Wolterstorff, a first team all-conference choice in 2013, exemplifies these traits to a tee. She is the team’s most potent attacker with 287 kills and a .284 hitting percentage. Dordt ranks 19th nationally in blocks per game (2.27) and 25th in hitting percentage (.222). Since 1998, Concordia has beaten the Defenders only once.
Bulldogs fend off Briar Cliff rally for five-set home victory
SEWARD, Neb. – Needing a win to remain in the hunt for a top-four placement in the GPAC standings, junior Claire White and the Concordia University volleyball team rose to the occasion. Behind a large “pink night” crowd, the Bulldogs held off Briar Cliff, 26-24, 25-23, 19-25, 18-25, 15-7, inside Walz Arena on Friday night.
The visiting Chargers (18-8, 7-6 GPAC), just two days removed from an upset of No. 21 Dordt, made Concordia earn it. The Bulldogs did so by limiting Briar Cliff to a .189 hitting percentage. Head coach Scott Mattera’s squad improved to 16-9 overall and 7-5 in GPAC play, putting it in a tie for fourth in the league standings.
“It’s pretty easy to be happy after that one,” Mattera said. “How can you not be unbelievably proud of the way they played, especially in that fifth game. It would have been really easy to hang our heads about 3 and 4.”
After Concordia allowed a 2-0 match lead to slip away, it then dominated the fifth set. During which senior Carli Smith dropped in back-to-back aces and the Bulldogs raced out to a 10-3 advantage. Concordia hit .444 in the fifth with three kills apiece being provided by the potent combo in the middle of senior Mariah Schamp and freshman Annie Friesen.
After a Schamp kill for point No. 14, the Bulldogs clinched their eighth home win in nine tries this season when Schamp denied Rachele Harrill at the net for match point.
“We just came out and played really intense,” Friesen said of the fifth game. “We played together and our energy was up the whole time. That just brought us together and helped us play awesome.”
While White (16 kills) had another fine effort on the attack, Friesen proved to be a big factor in the victory. The native of Wichita, Kan., piled up 11 kills on 17 swings and five blocks. Sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh dished out 51 assists while directing an attack that also got 14 kills from sophomore Paige Getz and 13 from Schamp.
Four different Bulldogs had at least one kill during the impressive fifth-game performance.
“I walked into the huddle before that fifth game and you just knew,” Mattera said. “It’s what we’ve been talking about ever since the match against Wesleyan (Tuesday). What’s your body language say about your confidence? Man we were confident in that fifth game.”
The Chargers stormed back to force the fifth game, even when it looked like Concordia may run away with game 4. The Bulldogs led 7-1, but fell behind 10-9 after a kill by star Charger Breanna Nogelmeier. The 6-foot-2 middle notched four of her six blocks in the third game to spur the Briar Cliff rally. Her run of defensive dominance limited the Bulldogs to an .068 hitting percentage in the third game.
But Concordia needed this one too much to let it get away.
“This one’s huge,” Friesen said. “It’s going to give us momentum for tomorrow and help us with everything.”
The Bulldogs got off to a good start thanks in large part to White, who piled up seven of her 16 kills in the first set. After falling behind 23-20, Concordia then ran off six of the next seven points with White slamming down set point. White finished the night with 300 kills on the season, making her the ninth player in program history to record back-to-back 300-plus kill seasons.
Katelin Langel topped Briar Cliff with 17 kills. Amy Frank turned in a match-high 18 digs for a squad that fell to Concordia for the first time since Oct. 5, 2012.
The Bulldogs turn around quickly on Saturday to host No. 21 Dordt (14-9, 8-4 GPAC) at 3 p.m. In their most recent outing, the Defenders were upset at Briar Cliff, 25-20, 25-20, 21-25, 22-25, 15-12. In last season’s meeting, then No. 18 Dordt defeated Concordia in straight sets on Oct. 26, 2013.
Skains sizzles in upset of No. 21 Dordt
SEWARD, Neb. – Matched against a powerful Dordt front row, the Concordia University volleyball team answered with a monster afternoon from sophomore Tiegen Skains. Just as it appeared that the 21st-ranked Defenders’ length up front would be too much, the Bulldogs stormed back for a thrilling home win, 25-19, 18-25, 17-25, 25-22, 15-9, inside Walz Arena on Saturday.
The victory put a bow on a weekend that also included a five-set home triumph over Briar Cliff on Friday night. Now 9-1 this season at Walz, the Bulldogs improved to 17-9 overall and 8-5 in conference play, moving them into a third-place tie with Dordt (14-10, 8-5 GPAC).
“In games 2 and 3 we were getting frustrated. You could see it,” head coach Scott Mattera said. “But we weren’t playing that bad. Dordt’s a great team. They stepped up their game.
“You saw it tonight why we’re willing to miss serves to go big. When we just popped them in, they ran it down our throats.”
While a more aggressive service approach paid off in the fourth and fifth sets, the work of Skains shined most brightly. Just how clutch was the Colorado Springs native? Five of her career and match high 20 kills came in a big-time game 5 performance.
“Tiegen was awesome,” Mattera said. “Twenty kills from the right side – that is an incredible match.”
Skains hammered down point Nos. 1, 4, 10, 11 and 13 in serving as a personal wrecking crew in the fifth set. Faced off with some of conference’s most imposing blockers, Skains figured out how to hit over, around and through them.
“Alayna (Kavanaugh) did a really good job of setting everybody to keep their blockers honest so no one could sit on one hitter,” Skains said. “I played with confidence and I wanted my teammates to get the ball too. If it came to me, I would do my best. Alayna did a really good job setting tonight.”
Kavanaugh did her part in the game 5 that saw her post six assists, two kills and an ace. Concordia ultimately celebrated the win when a Dordt attack sailed into the net, completing a rally from a 2-1 deficit after three sets.
The Bulldogs got back on track in the fourth set, hitting .333 and racking up 18 kills. Skains needed only seven swings to post six kills and Paige Getz came alive with six of her 10 kills during the fourth game. A cut on the hand did not bother Kavanaugh, who divvied out 15 of her 46 assists during this stretch that marked a complete reversal from the previous two sets.
“I think we just said, ‘what do we have to lose?’” Skains said. “This was not a game we were expected to win by any means. I think we just came out and played confident and played hard for each other.”
There were moments during the second set in which it seemed as though the Bulldogs were hitting straight into a brick wall. Towering 6-foot-5 Haley Moss totaled 13 blocks on the day with four coming during a dominating second-set performance. In addition, she put away six of her 14 kills during the run.
The Defenders also got solid production from their other front row stalwarts in 6-foot Jenna Horstman (10 kills, three blocks) and 5-foot-11 Brooke Wolterstorff (16 kills, four blocks). Dordt outhit Concordia by a slight .225 to .203 margin.
Junior Claire White came up with another nice all-around game, contributing 13 kills, 10 digs and an ace. Senior Carli Smith notched 13 digs and freshman Jocelyn Garcia added 12. In the middle, freshman Annie Friesen (four kills, five blocks) and senior Mariah Schamp (nine kills, four blocks) combined for 6.5 total blocks. With her nine kills, Schamp eclipsed 800 for her career (now at 806).
Concordia now owns three wins over ranked opponents: No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist (Sept. 5), No. 18 Hastings (Sept. 24) and No. 21 Dordt.
The Bulldogs dip outside of conference action for the final time during the regular season when they play at Bellevue University (19-16) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams last met on Sept. 1, 2012, when the then No. 19-ranked Bruins won in straight sets. Bellevue currently sits atop the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference with a league mark of 5-0.
Skains picks up highest GPAC weekly honor
SEWARD, Neb. – Following a career performance that fueled a five-set home win over No. 21 Dordt on Oct. 25, sophomore Tiegen Skains picked up her first-ever honor from the GPAC. On Tuesday the league named Skains the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports (overall) Volleyball Player of the Week.
“Tiegen was awesome,” head coach Scott Mattera said following the victory over Dordt. “Twenty kills from the right side – that is an incredible match.”
The Pine Creek High School product went off for six kills in game 4 and another five in game 5 to spur the upset win that has Concordia tied for third in the GPAC standings. The native of Colorado Springs finished with a career high 20 kills (only 32 attempts) just four days after putting up a then career best of 11 kills versus No. 15 (NCAA Division III) Nebraska Wesleyan on Oct. 21.
Skains piled up 38 combined kills on 79 swings (.316 hitting percentage) in leading Concordia to wins in two of last week’s three matches. After a four-set loss to Nebraska Wesleyan, Skains and company responded by defeating both Briar Cliff (Oct. 24) and Dordt in five sets over the weekend.
On the season, Skains ranks fourth on the team with 166 kills to go along with a .193 hitting percentage and 37 blocks.
Skains and the Bulldogs (17-9, 8-5 GPAC) return to the court tonight (Tuesday) to take on nonconference foe Bellevue University (19-16) in Bellevue, Neb., at 7 p.m. This week Concordia will also play at Mount Marty (10-17, 2-10 GPAC) on Friday and at Dakota Wesleyan (8-17, 1-12 GPAC) on Saturday.
Bulldogs fall in five-set heartbreak at MCAC-leading Bellevue
BELLEVUE, Neb. – On the road against a program that has made seven-straight national tournament appearances, the Concordia University volleyball team hoped to continue the momentum it built over the weekend. The Bulldogs came up one play short in a 21-25, 25-19, 25-22, 15-25, 16-14 loss to Bellevue University in Bellevue, Neb., on Tuesday night.
Third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s squad fell to 17-10 overall and 9-5 in nonconference outings. Tuesday marked the culmination of Concordia’s regular-season nonconference slate.
“We just didn't play well tonight,” Mattera said. “Credit Bellevue – their goal was to make things awkward for us and they absolutely succeeded in that. We simply could not find a rhythm on offense. Any time we hold a team to .146 (hitting percentage) and have 17 aces we should win big, but our offense simply didn't get it done. We've got to get better and we'll be right back in the gym working on it tomorrow.”
Following five-set GPAC wins over both Briar Cliff and No. 21 Dordt last week, the Bulldogs appeared comfortable in racing out to a 7-2 fifth-game lead after senior Jami Nekoliczak’s third ace of the night. Concordia later served for match point with a 14-12 lead, but the Bruins ran off four-straight points, with the final two coming on back-to-back kills by Beth Walker and Symone Faulkner, to send the Bulldogs to a heartbreaking defeat.
Concordia had put itself into position to grab a road win on the strength of its wicked serve game. The Bulldogs floored three aces early in the fifth set and routinely threw the host Bruins out of system with their aggressive serving. Five different Bulldogs recorded two or more aces: Jocelyn Garcia (5), Michala Maurer (3), Nekoliczak (3), Claire White (3) and Mariah Schamp (3).
After falling behind 2-1 in the match, the Bulldogs responded impressively by dominating the fourth set. During which, Bellevue made 14 attack or service errors, in part due to that Concordia serve game (season high 17 aces) that the Bruins never quite figured out.
However, Concordia failed to duplicate its typically potent offensive attack. The Bulldogs limited Bellevue to a .146 hitting percentage, but hit just .113 themselves. Mattera’s squad began play ranked 23rd in the NAIA with a season hitting percentage of .224.
When times got tight, Bellevue had Faulkner (team high 360 kills entering the match) to lean upon. She equaled a match high with 14 kills, including four big ones in the fifth set to lead the Bruins back. Bellevue entered the night with a record of 19-5 over its previous 24 matches.
White and Paige Getz topped the Bulldogs with 14 kills apiece. White added 12 digs and hit .414 in addition to her three aces. Sophomore Alayna Kavanaugh tossed out 39 assists, freshman Annie Friesen blocked six attacks and senior Carli Smith notched 16 digs. Named GPAC player of the week earlier in the day, sophomore Tiegen Skains registered six kills, including one that set up match point.
The series between the two in-state institutions has included long winning streaks on both sides. Concordia won the first 10 all-time meetings with Bellevue before the Bruins then won 12 of the next 14 matchups entering Tuesday. The Bulldogs have not defeated Bellevue since a straight-sets home win in 1995.
The Bulldogs will return to GPAC play as they head to South Dakota for a weekend getaway. Concordia will take on Mount Marty (10-17, 2-10 GPAC) at 7 p.m. on Friday prior to matching up with Dakota Wesleyan (8-17, 1-12 GPAC) at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Bulldogs have already defeated both Mount Marty and Dakota Wesleyan at home.
Balanced attack makes quick work of Mount Marty
YANKTON, S.D. – Having been pushed hard in its first meeting with Mount Marty, the Concordia University volleyball team ramped up its level of play on Friday night, trouncing the host Lancers, 25-19, 25-15, 25-17. The Bulldogs earned a season sweep of Mount Marty (11-18, 3-11 GPAC) and have now won three-consecutive GPAC matches.
Third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s squad bumped its records to 18-10 overall (surpassing last year’s 17 wins) and 9-5 in the GPAC. The latest win pulled Concordia back into a third-place tie with Dordt.
“We played really well tonight,” Mattera said. “When we rack up 39 kills and no one had double digits, you know our offense was back and running smooth. Defensively our discipline was fantastic and our serving was on point.
“Everyone had highlights but I'd credit Alayna (Kavanaugh) for a great mix, Claire (White) for a variety of shots and Michala Maurer really put us in good position with some great serving.”
After an off night in the loss at Bellevue University on Tuesday, the Bulldog offensive attack returned in impressive fashion on Friday. Sophomore Paige Getz (nine kills) led a quartet of hitters with between seven and nine kills. Freshman Annie Friesen (eight), senior Mariah Schamp (seven) and Claire White (seven) followed Getz in the kill department. They were facilitated by Kavanaugh, who piled up 32 assists.
Schamp needed only 14 swings to record her seven kills for a Bulldog squad that outhit the Lancers .255 to .075.
“Mariah Schamp played another really good match, hitting .500 on the night against a defense pinched to stop the middles,” Mattera said. “I'm so proud of how her and Annie totally understood when we asked them to sacrifice in the 3rd game and be decoys to open up the pin hitters.”
In the dominant win, Concordia trailed in just four brief instances all night – 1-0 in set one, 7-6 in set two, 8-7 in set two and 1-0 in set three. The Bulldogs pulled away in all three sets and really got going in the second when they hit .400 prior to attacking at a .308 clip in the third.
Friesen (three blocks) and company did a number on Lancer leading attacker Sierra Kloth (2.9 kills per game entering the night), holding her to two kills and a negative hitting percentage. Senior Carli Smith led the defensive effort in the back row with eight digs, tying Kavanaugh for a team high. White and Jocelyn Garcia added seven digs apiece.
Once again, the Bulldogs served missiles, piling up 12 aces (compared to Mount Marty’s five) on the evening. White dropped in five, Maurer floored three and Garcia added two.
Concordia improved to 9-9 away from Walz Arena. The Bulldogs are now 3-4 in GPAC road contests.
The Bulldogs continue their South Dakota trek on Saturday with a 4 p.m. match at Dakota Wesleyan (8-19, 1-13 GPAC). Concordia will seek a season sweep of the Tigers having already defeated them in four sets in Seward on Oct. 4. The Bulldogs can lock up a top-four GPAC seed and conference tournament quarterfinal home match with a win on Saturday.
Concordia clinches top-four league finish, GPAC tournament home match
MITCHELL, S.D. – The Concordia University volleyball team checked off one of its goals for this season by clinching a top-four seed in the GPAC tournament, which is set to begin Saturday, Nov. 8. The Bulldogs earned a quarterfinal home match by toppling Dakota Wesleyan, 25-17, 25-20, 25-23, in Mitchell, S.D., on Saturday behind a near perfect performance from freshman middle Annie Friesen.
At 19-10 overall and 10-5 in GPAC play, head coach Scott Mattera’s squad remains tied with Dordt for third place with one more contest left in the regular season.
“We handled our business in 1 and 2 and survived the third,” Mattera said. “Annie was huge and Alayna (Kavanaugh) did a great job of forcing it to her. Tiegen (Skains) and Jocelyn (Garcia) came up with some big momentum plays and we pushed through in the end when Dakota Wesleyan really stepped up their game.”
Friesen collected nine kills on only 13 swings. She also recorded three blocks as part of another big defensive effort for the Bulldogs. Dakota Wesleyan (8-20, 1-14 GPAC) hit just .086 for the match. Senior Carli Smith played a starring role with 22 digs.
Kavanaugh’s precision passing led to 37 assists and a team total of 42 kills on the afternoon. Junior Claire White concluded solid week by topping the team with 10 kills (.360 hitting percentage). She also added 11 digs.
Not surprisingly, Kavanaugh showed no discrimination in her desire to spread the ball around. Senior Mariah Schamp (three blocks) floored nine kills and Skains chipped in eight.
No Tiger hitter managed more than the five kills from Sammy Fluck. Dakota Wesleyan posted its highest hitting percentage in game 3 (.196) as it nearly took the Bulldogs to a fourth set just like the meeting earlier this season in Seward.
With four consecutive conference wins, Concordia has put itself in a position to tie for second place with ninth-ranked Midland. The Warriors are a game up on the Bulldogs after falling in four sets to No. 6 Northwestern, which remains unbeaten in league play.
The Bulldogs will host for the final time during the regular season when Midland (21-7, 11-4 GPAC) visits Walz Arena for a 7:30 p.m. (JV at 6) match on Wednesday. In the first meeting this season between the two teams, the then ninth-ranked Warriors topped Concordia in four sets. The Bulldogs have won nine of 10 home matches in 2014.
“Wednesday night was always a match we were pointing to,” Mattera said. “It’s senior night, Midland, and now it's for second place in the league.”
The Bulldogs have already cemented their highest conference placement since a second-place claim in 2001. The 2000 Concordia squad tied for the GPAC regular-season title.
Bulldogs ready for postseason after falling to No. 12 Midland
SEWARD, Neb. – Up against two of the nation’s top blockers, the Concordia University offensive attack had its work cut out for it. No. 12 Midland (22-7, 12-4 GPAC) used a strong defensive effort to limit the Bulldogs to a .089 hitting percentage as the visitors claimed a 25-17, 20-25, 25-20, 25-20 win inside Walz Arena on Wednesday night.
Third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s squad concludes the regular season at 19-11 overall and 10-6 in GPAC play. Tuesday’s loss means Concordia slots into the GPAC tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Bulldogs will host fifth-seeded Hastings (19-10, 9-7 GPAC) at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday in a quarterfinal match.
“We’ll get this thing figured out. It’s not the end of the world,” Mattera said. “We still have a playoff match on Saturday. We’ll learn from this.”
Concordia had a shot to claim the No. 3 seed by topping the Warriors, but the Bulldogs hit under .100 in three of the four sets, struggling to gain any traction on the attack.
With the match tied at one apiece, the Bulldogs led 15-11 in the third set with a chance to swing the contest in their favor. Midland got a kill by star Heather Pribyl on the next rally to initiate a Midland spurt of five-straight points. The Warriors took control and ended the third on a 14-5 run with set point coming on another Pribyl kill.
While stifling blockers Pribyl and Krystina Koepke posted three and four blocks, respectively, the defensive work of Darcy Barry (14 digs), Megan Farley (14 digs) and Molly Pettit (11 digs) stood out on this night. With that trio doing its thing in the back row, 96 of Concordia’s 157 attacks resulted in either Midland digs or Bulldog attack errors.
“We’ve got to put the ball away. That’s all there is to it,” Mattera said. “Honestly, we just didn’t get it done. Part of that’s passing, part of that’s setting and part of that’s hitting. We just need to clean it up. We didn’t play bad. The effort was OK. We fought most of the time.”
The Warrior attackers scorched out of the gates, hitting .348 in the opening set behind five kills (eight attempts) from Ashlee Harms. She finished second on the team with 11 kills to Pribyl’s 12.
For the Bulldogs, junior Claire White turned in another solid statistical performance. She did her part in game 4 with four kills on 11 swings. She ended up with 13 kills and 13 digs. Meanwhile, sophomore Paige Getz led the team in kills (15), sophomore Alayna Kavanaugh dished out 38 assists and senior Carli Smith paced Concordia with 22 digs.
Another key for Midland on Wednesday was its ability to deal with the Bulldogs’ typically unforgiving serve game. The Warriors held Concordia to a season low one ace (Smith). The Bulldogs had averaged nearly 12 aces per match over their previous three outings.
In a ceremony prior to first serve, Concordia honored its eight seniors. Among that group, Smith and Mariah Schamp have made the biggest statistical contributions. Schamp has 837 kills and 262 blocks over her 451 sets played during her four-year career as a starter. Smith has collected 1,744 digs over 410 career sets played.
It will be time to turn the page on Saturday when Hastings rolls into town. The Bulldogs and Broncos split two regular-season matches with the home team coming out on top in both instances. Mattera hopes for a rebound performance.
“We have to take care of our side of the net,” Mattera said. “It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side anymore. We’re at that level where if we play clean, we can beat anybody. We just didn’t play clean volleyball tonight.”
Volleyball welcomes Hastings for GPAC quarterfinal match on Saturday
SEWARD, Neb. – A breakthrough regular season for the Concordia University volleyball team means head coach Scott Mattera’s squad has earned the right to host fifth-seeded Hastings in the GPAC quarterfinals. As the No. 4 seed, the Bulldogs placed among the league’s top-four teams for the first time since a second-place finish in 2001. Saturday’s first serve is set for 7:30 p.m. inside Walz Arena.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” Mattera said. “We’ve got several performance goals. One of our volleyball performance goals is to be in that top four every year. Hosting first round was a big goal coming into this year as well as beating some teams we haven’t beaten for a long time so that other programs see us differently and we see ourselves differently.”
The match can be seen live via the Concordia Sports Network. Frank Greene will provide the play-by-play.
Concordia and Hastings met twice during the regular season. In both cases, the home team came out on top. Behind a spirited Walz crowd and a big fifth-set performance from junior Claire White, the Bulldogs defeated the then No. 18 Broncos, 22-25, 25-21, 25-20, 19-25, 15-12, on Sept. 24. Hastings returned the favor on Oct. 15 when it won it straight sets, 25-20, 26-24, 25-19, by outhitting Concordia, .252 to .107.
Head coach Matt Buttermore, a former Concordia assistant coach, has seen his squad get hot down the stretch. The Broncos enter postseason play with a three-match winning streak that has included victories over No. 9 Midland, Mount Marty and Doane. Hastings defeated Midland twice this season and also holds two other victories over ranked opponents.
White and the Bulldogs had won four-consecutive conference matches before running into No. 12 Midland on Wednesday night. A win could have lifted Concordia to the No. 3 seed, but it hit only .091 in the four-set loss.
The Bulldogs, now 9-2 at home this season, have wins over three ranked opponents: No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist, No. 18 Hastings and No. 21 Dordt. The only losses inside Walz Arena have come against top-25 foes: No. 15 (NCAA DIII) Nebraska Wesleyan and 12th-ranked Midland. The Broncos own a solid 7-4 record in true road matches.
Concordia (19-11)
Hitting %: .213 (4th in GPAC)
Kills/set: 13.0 (2nd)
Aces/set: 1.8 (2nd)
Blocks/set: 1.7 (9th)
Digs/set: 13.1 (10th)
Individual leaders
Kills: Claire White – 357 (3.2/game)
Assists: Alayna Kavanaugh – 1,132 (10.29/game)
Digs: Carli Smith – 391 (3.6/game)
Blocks: Mariah Schamp – 76 (0.7/game)
Aces: Claire White – 50 (0.5/game)
Hitting %: Mariah Schamp – .302
Hastings (19-10)
Hitting %: .165 (9th)
Kills/set: 12.0 (8th)
Aces/set: 1.5 (6th)
Blocks/set: 2.4 (1st)
Digs/set: 14.5 (8th)
Individual leaders
Kills: Katie Zoucha – 384 (3.4/game)
Assists: Katie Placke – 1,129 (9.7/game)
Digs: Jill Bax – 498 (4.3/game)
Blocks: Katie Placke – 89 (0.8/game)
Aces: Lindy Matthews – 49 (0.4/game)
Hitting %: Katie Placke – .251
Sterling defensive effort propels Bulldogs to GPAC semifinals
SEWARD, Neb. – Coming off its first top-four league regular-season finish since 2001, the Concordia University volleyball team saved its best defensive effort for its most important match of a breakthrough 2014 campaign. In front of another electric Walz Arena crowd, the fourth-seeded Bulldogs blitzed fifth-seeded Hastings, 25-20, 25-22, 25-19, in Saturday night’s GPAC quarterfinal tilt.
In head coach Scott Mattera’s three seasons at the helm of the program, this may have been the finest performance he’s seen.
“We knew we were capable of this, we just hadn’t put it all together,” Mattera said. “Tonight – wow.”
The visiting Broncos (19-11) entered the postseason with three-straight GPAC wins, including one over then ninth-ranked Midland on Oct. 29. But the Bulldogs never let Hastings get in any offensive rhythm on this particular night. Concordia came up with 10 blocks (season high for three-set match) and suffocated the Broncos to the tune of negative hitting percentages in all three sets.
Known as a team centered upon powerful hitters, the Bulldogs made some late-season defensive adjustments that paid off in a significant way against a rival that it lost to in straight sets on Oct. 15.
“We’ve always been an offensive-minded team,” Mattera said. “Over the last three or four matches we changed our blocking and defensive patterns a little bit. Now we’re holding teams down. For us to be winning games defensively, we’re happy.”
Freshman Jocelyn Garcia led a balanced defensive effort with her nine digs. Garcia and company held a 36-32 edge in digs to aid a .182 to -.036 advantage in hitting percentage. The Bulldogs also hung right with the Broncos at the net. Ranked in the top 10 nationally in blocks, Hastings had only a slight 11-10 lead in that category.
It all added up to the first conference tournament win since 2008 when Concordia (then assisted by current Bronco head coach Matt Buttermore) defeated Dakota Wesleyan in four sets in a GPAC opening round match.
“It’s just really exciting to be able to be part of it my freshman year,” Garcia said. “The crowd really brought it. Them showing up meant a lot.
“Coach told us to come out and play our best game that we’ve ever played. We just did that. We knew we could. We came together as a team.”
The Bulldogs closed out the win by playing their sharpest offensively in the third and final game. Sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh floored kills for point Nos. 24 and 25 to oust Hastings from the postseason. Kavanaugh led all players with four kills during a third set that saw six different Bulldogs pound attacks to the hardwood. Concordia hit .286 as part of the night-capping set.
Sophomore Tiegen Skains put up a match-high nine kills. Teammates Claire White and Mariah Schamp followed with eight kills apiece. Kavanaugh racked 29 assists. Defensively, Schamp had six blocks and Skains had five. Senior Carli Smith chipped in eight digs.
Hastings, held to just 21 kills (24 attack errors) for the match, got seven kills from star Katie Zoucha.
The Bulldogs will move on to play at No. 6 Northwestern (29-3), which won the GPAC regular-season title with a 15-1 league mark. In the only meeting this season, the Red Raiders defeated Concordia, 25-18, 25-19, 25-20, in Orange City, Iowa, on Sept. 26. Northwestern pummeled Mount Marty in straight sets on Saturday to set up Wednesday’s semifinal matchup with the Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m.
“We played our best game against Hastings and we just have to do the same against Northwestern,” Garcia said. “They’re a great team. We know it’s not going to be easy from here, but we’re going to put our best work in.”
Smith collects second career GPAC weekly award
SEWARD, Neb. – Fresh off its best collective defensive performance of the season, the Concordia University volleyball team fittingly had one of its own honored for her efforts in that aspect of the game. Senior Carli Smith has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week, as announced by the league on Tuesday. Smith received the same honor on Oct. 9, 2012.
Smith piled up 30 combined digs and passed serve receive at a 96.8 percent clip (only one reception error) over last week’s seven sets versus both No. 12 Midland and Hastings. The 5-foot-3 native of Temecula, Calif., dug up 22 attacks in the four-set loss to the Warriors. She then posted eight digs in the straight-sets GPAC quarterfinal win over Hastings. Smith played a key role in limiting the Broncos to negative hitting percentages in all three sets.
Over 417 career sets played, Smith has 1,752 digs and a serve receive percentage of 93.9. She leads the Bulldogs with 399 digs on the season. She also topped Concordia in digs in each of her first three years.
The Bulldog libero joins sophomores Alayna Kavanaugh and Tiegen Skains as teammates who have earned a weekly honor this season. Kavanaugh was named setter of the week on Sept. 23 and Skains reeled in the overall player of the week award on Oct. 28.
Smith and fourth-seeded Concordia (20-11) return to the court at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday when they go up against top-seeded and sixth-ranked Northwestern (29-3) in Orange City, Iowa. The winner will advance to Saturday’s GPAC title game and play either No. 12 Midland (23-7) or Dordt (18-10).
Volleyball seeks upset of top-seeded Northwestern in GPAC semifinal
SEWARD, Neb. – Coming off perhaps its best performance all season, the Concordia University volleyball team is set to trek to Orange City, Iowa, tonight (Wednesday) to take on top-seeded and seventh-ranked Northwestern. First serve is slated for 7:30 p.m. from the Bultman Center. The Red Raiders (29-3) will have a live webcast via their Stretch Internet portal.
While the task of blemishing Northwestern’s undefeated home record seems daunting (and it is), the Bulldogs appear to be playing well at the right time. The Concordia volleyball program has not knocked off the Red Raiders since 2005, but it’s been a season of “first time since …” for third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s squad.
“We played our best game against Hastings and we just have to do the same against Northwestern,” freshman Jocelyn Garcia said. “They’re a great team. We know it’s not going to be easy from here, but we’re going to put our best work in.”
So about all those “first time since” mentions for the Bulldogs. The 2014 team is the first to …
- Finish in the top four of the league standings since 2001
- Post 20 wins in a season since 2007
- Beat a ranked team since 2007 (2014 Bulldogs have three wins over ranked foes)
- Win at Morningside since 2003
- Defeat rivals Hastings and Doane since 2007
- Win a GPAC tournament game since 2008
A win at Northwestern would be as impressive an accomplishment as any of the aforementioned feats, but the Red Raiders pack a punch. Behind star senior outside hitter Kaitlin Floerchinger, Northwestern ranks seventh among all NAIA teams with a .271 hitting percentage. Floerchinger is a beast on the attack (4.1 kills/game – 15th in the NAIA) and possesses a wicked serve (eighth in the nation with 0.57 aces/game). She is complimented nicely by one of the nation’s top setters in Brooke Fessler.
As team, Norhwestern also ranks 11th nationally in kills per game (13.58), 12th in aces per game (2.02) and 38th in blocks per game (2.05).
Concordia counters with a steadily improving defensive game led by reigning GPAC defensive player of the week Carli Smith in the back row. The Bulldogs also own one of the top offensive teams in the NAIA, headlined by junior Claire White (3.2 kills per game). Among all 219 NAIA volleyball teams, Mattera’s squad ranks 22nd in aces per game (1.83), 23rd in kills per game (13.03) and 43rd in hitting percentage (.212).
In the only regular-season meeting between Concordia and Northwestern, the Red Raiders won, 25-18, 25-19, 25-20, by outhitting the Bulldogs, .333 to .204. Floerchinger enjoyed a big afternoon with 11 kills (24 attempts) and nine digs. White paced Concordia with 16 kills and eight digs.
“We’re going in with the same attitude (that we had versus Hastings). We don’t want to come back with any regrets,” Mattera said at Tuesday’s Concordia booster club gathering. “We can play them. We know we have to be cleaner than the first time around.”
Concordia (20-11)
Hitting %: .212 (4th in GPAC)
Kills/set: 13.0 (2nd)
Aces/set: 1.8 (2nd)
Blocks/set: 1.8 (7th)
Digs/set: 13.1 (10th)
Individual leaders
Kills: Claire White – 365 (3.2/game)
Assists: Alayna Kavanaugh – 1,161 (10.3/game)
Digs: Carli Smith – 399 (3.5/game)
Blocks: Mariah Schamp – 82 (0.7/game)
Aces: Claire White – 52 (0.5/game)
Hitting %: Mariah Schamp – .298
Northwestern (29-3)
Hitting %: .271 (1st)
Kills/set: 13.6 (1st)
Aces/set: 2.0 (1st)
Blocks/set: 2.1 (5th)
Digs/set: 15.4 (6th)
Individual leaders
Kills: Kaitlin Floerchinger – 447 (4.1/game)
Assists: Brooke Fessler – 1,258 (11.1/game)
Digs: Alexis Bart – 520 (4.6/game)
Blocks: Payton Samuelson – 99 (0.9/game)
Aces: Kaitlin Floerchinger – 63 (0.6/game)
Hitting %: Payton Samuelson – .375
Bulldogs go down swinging as ‘turning-point season’ concludes
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – A focused Northwestern squad had it all going on in the opening two sets of Wednesday’s GPAC semifinal battle with the Concordia University volleyball team. The seventh-ranked and top-seeded Red Raiders then staved off a spirited Bulldog rally to win, 25-17, 25-18, 22-25, 25-21, and advance to Saturday’s GPAC championship game.
The loss ends the season for third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s squad, which went 20-12 and finished in the top four of the GPAC standings for the first time since 2001.
“We are going to remember this season for a long time as a turning-point season,” Mattera said. “I’m very proud of this group and can't wait for a huge offseason.”
Concordia got something going its way in the third set when it opened up a 12-7 lead. Claire White made it 10-7 on a big momentum point after a long rally. Mariah Schamp followed with a kill in the middle that forced a Red Raider timeout. After Northwestern got back within two, Concordia responded and eventually held off Northwestern to win the third set when Annie Friesen dropped in a kill.
That momentum carried over into the fourth set as Concordia’s service game helped it jump out to a 7-4 lead after a White ace. The rest of the contest’s final game was nip and tuck until the Red Raiders went on a late run. They ended the Bulldog upset bid when Haley Chambers pounded down a kill for match point.
Tiegen Skains gave Concordia a 17-16 lead in the fourth set with her kill off an Alayna Kavanaugh assist. That’s when Northwestern showed the mettle the helped it blaze through the GPAC regular season with just a single loss. Star outside hitter Kaitlin Floerchinger hammered three late kills, including one that answered White’s powerful swing that got Concordia within 23-21.
“There was a point midway through the fourth that we thought we had them on the ropes, but they stepped up as a national title contender is supposed to,” Mattera said. “I'm so proud of this group of young ladies. They could have mailed it in after the almost perfect game northwestern threw at us in the first, but we fought back, played smart and forced a momentum shift after the break that almost got us over the top.”
Northwestern rolled through the first set by hitting an eye-popping .519 behind 14 Brooke Fessler assists. It looked as though the Red Raiders might just run the Bulldogs out of the gym. But with its season on the line, Concordia made the GPAC’s top seed work for its 30th win of the campaign.
Karlie Schut emerged as the biggest star of the night. She piled up a match high 17 kills for Northwestern. White tried to match her on the other side of the net. The native of Exeter, Neb., powdered five of her team high 10 kills in the final set as Concordia came close to forcing a fifth game.
In service, both White and Michala Maurer registered three aces for a Bulldog squad that had nine aces. It wasn’t enough to overcome a .327 to .155 disadvantage in hitting percentage against one of the nation’s most potent attacks.
Both Skains and Schamp (five blocks) added seven kills apiece. Kavanaugh ended up with 28 assists and eight digs. Senior Carli Smith paced the Bulldogs with nine digs.
Despite the loss, Mattera’s program has laid a solid foundation for the 2015 season. The 2014 Bulldogs defeated three ranked opponents, came through with the first 20-win season in seven years and moved into the top-four of one of the NAIA’s top volleyball conferences.
Said Smith as the stretch run beckoned: “I really don't want this to be my last season. I see where this program is right now and where it's going, and it makes me so proud of my teammates and coaches of where we are and how we got here. We have pushed so hard this season.”
Volleyball nets four first or second team all-conference selections
GPAC all-conference volleyball teams
SEWARD, Neb. – Following its highest league finish in 13 years, the Concordia University volleyball team placed two representatives on the GPAC’s all-conference first team and two apiece on second team and honorable mention, as announced by the conference on Wednesday. With both sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh and junior outside hitter Claire White earning first team recognition, 2014 marks the first season since 2007 in which two Bulldog volleyball players received placement among the GPAC’s most elite grouping.
Meanwhile, seniors Mariah Schamp and Carli Smith collected second team all-conference honors and sophomores Paige Getz and Tiegen Skains garnered honorable mention status.
Kavanaugh emerged as one of the nation’s most reliable setters in her second season at the collegiate level. Her 1,189 assists in 2014 ranks as the fourth-highest single-season total in program history. The former Lincoln Christian High School star ranked 21st nationally (second in the GPAC) with an average of 10.16 assists per game in directing an attack that posted 12.9 kills per game. Kavanaugh contributed in many other ways, chipping in 103 kills and 24 aces.
White, an honorable mention choice last season, moves up to the first team this year. The native of Exeter, Neb., did it all for the Bulldogs in 2014. She led the team with 375 kills (14th most in school history) while ranking 29th among all NAIA players with 55 aces. She also piled up 282 digs and passed serve receive at a 93.6 percent rate. White has 714 kills over two seasons at Concordia and 729 in three collegiate seasons. She also has 584 digs in her two years as a Bulldog since transferring from Washburn University.
For the third-straight year, Schamp has appeared on the all-conference list. An second team choice as a junior and honorable mention pick as a sophomore, the middle from Arvada, Colo., put up 244 kills, 87 blocks and a team best .301 hitting percentage over 116 sets in her final season as a Bulldog. In her career, Schamp compiled 852 kills and 349 blocks.
Smith has also collected her third-consecutive all-conference honors (two second teams, one honorable mention). A two-time GPAC defensive player of the week during her career, the Temecula, Calif., native again led Concordia defensively from the back row. She topped the team in digs for the fourth year in a row by recording 408 as a senior. She also passed serve receive at a clip of 92.6 percent in 2014. In her career, Smith totaled 1,761 digs and an average of 4.18 per set.
Both Getz and Skains have been named all-conference for the first time in their careers. Getz, an outside hitter from Paola, Kan., went over 300 kills for the second-straight season with her career high figure of 306. From the right side, Skains, named GPAC overall player of the week on Oct. 28, racked up 206 kills and 47 blocks. Her career best 20 kills on Oct. 25 helped the Bulldogs upend No. 21 Dordt in five sets.
Led by its six all-conference performers, head coach Scott Mattera’s squad went 20-12 overall, reached the GPAC semifinals and knocked off three ranked teams during a breakthrough 2014 campaign.
White, Kavanaugh named to AVCA NAIA all-region team
SEWARD, Neb. – More postseason honors have rolled in for junior Claire White and sophomore Alayna Kavanaugh. The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) placed White on its West Central All-Region team while Kavanaugh received honorable mention all-region accolades. White and Kavanaugh are two of 22 players named to the West Central Region team.
White, a first team all-GPAC choice in 2014 did it all for the Bulldogs in 2014. The native of Exeter, Neb., led the team with 375 kills (14th most in school history) while ranking 29th among all NAIA players with 55 aces. She also piled up 282 digs and passed serve receive at a 93.6 percent rate. White has 714 kills over two seasons at Concordia and 729 in three collegiate seasons. She also has 584 digs in her two years as a Bulldog since transferring from NCAA Division II Washburn University.
Kavanaugh, also a first team all-conference pick, emerged as one of the nation’s most reliable setters in her second season at the collegiate level. Her 1,189 assists in 2014 ranks as the fourth-highest single-season total in program history. The former Lincoln Christian High School star ranked 21st nationally (second in the GPAC) with an average of 10.16 assists per game in directing an attack that posted 12.9 kills per game. Kavanaugh contributed in many other ways, chipping in 103 kills and 24 aces.
White and Kavanaugh were key cogs for a Bulldog squad that broke through with a 2014 campaign that included 20 overall wins, three victories over ranked opponents, a fourth-place GPAC finish and a conference tournament semifinal appearance.
Bulldog volleyball tops nation with 10 Scholar-Athletes
2014 Daktronics-NAIA Volleyball Scholar-Athletes
SEWARD, Neb. – For the second-straight year, the Concordia University volleyball program has topped all 219 NAIA volleyball programs in total number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes. Ten different Bulldogs have received the honor for the 2014 campaign, including repeat selections Amanda Abbott, Kayla James, Michala Maurer, Audrey Mehl and Mariah Schamp.
First-time Scholar-Athlete honorees are juniors Katie Peterson, Kayla Sombke, Claire White and Libby Zagel and senior Jami Nekoliczak.
Last year Concordia volleyball tied the national lead with a total of seven NAIA Scholar-Athletes. That figure led all GPAC schools.
In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved a junior academic status. A total of 455 volleyball student-athletes across the nation were named scholar-athletes by the NAIA.
Concordia University ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 1,051 and counting. During the 2013-14 academic year, Concordia garnered 101 Scholar-Athlete honorees (most in the NAIA) and 17 NAIA Scholar-Teams (tied for fourth nationally).
Concordia University, Nebraska, founded in 1894, is a fully accredited, coeducational university located in Seward, Neb., that currently serves over 2,200 students. Concordia offers more than 50 professional and liberal arts programs in an excellent academic and Christ-centered community that equips men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world.
2014 Concordia volleyball scholar-athletes
- Amanda Abbott, Sr. | Temecula, Calif. | Elementary Education
- Kayla James, Sr. | Kearney, Neb. | Biology
- Michala Maurer, Sr. | Columbus, Neb. | Middle Level Education - Math & Language Arts
- Audrey Mehl, Sr. | Concordia, Mo. | Secondary Education
- Jami Nekoliczak, Sr. | Greeley, Neb. | Behavior Science
- Katie Peterson, Jr. | Ord, Neb. | Biology
- Mariah Schamp, Sr. | Arvada, Colo. | Director of Christian Education and Psychology
- Kayla Sombke, Jr. | Indianapolis, Ind. | Early Childhood Education
- Claire White, Jr. | Exeter, Neb. | Environmental Science
- Libby Zagel, Jr. | Brighton, Colo. | Accounting
White earns AVCA and Tachikara-NAIA Honorable Mention All-America
SEWARD, Neb. – Named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) West Central All-Region team last week, Concordia University junior Claire White was elevated to AVCA and Tachikara-NAIA Honorable Mention All-America status on Monday. White is one of 94 players in the NAIA to be placed on the first, second, third or honorable mention teams.
The native of Exeter, Neb., claimed first team all-conference honors in 2014 after posting 375 kills, 55 aces, 282 digs and 33 blocks while passing serve receive at a 93.6 percent clip over 118 sets. White has 714 kills over two seasons at Concordia and 729 in three collegiate seasons. She also has 584 digs in her two years as a Bulldog since transferring from NCAA Division II Washburn University.
In leading Concordia to a 20-12 overall record, White posted 13 matches with a double-double in kills and digs. Her 20-kill performance on Sept. 5 powered a four-set win over No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist, marking the program’s first victory over a ranked opponent in seven years. White equaled a career high with 21 kills in a home win over Dakota Wesleyan on Oct. 4.
Since White’s arrival, third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs own a two-year mark of 37-26. The 2014 Bulldogs placed fourth in the GPAC for the program’s first top-four league finish since 2001. Concordia also won a GPAC tournament match for the first time since 2008 and reached the conference semifinals.
Smith and White headline All-Nebraska volleyball honorees
SEWARD, Neb. – Both senior Carli Smith and junior Claire White have been named to Omaha World-Herald’s NAIA All-Nebraska volleyball team, as announced on Christmas day. In addition, sophomore Alayna Kavanaugh and senior Mariah Schamp received honorable mention recognition, giving the Concordia University volleyball program a total of four honorees. Last season Smith and White were tabbed honorable mention by the Omaha World-Herald.
White, a first team All-GPAC, all-region and honorable mention All-America choice, did it all for the Bulldogs in 2014. The native of Exeter, Neb., led the team with 375 kills (14th most in school history) while ranking 29th among all NAIA players with 55 aces. She also piled up 282 digs and passed serve receive at a 93.6 percent rate. White has 714 kills over two seasons at Concordia and 729 in three collegiate seasons. She also has 584 digs in her two years as a Bulldog since transferring from Washburn University.
Smith collected her third-consecutive all-conference honor in 2014 (two second teams, one honorable mention). A two-time GPAC defensive player of the week during her career, the Temecula, Calif., native again led Concordia defensively from the back row. She topped the team in digs for the fourth year in a row by recording 408 as a senior. She also passed serve receive at a clip of 92.6 percent in 2014. In her career, Smith totaled 1,761 digs and an average of 4.18 per set.
For the third-straight year, Schamp appeared on the all-conference list. A two-time second team choice and honorable mention pick as a sophomore, the middle from Arvada, Colo., put up 244 kills, 87 blocks and a team best .301 hitting percentage over 116 sets in her final season as a Bulldog. In her career, Schamp compiled 852 kills and 349 blocks.
Kavanaugh, also an all-region selection, emerged as one of the nation’s most reliable setters in her second season at the collegiate level. Her 1,189 assists in 2014 ranks as the fourth-highest single-season total in program history. The former Lincoln Christian High School star ranked 21st nationally (second in the GPAC) with an average of 10.16 assists per game in directing an attack that posted 12.9 kills per game. Kavanaugh contributed in many other ways, chipping in 103 kills and 24 aces.
OWH NAIA All-Nebraska Team
H Heather Pribyl, Midland, Sr.
H Claire White, Concordia, Jr.
H Mallory Babic, College of St. Mary, Jr.
H Symone Faulkner, Bellevue, Jr.
H Ashlee Harms, Midland, Jr.
H Katie Zoucha, Hastings, Sr.
S Megan Farley, Midland, Sr.
S Beth Walker, Bellevue, Jr.
L Carli Smith, Concordia, Sr.
L Mackenzie Ashton, Nebraska Wesleyan, Sr.
Honorary captain: Megan Farley, Midland
Honorable mention: Alexis Anderson, Aysha Janssen, Jessica Kuehner, Megan Reabe, College of St. Mary; Alayna Kavanaugh, Mariah Schamp, Concordia; Julie Els, Shelbi Mlynczak, Haley Norvell, Doane; Chelsea Entz, Grace; Logan Drueppel, Hastings; KC Heimann, Midland; Alyssa Stanek, Katelyn Walsh, Nebraska Wesleyan; Bre Brandt, Mallory Hull, Rian Kirby, Jennifer Ostrowski, Peru State; Sarah Mertens, Nicole Gates, Melanie Baxa, York College.
How Concordia volleyball got its groove back
NOTE: The following feature piece first appeared in the winter edition of Concordia University's Broadcaster magazine.
By Jake Knabel, Director of Athletic Communications
Sept. 24, 2014, is the date that Concordia volleyball got its groove back. A large white-out student contingent made Walz Arena quiver as the Bulldogs took out GPAC rival and 18th-ranked Hastings in a thrilling five-set victory. The breakthrough win propelled the Bulldogs to a top-four league finish for the first time since 2001.
It’s been a season of “first time since” mentions for third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s program, now pulsating with a winning vibe. It had been seven years since the Bulldogs had defeated either Doane or Hastings, upended a ranked opponent or racked up 20 wins in a season. It had been 11 years since Concordia claimed a win at Morningside. The program had waited six years for a GPAC tournament triumph. The Bulldogs happened to accomplish all of those things in 2014, and behind those raucous, party-like crowds, Mattera’s squad lost only twice in 12 home matches.
In 2014, Concordia volleyball buzzed on campus. Students found out just how much fun they could have watching a Claire White right-hand smash dent the floorboards.
“It's cool to be walking to class when someone you don't really know very well yells, ‘Hey, awesome game last night!’” sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh said. “I have heard a lot more chatter about the volleyball program (on campus), and it feels pretty great.”
The excitement began to brew in 2013 when the Bulldogs recorded their first winning season since 2007. Mattera, who arrived at Concordia in the spring of 2012, quickly helped the program become competitive, even when faced with some of the GPAC’s heavyweights. While the Bulldogs had averaged just over 10 wins per season over the four prior seasons, the former Montreat College assistant believed strongly he could steer Bulldog volleyball back up the league standings.
Mattera saw several advantages for a Concordia program that had enjoyed success in recent history, hanging a GPAC title banner in 2000 when Rachel Miller starred prior to becoming the Bulldog head coach and guiding her teams to 107 wins from 2005 to 2011.
The new head dog may have inherited a ninth-place team, but there was a lot to like beneath the surface.
“When God opened the door for me to be here, I knew the infrastructure was in place with the beautiful facilities and the support athletes are given here,” Mattera said. “The foundation was already here.
“In terms of the plan, I’ve been part of a couple of turnarounds. I’ve been fortunate enough to do that. The first thing that needs to change is the mindset about the expectations as far as what we’re capable of and what it looks like. That first year was just about building trust, getting back to the basics of volleyball and implementing the things we’re going to do in the future.”
Miller, who now serves as an operations assistant to Mattera, succeeded greatly at building positive relationships with student-athletes, so some like then freshman defensive specialist Carli Smith struggled at first with the news that the coach who recruited her to Concordia was stepping away.
“She was a great coach and I have so much respect for her,” Smith said. “As every athlete would have been, I was a little skeptical going in to the process of finding a new coach. However, this situation worked out great. Coach Mattera has come in and has done a fantastic job of turning this into a great winning program. We, as a team, have a lot of respect for him as a person on and off the court and he has really made these years enjoyable for us as a team.”
With Smith, middle Mariah Schamp and other current seniors such as Amanda Abbott, Kayla James and Jami Nekoliczak, Mattera had a group of exemplary leaders. Plus Schamp was already one of the team’s most athletic players, but reinforcements were needed.
Enter the 2013 recruiting class of high school standouts Paige Getz, Kavanaugh, Tiegen Skains, Taylor Workman and NCAA Division II Washburn University transfer Claire White. All five have been instrumental in the resurgence of the program. White possesses an incredibly well-rounded game, Getz and Skains hit bullets on the ends, Kavanaugh facilitates one of the nation’s top offensive attacks and Workman dominated in the middle until tearing her ACL on Sept. 27.
Skains, who had shown interest in Montreat with Mattera still on staff, committed to the Bulldogs first following Mattera’s introduction as head coach. Workman had already been recruited by then graduate assistant Alex Szalawiga. Getz and Mattera met at a University of Nebraska camp and Kavanaugh, though not a setter in high school, sent in video that caught the eye of Concordia’s new leader.
Now they’ve come together to collaborate on a winning program.
“It's awesome being part of the class that helped turn things around and to have people recognize that,” Skains said. “Paige, Alayna, Taylor and Claire are all awesome athletes and it's been so fun winning games with them by my side. It would've been easy to go to a winning program and continue the streak, but there's something special about seeing a program change and knowing you were part of that.”
Skains played a huge role in another of Concordia’s ‘we-have-arrived’ wins. The sophomore right side exploded for a career high 20 kills, including five in the fifth set, of an upset of No. 21 Dordt on Oct. 25 that suddenly made an at-large national tournament bid seem like a possibility.
With Skains flooring momentum-building kills over, around an through an imposing Defender front row, Concordia sat on the verge of locking up that heavily-sought after top-four GPAC finish. At that point, there was no turning back. The culture had transformed.
“It is an amazing and rewarding feeling,” Smith said. “I really don't want this to be my last season. I see where this program is right now and where it's going, and it makes me so proud of my teammates and coaches of where we are and how we got here.”
The elevated play has brought a dynamic electricity to the game day atmosphere. The student sections have been large and boisterous, and they have embraced Hawaiian, Halloween and pink night themes. Opponents are finding out what a chore it is to come out of Walz with a win.
“I’ll be honest, we’ve never had a doubt that we would get there on the floor,” Mattera said. “There’s never been an idea that somehow this would fail and we wouldn’t get there, but quietly we’ve always been skeptical about whether we could draw a crowd here that’s that active and into the games. This year they have absolutely blown me away and blown our team away.”
With the bulk of its nucleus returning in 2015, this past season may be used as a springboard for even bigger things. While the Bulldogs may soon reach tremendous heights, the season gone by will always be viewed as a special year. In 2014, Concordia volleyball became hip and vogue. Think Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.”
If you missed it, you missed one great party – 12 of them actually.
“For us it’s a subtle mind shift,” Mattera said of the turnaround. “More importantly, we’re proving it to the community that we’re on the right track and we’re on the way up. I think you can see that with the buzz around campus and the crowds we’ve been getting. The way people look at us and talk to us is a little bit different than a few years back.”