2019 Volleyball Schedule/Results
25-8 overall | 11-5 GPAC (3rd) | Season Stats | Roster
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time/Result | Record |
| Aug. 21 | York College | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 1-0 |
| Aug. 23 | Baker University | Orange City, Iowa | W, 3-0 | 2-0 |
| Aug. 24 | Wayland Baptist University (Texas) | Orange City, Iowa | W, 3-0 | 3-0 |
| Aug. 24 | (19) Corban University (Ore.) | Orange City, Iowa | W, 3-0 | 4-0 |
| Aug. 30 | Waldorf University | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 5-0 |
| Aug. 31 | Mayville State University (N.D.) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 6-0 |
| Aug. 31 | Benedictine College (Kan.) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 7-0 |
| Sept. 4 | *(14) Hastings College | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 8-0, 1-0 |
| Sept. 6 | Graceland University (Iowa) | Baldwin City, Kan. | W, 3-0 | 9-0 |
| Sept. 7 | Haskell Indian Nations University (Kan.) | Baldwin City, Kan. | W, 3-0 | 10-0 |
| Sept. 7 | Baker University (Kan.) | Baldwin City, Kan. | W, 3-0 | 11-0 |
| Sept. 11 | *(25) College of Saint Mary | Omaha, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 12-0, 2-0 |
| Sept. 14 | *(9) Midland University | Seward, Neb. | L, 2-3 | 12-1, 2-1 |
| Sept. 17 | *Morningside College | Sioux City, Iowa | L, 1-3 | 12-2, 2-2 |
| Sept. 21 | Peru State College | Peru, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 13-2 |
| Sept. 25 | *Doane University | Crete, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 14-2, 3-2 |
| Sept. 28 | *(25) College of Saint Mary | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 15-2, 4-2 |
| Oct. 2 | *Hastings College | Hastings, Neb. | L, 1-3 | 15-3, 4-3 |
| Oct. 5 | *(8) Midland University | Fremont, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 16-3, 5-3 |
| Oct. 9 | *Doane University | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 17-3, 6-3 |
| Oct. 11 | *(25) Morningside College | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 18-3, 7-3 |
| Oct. 19 | *(22) Dordt College | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 19-3, 8-3 |
| Oct. 25 | *Briar Cliff University | Sioux City, Iowa | W, 3-2 | 20-3, 9-3 |
| Oct. 26 | *Mount Marty College | Yankton, S.D. | W, 3-0 | 21-3, 10-3 |
| Oct. 31 | *(8) University of Jamestown | Seward, Neb. | L, 2-3 | 21-4, 10-4 |
| Nov. 3 | *Dakota Wesleyan University | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 22-4, 11-4 |
| Nov. 6 | *(1) Northwestern College | Orange City, Iowa | L, 0-3 | 22-5, 11-5 |
| GPAC Tournament | ||||
| Nov. 9 | Doane University (Quarterfinals) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 23-5 |
| Nov. 13 | (8) University of Jamestown (Semifinals) | Jamestown, N.D. | L, 2-3 | 23-6 |
| NAIA Volleyball National Championship | ||||
| Dec. 3 | (19) Montana Tech | Pool Play | Sioux City, Iowa | W, 3-1 | 24-6 |
| Dec. 4 | University of Saint Mary (Kan.) | Pool Play | Sioux City, Iowa | W, 3-0 | 25-6 |
| Dec. 5 | (3) Indiana Wesleyan University | Pool Play | Sioux City, Iowa | L, 2-3 | 25-7 |
| Dec. 6 | (4) Missouri Baptist University | Rd of 16 | Sioux City, Iowa | L, 0-3 | 25-8 |
2019 Roster
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| 1 | Bree Green | S/DS | 5-8 | Fr. | Gretna, Neb. | Millard West HS |
| 3 | Tristin Mason | DS | 5-6 | Jr. | Hampton, Neb. | Hampton HS |
| 4 | Tara Callahan | S/RS | 6-1 | Jr. | Brady, Neb. | Brady HS |
| 5 | Kennedy Vanscoy | DS | 5-3 | Fr. | Waverly, Neb. | Waverly HS |
| 6 | Kaci Hohenthaner | S | 5-7 | Sr. | Council Bluffs, Iowa | Lewis Central HS / Iowa Western CC |
| 7 | Tatum Kuti | RS | 5-10 | Fr. | Omaha, Neb. | Omaha Marian HS |
| 8 | Emmie Noyd | MB | 6-2 | Sr. | Shelby, Neb. | Shelby-Rising City HS |
| 9 | Kaylie Dengel | DS | 5-8 | Sr. | Bellevue, Neb. | Bellevue East HS |
| 10 | Camryn Opfer | OH | 6-0 | Fr. | Seward, Neb. | Seward HS |
| 11 | Jadeyn Stutzman | DS | 5-3 | So. | Grand Island, Neb. | Grand Island Northwest HS |
| 12 | Marissa Hoerman | DS | 5-7 | Jr. | Evergreen, Colo. | Evergreen HS |
| 13 | Arleigh Costello | RS | 5-11 | So. | Gothenburg, Neb. | Gothenburg HS |
| 14 | Allison Klipp | DS | 5-8 | Jr. | Tobias, Neb. | Meridian HS |
| 15 | Mary Nibbe | S/RS | 6-2 | Fr. | Red Cloud, Neb. | Red Cloud HS |
| 16 | Morgan James | DS | 5-7 | So. | Bellevue, Neb. | Bellevue West HS |
| 17 | Kalee Wiltfong | OH | 5-10 | Fr. | Doniphan, Neb. | Doniphan-Trumbull HS |
| 18 | Kayla Ernstmeyer | MB | 5-9 | So. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Lutheran HS |
| 19 | Morgan Nibbe | MB/RS | 6-1 | So. | Red Cloud, Neb. | Red Cloud HS |
| 20 | Brooke Baugh | OH/RS | 6-0 | Jr. | Friend, Neb. | Friend HS |
| 21 | Erica Heinzerling | OH | 5-11 | So. | Ankeny, Iowa | Centennial HS |
| 22 | Erin Johnson | DS | 5-4 | So. | Daykin, Neb. | Meridian HS |
| 23 | Maggie Durbin | OH/RS | 5-10 | Jr. | Omaha, Neb. | Millard West HS |
| 25 | Shelby Jones | S | 5-8 | Fr. | Ainsworth, Neb. | Ainsworth HS |
| 27 | Kara Stark | OH/RS | 6-2 | Jr. | Frisco, Texas | Prince of Peace Christian HS |
| 29 | Raymi Marquardt | DS | 5-5 | Sr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Lutheran HS / U. of Nebraska |
| 30 | Hannah Beethe | OH | 5-8 | So. | Exeter, Neb. | Exeter-Milligan HS |
| 31 | Ally Glaser | UTIL | 5-9 | So. | LaVista, Neb. | Papillion-LaVista HS |
| Harlie Himmelberg | DS | 5-3 | Sr. | Lawrence, Neb. | Lawrence-Nelson HS |
STAFF
Ben Boldt, Head Coach (2nd Year)
Angie Boldt, Assistant Coach
Rachel Losch, Graduate Assistant Coach
Katie Funk and Victoria Oviedo, Managers
Allison Echtenkamp and Jenna Eller, Student Coaches
Callahan chosen as NAIA National Setter of the Week
September 10
SEWARD, Neb. – Named GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Setter of the Week earlier in the day, junior Tara Callahan has also been selected as the NAIA National Setter of the Week. She is the first member of the Concordia University volleyball program to garner a national weekly award since Alayna Kavanaugh collected the NAIA’s Setter of the Week honor on Nov. 1, 2016. Callahan has already raked in two GPAC weekly accolades this season.
Callahan continues to distribute the ball for an attack that tops the NAIA in hitting percentage (.300). As part of last week’s four victories, Callahan averaged 11.54 assists per set (150 total assists). She also contributed 28 digs, 12 kills and five blocks. Her 43 assists versus Baker University (Kan.) capped off the week that also included wins over No. 14 Hastings, Graceland University (Iowa) and Haskell Indian Nations University (Kan.). Concordia hit .269 over the four wins. The Brady, Neb., native currently ranks third among all NAIA setters with an average of 11.69 assists per set.
Callahan and the Bulldogs (11-0, 1-0 GPAC) are getting set to head to College of Saint Mary (15-3, 1-0 GPAC) for a 7:30 p.m. CT first serve on Wednesday. Concordia will also host No. 8 Midland (9-3, 1-0 GPAC) at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Noyd powers win at No. 25 College of Saint Mary
September 11
OMAHA, Neb. – The GPAC grind is on. In its first road test within conference play, the Concordia University volleyball team followed the script it used a week earlier in the victory over then 14th-ranked Hastings. The Bulldogs dropped the first set at No. 25 College of Saint Mary and then stormed back for a 21-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-22, victory at the Lied Fitness Center in Omaha on Wednesday (Sept. 11) night.
These are the types of wins it will take for second-year head coach Ben Boldt’s squad to garner more favor in the conference and national polls. Not yet sniffing votes in this week’s new NAIA poll, the Bulldogs have blazed to a 12-0 start (2-0 GPAC).
“It was a typical night in the GPAC,” said Boldt in a postgame interview aired on 104.9 Max Country. “You find a way to win and hope you play clean volleyball along the way. Those last three sets our serve and pass was good. There were some times where we weren’t getting the best attacks over the net, but I’m really proud of them. That’s one that you’ve got to grind through. That was our word for it. Just keep grinding.”
Keep grinding and lean upon the hot hand of senior middle blocker Emmie Noyd. It was a winning formula on Wednesday. Noyd smashed 18 kills and recorded six blocks while hitting .395. Noyd kept on smoldering for an attack that had its most success in the third set (17 kills, .371 hitting percentage). Kara Stark (12), Camryn Opfer (11) and Kalee Wiltfong (11) joined Noyd with double figure kill totals.
On the other side of the net, Elizabeth Dlouhy was tough foe to handle. She put down 15 kills on 21 swings while giving the Flames (15-4, 1-1 GPAC) a shot. Dlouhy and company hit .379 in that opening set that got away from Concordia late in the sequence. College of Saint Mary rotated Natalie Patten and Alexis Petry at the setter position (43 combined assists).
Recognized as the NAIA National Setter of the Week on Tuesday, junior Tara Callahan dished out 51 more assists on Wednesday. But these types of grinders can often come down to gritty defensive play. Concordia was able to hold College of Saint Mary to a .168 hitting percentage with the use of 8.5 blocks and dig totals of 15 by Kaylie Dengel and 13 by Marissa Hoerman (who also dropped in three aces).
Wednesday’s match marked the third time this season that the Bulldogs have fell in the opening set only to rally back and claim victory. There’s a growing confidence that this team can emerge triumphant no matter the circumstances. This was another program builder over a Flames squad that made enough waves to crack the national rankings.
“Our message going into the game was that everyone wants to win,” Boldt said. “But the people who do are the ones who are willing to separate the want to win and the work to win. I was really proud of them after coming out and losing the first set. They buckled down, trusted each other and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this.’”
A conference showdown with No. 9 Midland (10-3, 2-0 GPAC) looms on Saturday when the Bulldogs will attempt to end an eight-match series skid. Concordia came close to upsetting the Warriors (five-set defeat) in Fremont near the end of the 2018 regular season. Saturday’s first serve is set for 3 p.m. CT Walz Arena.
Volleyball looks for positive response following season's first loss
September 16
SEWARD, Neb. – For the first time this season, the Concordia University volleyball team is looking to bounce back from a loss. The Bulldogs were edged out in five sets by ninth-ranked Midland to close last week’s action. Three days earlier, head coach Ben Boldt’s squad picked up a road win over No. 25 College of Saint Mary. Concordia will be back on the road for both of its matches this week.
This Week
Tuesday, Sept. 17 at Morningside (8-4, 0-3), 7:30 p.m.
-Live coverage: Webcast | Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Saturday, Sept. 21 at Peru State (3-13), 2 p.m.
-Live coverage: Webcast/Stats
The Bulldogs (12-1, 2-1 GPAC) know they are headed in the right direction. As Boldt put it following the loss to Midland, “We’re a team that’s growing up.” It doesn’t hurt to have a senior like middle blocker Emmie Noyd leading the way. There were times again last week during which she appeared nearly unstoppable. She went off for eight of her match high 20 kills in the third set versus Midland. Among all NAIA players, Noyd ranks fourth in hitting percentage (.376) and 18th in kills per set (4.0). The native of Shelby, Neb., also added 14 blocks last week (45 for the season).
Last week’s performances could help Concordia gain greater respect in the national poll. Despite being ranked in the top 10 of the NAIA by Massey Ratings, the Bulldogs have not yet received votes in the official NAIA poll – likely due to lowly rated strength of schedule. However, Concordia now has three wins over opponents that were ranked at the time matches were contested: No. 14 Hastings, No. 19 Corban University (Ore.) and No. 25 College of Saint Mary. In the poll released on Sept. 11, Corban shot up eight spots to No. 11.
The Bulldogs will try to shore up an area of their game that had been a strength prior to the Midland match – serving and passing. The Warriors escaped Walz with a victory mostly because of advantages in those areas. Boldt called Midland’s serving the best his team has seen this season. The Warriors wound up with 11 aces (Concordia had four aces to nine service errors). When the Bulldogs play clean, they can set things up nicely for one of the nation’s best attacks. Concordia ranks second nationally in hitting percentage (.282) with the help of the NAIA National Setter of the Week, Tara Callahan.
Morningside may have started GPAC play with three-straight losses, but no team in this conference is to be taken lightly. The Mustangs made a splash in August with a couple of wins over ranked foes (No. 13 Rocky Mountain and No. 25 Ottawa). Morningside excels in many areas and has one of the nation’s top blockers in Emma Gerber (No. 13 in the NAIA in blocks/set). Among all NAIA teams, it ranks eighth in kills per set (13.9), 14th in hitting percentage (.230) and 15th in blocks per set (2.39).
On Saturday, Concordia will play a nonconference opponent for the final time this regular season. Peru State has struggled to a 3-13 record with one win (Mount Marty) and two defeats (Midland and Briar Cliff) against GPAC opponents. The Bulldogs and Bobcats last met in 2016 with the result being a straight sets win for Peru State. The Bobcats have been outhit by their opponents, .197 to .144.
Next week will be homecoming on the Concordia campus. The Bulldogs will be at Doane on Sept. 25 before hosting College of Saint Mary on Sept. 28.
Costello, Noyd key nonconference win at Peru State
September 22
PERU, Neb. – The first set may not have been perfect, but the Concordia University volleyball team dominated for much of the afternoon Saturday (Sept. 21) at Peru State College. Sophomore Arleigh Costello and senior Emmie Noyd attacked with impressive proficiency in helping power the Bulldogs to a 25-22, 25-12, 25-11 road victory.
Head coach Ben Boldt’s program has eaten up overmatched non-league foes. Concordia (13-2) has now won 24 matches in a row against nonconference opponents.
“As the match went on we started playing how we should play,” Boldt said. “That’s the team that I know. Our passing and our serving really improved and we started to find some rhythm on offense. That was good to see.”
The Bulldogs had actually dropped their most recent matchup with the Bobcats (4-15) prior to Saturday. Peru State emerged with a straight sets win (25-17, 25-21, 26-24) inside Walz Arena in 2016. Noyd and company were too good to let that happen this time around. Noyd swatted a match high 12 kills and hit .632. Meanwhile, Costello added 10 kills and attacked at a .563 clip. As a team, Concordia outhit Peru State, .393 to .081.
“Arleigh did a really good job today,” Boldt said. “She got us out of some out-of-system situations and she brought it with her attack. It was nice to see her get going. I think that’s something we can continue to use as the season goes along. And then our middles have been playing well so we’re going to try and get them the ball.”
Concordia got pushed in the first set. One of Claire Cudney’s seven kills knotted the opening set, 20-20. That’s when things got good for the Bulldogs. Tara Callahan found Noyd for a kill to initiate a 3-0 mini run. Noyd eventually ended the set with another kill. Concordia took over from there while jumping out to leads of 13-3 in the second set and 21-8 in the third.
The Bulldogs entered the weekend wanting to clean things up in both serve and serve receive. Kaci Hohenthaner and Tristin Mason both dropped in three aces. Concordia put up 12 aces to nine service errors while limiting the Bobcats to three aces (against three service errors). The Bulldogs also had a sizeable 8-1 advantage in blocks. Freshman Kalee Wiltfong was in on five blocks.
This was a solid tune up and confidence builder for the GPAC grind the rest of the way. Said Boldt, “It was a chance to focus on ourselves for a couple of days. I think that was the biggest thing we got out of this week. It was a nice change of pace and we were able to figure some things out about our team.”
Concordia will be headed to Doane (11-6, 2-2 GPAC) on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. CT matchup in Crete. The Bulldogs hope to duplicate the result they got at the end of the 2018 regular season when they won at Doane in straight sets.
GPAC play set to heat up
September 23
SEWARD, Neb. – After stepping outside of conference play over the weekend, the Concordia University volleyball team now faces GPAC squads for the remainder of the regular season. The Bulldogs will not have to go far this week with a short trek to Doane on Wednesday before they join homecoming festivities by hosting No. 25 College of Saint Mary on Saturday. Head coach Ben Boldt’s squad stands at 13-2 overall (2-2 GPAC).
This Week
Wednesday, Sept. 25 at Doane (11-6, 2-2), 7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Saturday, Sept. 28 at (25) College of Saint Mary (15-7, 1-4), 4:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats
Concordia got back into the win column this past Saturday after it suffered back-to-back GPAC losses (at home to No. 9 Midland and at Morningside). The defeat at Morningside came on Sept. 17. In this instance, the Bulldogs were outclassed by the Mustang duo of Emma Gerber and Brittni Olson. Concordia’s .030 hitting percentage represented a season low for an attack that has ranked as one of the best in the nation. The Mustangs (10-4, 2-3 GPAC) were in desperate need of a conference victory after beginning GPAC play at 0-3.
The Bulldogs looked more like the team they had been through the first 12 matches of the season in the second and third sets of the win at Peru State College on Sept. 21. Despite being situated just over 90 miles apart, the two sides had not met since 2016. In the latest matchup, Concordia hit .429 in the second set and .379 in the third set. Emmie Noyd (12 kills, .632) and Arleigh Costello (10 kills, .563) were especially effective on the attack. The Bulldogs have now won 24 matches in a row against nonconference opponents (dating back to the 2017 season).
Despite the tough night last week at Morningside, Concordia still sports impressive ranks. Among all NAIA programs, the Bulldogs rank fourth in hitting percentage (.263) and fourth in kills per set (14.1). Noyd has continued to look like an All-American. Her .366 hitting percentage ranks No. 8 nationally. Junior setter Tara Callahan also sits No. 7 in the NAIA in assists per set (10.94). Four Concordia players have at least 100 kills: Noyd (191), Camryn Opfer (127), Kalee Wiltfong (118) and Kara Stark (105).
The road team won both matchups last season between Concordia and Doane. The Tigers have played all but one match this season away from home (1-0 at the Haddix Center) in a run that has been filled with neutral site events. In conference play, Doane has beaten Morningside (three sets) and College of Saint Mary (three sets) and has lost to Midland (five sets) and Hastings (four sets). The Tigers boast one of the nation’s most prolific outside hitters in Allison Kuenle, who averages 4.1 kills per set.
College of Saint Mary will carry a four-match skid into Saturday’s clash. That string began with a four-set home loss to the Bulldogs. Since then, the Flames have fallen at the hands of Hastings, Midland and Doane. However, head coach Rick Pruett’s squad has shown an ability to hang with NAIA top 25 opponents. College of Saint Mary has three players more than 200 kills, led by the 235 from Makenna Freeman (3.0 kills/set).
In action next week, Concordia will be at Hastings on Oct. 2 and then at No. 9 Midland on Oct. 5.
Balanced Concordia completes perfect week in GPAC
September 28
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University volleyball team needed only six sets to cruise through a pair of GPAC victories this week. The Bulldogs joined the homecoming festivities on Saturday (Sept. 28) and earned a regular season sweep of 25th-ranked College of Saint Mary. In the latest matchup, Concordia put out the Flames, 25-21, 25-16, 25-19, inside Walz Arena.
At 15-2 overall (4-2 GPAC), head coach Ben Boldt’s squad has put together one of the best 17-game runs to begin a season in program history.
“I told the players not to think about the 2-0 week. Don’t get complacent,” Boldt said. “We’re talking about staying urgent and keeping the gas pedal on. That’s the biggest mentality we want for our team. We’ve got to keep that going in the GPAC because it’s a grind out there.”
The first set was competitive all the way through, but the Bulldogs exerted their will in the second and third. They smoldered on the attack by hitting .468 for the match. Setter Tara Callahan beautifully sprayed the ball around for her 35 assists. Emmie Noyd (11), Kara Stark (10), Arleigh Costello (nine) and Camryn Opfer (nine) each had nine or more kills as part of a balanced offense.
On the other side of the net, College of Saint Mary (15-8, 1-5 GPAC) hit .250. Makenna Freeman led the way with nine kills. The Flames have now lost five in a row within conference play. That streak includes the home loss to Concordia back on Sept. 11.
From the right side, the lefty Costello has emerged in a big way in recent outings. It’s been a while since the Bulldogs have felt this comfortable with such a variety of attacking weapons.
“I think it’s getting close (to our best),” Costello said. “We still have a lot of work to do with communicating, always playing our game and keeping the gas pedal on. We’re getting closer.”
The Bulldogs held a 6-3 advantage in blocks. Noyd was in on five of those denials. Concordia also displayed balance in its back row. Opfer had a team high nine digs while Kaylie Dengel (seven), Callahan (five) and Marissa Hoerman (five) were close behind. Hoerman added two service aces.
The Bulldogs will be back on the road this coming Wednesday with a short drive to Hastings (7-8, 2-3 GPAC) for a 7:30 p.m. CT matchup inside Lynn Farrell Arena. In this season’s first meeting, Concordia took care of the then 14th-ranked Broncos in four sets on Sept. 4. Hastings had won the previous eight get togethers in the series.
“That’s going to be a big game,” Boldt said. “There are going to be a lot of people there. Wednesday night’s volleyball night. We’re just looking forward to the next opponent and trying to play our best.”
Major road tests on tap for Bulldogs
September 30
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University volleyball team is coming off an impressive 2-0 week within the GPAC. To repeat that feat this week the Bulldogs will have to be at the top of their game. Head coach Ben Boldt’s squad will be at Hastings on Wednesday and then at No. 9 Midland on Saturday. Hastings is 5-4 at home while Midland is 7-2 within in the confines of its own arena. Both matches will have promotional events. It will be pink night for Hastings on Wednesday. Saturday will be homecoming at Midland.
This Week
Wednesday, Oct 2 at Hastings (7-8, 2-3 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Saturday, Oct. 5 at (9) Midland (13-4, 5-1 GPAC), 3 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats
The forward momentum continues for Concordia volleyball under Ben and Angie Boldt. The 15-2 record is the best for the program after 17 matches since the 2005 squad raced out to an 18-0 mark. At 4-2 in conference play, the Bulldogs are already close to equaling their league win total of five from a year ago. In last week’s action, Concordia went on the road and toppled Doane in straight sets and then used its powerful attack to pummel No. 25 College of Saint Mary at home. It was the type of response the Bulldogs had hoped for after GPAC losses to Morningside and Midland.
It was another monster week for senior middle blocker Emmie Noyd. A two-time second team All-GPAC honoree, Noyd stands a good chance of first team accolades this season and perhaps even All-America recognition. Over the past two wins, Noyd totaled 23 kills and 12 blocks while hitting .455. Among all NAIA players, Noyd ranks sixth in hitting percentage (.374), 25th in kills per set (3.82) and 27th in blocks per set (1.11). Concordia displayed a particularly balanced attack versus College of Saint Mary with Noyd, Kara Stark, Arleigh Costello and Camryn Opfer each notching at least nine kills.
Overall this season, the Bulldogs have outhit their opponents, .268 to .129. They also have a large advantage in kills per set – 14.16 to 9.74. Such numbers have helped Concordia land at No. 12 in the up-to-date NAIA Massey Ratings. The Bulldogs may also begin to receive votes in the national poll that will be released on Wednesday. Concordia was placed at No. 7 in the official GPAC poll that came out on Monday (Sept. 30).
Hastings followed up its four-set loss at Concordia on Sept. 4 by winning four matches in a row. That streak was halted with road defeats suffered at the hands of Morningside and Midland. The Broncos experienced a transition this offseason with Matt Buttermore departing to become the head coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Hastings has a dependable right side in Lucy Skoch, who tops the squad with 2.44 kills per set.
The Warriors were dealt their first GPAC loss last week when Morningside upset them in Fremont in five sets. Midland’s previous three defeats this season all came against teams rated in the top 10 nationally. Head coach Paul Giesselmann has presided over a program that has been a perennial GPAC title contender. In the five-set Warrior victory over the Bulldogs on Sept. 14, Midland gave Concordia fits with its serves. The Warriors put up 11 aces. On the other end, the Bulldogs had four aces and nine service errors.
Coming up next week, Concordia will host Doane on Oct. 9 and Morningside on Oct. 11. Five home matches remain on the regular-season slate.
Broncos block Bulldogs in Hastings
October 2
HASTINGS, Neb. – Wielding one of the nation’s most prolific attacks, the Concordia University volleyball team found the Hastings block too daunting to overcome on Wednesday (Oct. 2) night inside Lynn Farrell Arena. The Bulldogs hit just .079 while falling, 20-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-16, to a Bronco team that was ranked 14th in the preseason.
Head coach Ben Boldt’s squad was unable to match its level from a week ago when it toppled both Doane and College of Saint Mary in straight sets. Concordia slipped to 15-3 overall (4-3 GPAC).
“Their block was giving us fits,” Boldt said. “It was disappointing that we couldn’t make the adjustments that we had to. Our connections on our offense were off tonight. Our timing was a little bit off. I’m not really sure what to attribute that to because our passing was good. We just have to get back in the gym and work on our connection.”
Over the opening two sets, the Bulldogs hit .000 and .088, respectively, while being out-blocked, 10-2. Hastings finished with a 14-6 block advantage. Emily Lenners and Claire Vanderbeek were both in on seven blocks. Things got only slightly better for Concordia as the evening wore on. It hit .244 in the third set. Any momentum had from that third set was quickly snuffed out. Boldt called two timeouts early in the fourth in an effort to try to stem the tide.
The Broncos (8-8, 3-3 GPAC) even managed to hold down Bulldog senior middle blocker Emmie Noyd, who was held to seven kills and a .154 hitting percentage. She entered the night ranked sixth nationally in hitting percentage. Kara Stark topped all players with 10 kills, but she also committed 13 errors.
It’s hard to succeed with less than your best on the road in the GPAC. Despite its modest record this season, Hastings poses a challenge as a program with a winning pedigree. The Broncos also sported national rankings of 11th in hitting percentage (.238) and 25th in blocks per game (2.22) at the start of Wednesday’s match.
Tristin Mason dropped in three of Concordia’s six aces (Hastings recorded nine aces). Kaylie Dengel paced the Bulldogs with 10 digs.
The Bulldogs will take another shot at No. 8 Midland (13-5, 5-3 GPAC) in Fremont on Saturday. First serve from the Wikerts Event Center is set for 3 p.m. CT. In this season’s first matchup, Concordia fell in five sets to the Warriors inside Walz Arena on Sept. 14. Midland has won nine-straight meetings in the series.
Bulldogs claim signature road win, upend No. 8 Midland
October 5
FREMONT, Neb. – Wins over perennial GPAC power Midland have been difficult to come by for the Concordia University volleyball program, but the 2019 squad is proving to be one to be reckoned with. Instead of sulking after Wednesday’s rough performance at Hastings, the Bulldogs sharpened their game and defeated the eighth-ranked Warriors, 25-21, 25-23, 13-25, 25-17, in Fremont, Neb., on Saturday (Oct. 5) afternoon. There were a combined 28 blocks in the contest.
Head coach Ben Boldt’s squad effectively finished a job the 2018 squad came up agonizingly short of accomplishing in winning at the Wikert Event Center. Concordia is now 16-3 overall and 5-3 in the GPAC.
“Our theme for this match was to be ultra-focused,” Boldt said. “I think our preparation for this match was great. The loss to Hastings put us in a focused state and we responded really well. Our preparation was great in terms of being resilient and our passing was really good. It allowed us to run a good offense.”
The Bulldogs had fallen in nine-straight meetings with Midland (13-6, 5-3 GPAC). This was another step forward in reaching the heights Concordia aspires to attain, but Boldt was not ready to think big picture just yet. The Bulldogs were consumed by doing what it took to get it done in this particular match, on this particular day. Part of the formula involved outhitting the Warriors, .123 to .108.
Three days after an off-match, Concordia tightened up on the attack and returned to effective balance led by setter Tara Callahan, who filled the stat sheet with 28 assists, 10 blocks, six digs and four kills. The kills were spread out with 10 by Emmie Noyd, nine by Kalee Wiltfong, seven by Kara Stark and six by Camryn Opfer.
This time when the Bulldogs had a chance to put Midland away, they did it. That’s an important hurdle. Leading 18-16 in the fourth set, Concordia rattled off six points in a row, with kills by Noyd bookending that stretch. A service error put it on ice. The 2015 Bulldog squad that qualified for the national tournament was the program’s most recent edition to close the deal in Fremont.
“We believe in ourselves,” Boldt said. “I think our team just wants to show up and play their best every time they go out. It’s great to get another one and we’re looking forward to getting back on the floor again.”
Boldt also went on to laud a back row captained by junior Marissa Hoerman (seven digs). Erin Johnson led the way with 15 digs, in addition to her four aces. Kaylie Dengel chipped in with 10 digs and Noyd added nine blocks to her total. Additionally, Boldt referred to Callahan as a “foundation for how we play defense.”
Head coach Paul Giesselmann’s squad also fell in five sets at Doane on Wednesday. The Warriors (2018 national semifinalist) were led on Saturday by the 12 kills from Shelby Bretschneider. Their .108 hitting percentage was well below their season average of .214.
The Bulldogs will be back at home at 7:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday to host Doane (12-8, 3-4 GPAC), which just handed Midland a five-set loss this past Wednesday. In this season’s first meeting in Crete, Concordia toppled the Tigers in straight sets. The two sides split their two 2018 matchups.
Bulldogs earn season sweep of Doane
October 9
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University volleyball team is finding it can grind out victories even when it’s not quite at its best. Just over hallway through conference play, the Bulldogs have shown greater consistency than the bulk of their league competition. Freshman Camryn Opfer topped all players with 13 kills as Concordia won, 22-25, 25-14, 27-25, 25-20, over rival and visiting Doane on Wednesday (Oct. 9) night.
Head coach Ben Boldt’s squad has won four of five within GPAC play and has moved to 17-3 overall and to 6-3 in conference play (tied for third place).
“In that first set we hit a rotation where we just couldn’t find a kill,” Boldt said. “Doane did a good job of putting their blockers in the right spot. We couldn’t get it back after that. This wasn’t a pretty match by any means, but that’s what you get in the GPAC. We love it.”
Like the matchup in Crete played on Sept. 25, Concordia had to absorb an early push from the Tigers (12-9, 3-5 GPAC). The Bulldogs may not have been as sharp as Boldt would have liked, but they have grit and a growing belief in themselves. As junior setter Tara Callahan said afterwards, “We weren’t losing to Doane.” Concordia benefitted from 12 Tiger attack errors in a one-sided second set that give the home team the boost it needed.
It wasn’t a night for huge offensive numbers, but Opfer supplied some welcome firepower while Kara Stark added 11 kills. The Bulldogs had to grind it out while posting hitting percentages south of .200 in each of the four sets. Concordia simply played cleaner than Doane, as its seven fewer attack errors and six fewer service errors would attest. The combo of Erin Johnson (17 digs) and Marissa Hoerman (15 digs) teamed up on a solid night in the back row and the Bulldogs out-blocked the Tigers, 8-6.
“We just talked about our mental strength,” Callahan said about the approach after the first set. “We felt like we lost that set from our errors. We started adjusting more with our slides on the block. We just dug deep and did our thing.”
Callahan piled up 38 assists and added seven digs. She quarterbacked an offense that also got eight kills from Emmie Noyd and seven from Arleigh Costello. As a team, the Bulldogs outhit Doane, .158 to .106. Costello, Noyd and Kalee Wiltfong chipped in with three blocks apiece.
Things have been topsy-turvy for Doane, which last week knocked off No. 8 Midland and then lost at No. 5 Morningside. The Tigers have an outside hitter in Allison Kuenle, who is tough to handle. She had 11 kills on Wednesday to lead her squad. Alexis Dale and Madison VanHousen notched 10 kills apiece.
Concordia has a budding outside hitter of its own in Opfer, the Seward High School product. Said Boldt, “We’re trying to put her in the right place at the right time. Just mentality-wise, she’s playing really well. She’s taking the coaching that we’re giving and she’s transforming herself into a good college outside.”
A three-match home stand will continue on Friday when the Bulldogs host No. 25 Morningside (12-6, 4-4 GPAC) for a Pink Out in support of breast cancer awareness. Fans in attendance at Walz Arena are encouraged to wear pink. The contest will be a rematch of the Sept. 17 meeting in Sioux City, Iowa, that went to the Mustangs in four sets.
Mental game strong in third-straight GPAC win
October 11
SEWARD, Neb. – Head coach Ben Boldt had called this a potential “separation week” for his Concordia University volleyball team. If the Bulldogs could hold serve at home, they would have a chance to separate themselves from the middle of the GPAC pack. For the second time in three nights, the Bulldogs shook off a stumble in the opening set and protected the home court. They sent 25th-ranked Morningside packing, 21-25, 28-26, 27-25, 25-18, on Friday (Oct. 11) night.
This is how Boldt would have hoped to enter a period of seven-straight days without a match. Concordia has moved to 18-3 overall and to 7-3 in the GPAC (currently in third place). The Bulldogs also defeated Doane on Wednesday.
“I was really happy with how we responded to a tough opponent,” Boldt said. “Morningside beat us at Morningside and I wasn’t necessarily sure how we were going to start. It comes back down to the things that we can control. That’s what the two early timeouts were about. It was about controlling our attitude, effort and communication. We responded well.”
You’re forgiven if you began to think perhaps the Mustangs (12-7, 4-5 GPAC) were just not a good matchup for Concordia, which fell in four sets in Sioux City on Sept. 17. Boldt called timeouts in the opening set with the Bulldogs facing deficits of 9-4 and 13-4. Concordia also trailed 21-15 in the second set. This is probably not a match it would have won a year ago.
But this is a different type of team with a different resolve. The Bulldogs were not keen on seeing Morningside’s high-flyin’ middle blocker duo of Emma Gerber and Brittni Olson have their way all night. Camryn Opfer (17 kills), Emmie Noyd (16 kills) and Kalee Wiltfong (11 kills) came through in a big way in combining for 44 of Concordia’s 69 kills on the night.
“Even though we had a rough start, we just told ourselves in that second set that we were going to take care of the ball, get mentally strong and push through,” Wiltfong said. “I thought our tempo when it got closer was a lot better and our urgency increased. Coach talks a lot about that. When we have it, we play much better.”
The Bulldogs recovered in time to salvage the night and, as the set scores indicate, the second and third sets produced high drama. It caused the type of stress that prompted Boldt to joke afterwards that he felt like he had just finished a marathon. Concordia rode its comeback in the second set to a hard-earned triumph in the third, which included what sounds like an impossibility – 25 kills.
Noyd put away a combined 10 kills over the third and fourth sets as the Bulldogs adjusted to the strong Morningside block (Mustangs finished with an 11-5 advantage in blocks). Opfer added 17 digs to her stat line while Marissa Hoerman topped all players with 25 digs. Setter Tara Callahan piled up 50 assists while leading an offense that outhit Morningside, .198 to .165.
“I put a challenge down to our middles,” Boldt said. “We worked in practice this week with the emphasis on them being the woman, getting up in transition and owning the net as a blocker. They weren’t doing that in the first set. Once they started doing that, we started clicking. They’ve got to feel it before they do it and they felt it tonight.”
The 18-3 overall mark equals the 2005 squad for the program’s top 21-match record during the GPAC era (2000-present). For those wondering about rankings, the Bulldogs will have to wait until at least Oct. 23 (next NAIA national poll release) to crack the top 25.
The Bulldogs will now have more than a week off before appearing again inside Walz Arena on Saturday, Oct. 19. On that date, 22nd-ranked Dordt (14-6, 5-3 GPAC) will visit town for a 3 p.m. CT first serve. It will be the first and only regular-season meeting of the season between Concordia and Dordt.
Kalee Wiltfong ended the third set with a kill and Coach Ben Boldt darn near took flight.
— Concordia Bulldogs (@cunebulldogs) October 12, 2019
The far right of your screen. pic.twitter.com/rbk326B8pn
Callahan honored as GPAC Setter of the Week
October 15
SEWARD, Neb. – Junior Tara Callahan keeps adding to her résumé. On Tuesday (Oct. 15), the conference named Callahan the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Volleyball Setter of the Week. Callahan has picked up this honor for the third time this season and for the fourth time in her career. She was also named the NAIA National Setter of the Week on Sept. 10.
Callahan has been a key figure behind the best 21-match run for the program during the GPAC era. Last week Concordia held serve at home and defeated both Doane and No. 25 Morningside in four sets. Over those two matches (eight total sets), Callahan accumulated 88 assists, 13 digs, eight kills and four blocks. Callahan quarterbacks an attack that sports NAIA national rankings of sixth in kills per set (13.77) and 10th in hitting percentage (.238). Callahan herself ranks 11th among all NAIA players with an average of 10.55 assists per set.
The 6-foot-1 native of Brady, Neb., has played in 258 sets in her college career and has compiled 2,225 assists, 385 digs, 229 kills and 149 blocks. Callahan and the Bulldogs (18-3, 7-3 GPAC) will return to action on Saturday when they are set to host No. 22 Dordt (15-6, 6-3 GPAC) at 3 p.m. CT.
Bulldogs set to host No. 22 Dordt on Saturday
October 17
SEWARD, Neb. – The number of home matches remaining in 2019 is dwindling down for the Concordia University volleyball team. The Bulldogs will have had a whole seven days without a contest by the time Saturday’s tilt with No. 22 Dordt gets underway at 3 p.m. CT from Walz Arena. Head coach Ben Boldt’s squad is 8-1 at home this season.
Fans who present military identification will be admitted free of charge as part of Military Appreciation Day on campus. Saturday’s match will be streamed live via the Concordia Sports Network.
This weekend’s big GPAC clash will mark the final one in a string of three-straight home matches. Concordia claimed four-set home victories over Doane on Oct. 9 and over No. 25 Morningside on Oct. 11. The 2-0 week helped the Bulldogs separate themselves a bit from the middle of the pack in the GPAC standings. With six matches remaining in the regular season, Concordia (18-3, 7-3 GPAC) sits in third place behind only Northwestern (21-0, 9-0 GPAC) and Jamestown (18-3, 6-1) in the league standings. Both Dordt (15-7, 6-4) and Midland (14-7, 6-4) are close behind.
The matchup with Dordt brings another opportunity for the Bulldogs to knock off a top 25 foe. The NAIA has not released a national poll since Oct. 2, when Concordia appeared among “others receiving votes.” Sporting the program’s best 21-match record during the GPAC era, the Bulldogs stand a strong chance of cracking the rankings that will be unveiled on Oct. 23 no matter Saturday’s result. However, a win should guarantee it. According to Massey Ratings, Concordia is the NAIA’s No. 8 team and has played the nation’s 25th toughest schedule.
Junior Tara Callahan (ranks 12th nationally with 10.55 assists/set) was recently named the GPAC Setter of the Week for the third time this season. In addition, junior defensive specialist Marissa Hoerman (3.7 digs/set) garnered the Bulldog Athletic Association Member female athlete of the week honor. Callahan and Hoerman have been core players for a program that may have already turned a corner from a mental standpoint. It’s easier to have confidence when you have a star in the middle like Emmie Noyd (second in the GPAC with a .346 hitting percentage) and a couple of budding freshmen in Camryn Opfer (2.58 kill/set) and Kalee Wiltfong (.303 hitting percentage).
Dordt graduated a bevy of stars from its 2018 GPAC championship team, including first team All-GPAC honorees in Ema Altena (GPAC Player of the Year), Jamie De Jager and Aubrey Drake. Despite the departures, the Defenders remain a strong team. Their leading hitter is junior outside Karsyn Winterfeld, who averages 3.0 kills per set. As a team, Dordt owns national rankings of seventh in kills per set (13.68), 16th in hitting percentage (.229) and 22nd in blocks per set (2.24). Dordt had won five matches in a row before a narrow five-set loss at No. 2 Northwestern on Wednesday.
Following Saturday’s action, Concordia will have five days without a match before playing at Briar Cliff on Oct. 25. The Bulldogs will then be at Mount Marty the next day.
Opfer, Bulldogs earn first win over Dordt since 2014
October 19
SEWARD, Neb. – No further evidence is needed at this point. Concordia University volleyball has proven its case. This team is good. The Bulldogs won for the fourth straight outing while finishing strong in a 25-23, 20-25, 25-20, 25-16, win over 22nd ranked Dordt inside Walz Arena on Saturday (Oct. 19). Concordia is now 9-1 at home this season.
Head coach Ben Boldt’s squad is demanding to be placed inside the NAIA’s top 25 with its play on the court. The Bulldogs have improved to 19-3 overall and to 8-3 in the GPAC (third place).
“In the middle of the match, I think Dordt really upped their serving game,” Boldt said. “It had a domino effect on us upping our serving and passing game. When that happened our offense really took off. That was as close to clicking on all cylinders that I’ve seen our team towards the end of that match. That was really fun to watch.”
The Defenders (15-8, 6-5 GPAC) graduated a great deal of talent from last year’s GPAC championship squad, but they remain a strong team. Head coach Chad Hanson’s squad took Northwestern to five sets before falling on Wednesday night. But Camryn Opfer and her teammates were up for the challenge. Concordia slammed the accelerator and turned a close 14-12 score in the fourth set into a runaway. Arleigh Costello blocked Dordt’s leading attacker, Karsyn Winterfeld, for match point.
As Boldt said afterward, he will take this type of production every time out from Opfer. Her final stat line glimmered: 14 kills, 14 digs, two blocks and a .467 hitting percentage. She played a major role in the Bulldogs hitting .419 in the fourth set. They outhit Dordt for the match, .271 to .160.
“(Coach Boldt) always talks about communication, effort, attitude – the three things we can control,” Opfer said. “I felt like our communication and our effort was great. We were getting things up that sometimes we don’t normally go for. We were just going, pushing and communicating. I think that’s what helped us at the end.”
Concordia gave the Defenders trouble with its block. Senior middle blocker Emmie Noyd contributed to eight of the team’s 15 blocks (Dordt totaled nine blocks). Offensively, Kara Stark (12) and Noyd (10) joined Opfer with double-figure kill numbers. Tara Callahan worked the ball around for 45 assists to go along with eight digs and two blocks. Back row stalwart Marissa Hoerman chipped in with 19 digs.
In Boldt’s mind, the results taking place right now are simply due to a continuation of a focus on the process that must be followed in order to become a champion. The Bulldogs own seven wins over teams that were ranked in the top 25 at the time the matches occurred.
“I don’t necessarily feel like it’s different,” Boldt said when comparing the 2019 squad to the 2018 edition. “Obviously our results are different. Our focus is our process. It’s our attitude, our effort and our communication. I still feel like we’re coaching the same things that we did last year. We’re playing different people this year and we have another year under our belts with our tempo and our expectations and standards.”
Winterfeld paced Dordt with 14 kills while teammate Ally Krommendyk added 13. Hannah Connelly led all players with 23 digs. The Defenders had won six-straight in the series with Concordia dating back to 2014.
The Bulldogs will return to action next weekend (Oct. 25-26) with trips to Briar Cliff (13-13, 3-9 GPAC) and Mount Marty (7-19, 0-10 GPAC). Just five matches remain on the regular-season slate as Concordia attempts to keep pace with the top of the league. Northwestern (10-0 GPAC) and Jamestown (8-1 GPAC) are the only teams that the Bulldogs are looking up at.
Concordia volleyball makes return to NAIA top 25
October 23
SEWARD, Neb. – It took a while to get back to this point, but here they are, just as University of Nebraska head volleyball coach John Cook predicted. Concordia landed at No. 17 in the NAIA volleyball coaches’ poll released on Wednesday (Oct. 23). The Bulldogs had not appeared inside the top 25 since the 2016 preseason ranking. Having received votes in the previous rating, Concordia made a huge leap by garnering 266 points in the poll.
Back in late 2017 when Ben Boldt and Angie Boldt came on board to lead the Bulldog program, Cook stated that the Boldts would “create another nationally-ranked NAIA team in Nebraska.” Those words have proven prophetic with Concordia now 19-3, equaling the program’s best 22-match record during the GPAC era (2000-present). The Bulldogs also reside in third place in the rugged GPAC with an 8-3 conference mark.
Concordia certainly had to earn its way into the top 25. The Bulldogs have done so by knocking off seven teams that were ranked at the time matches were contested. Based on the current poll, Concordia owns wins over No. 12 Corban University, No. 20 Dordt, No. 24 Midland and three additional victories over “others receiving votes” in College of Saint Mary (twice) and Morningside. The Bulldogs are actually ranked No. 5 in the NAIA by Massey Ratings.
The program’s highest ever national rating during the GPAC era was 12th back in 2000. That Concordia squad, coached by Becky Ernstmeyer, went on to share the GPAC regular-season title.
The Bulldogs are looking forward to this weekend’s excursion that includes a 7:30 p.m. CT match at Briar Cliff (13-14, 3-9 GPAC) on Friday and then a 4 p.m. clash on Saturday with Mount Marty (7-19, 0-10 GPAC).
Nationally-ranked Bulldogs ready for weekend road trip
October 24
SEWARD, Neb. – For the first time since early in the 2016 season, the Concordia University volleyball program sports a national ranking next to its name. This is a bit of an unfamiliar role this weekend for the Bulldogs, who will attempt to further prove that they belong in the NAIA top 25. Head coach Ben Boldt’s 17th-ranked squad will hit the road this weekend and play at Briar Cliff on Friday and at Mount Marty on Saturday.
This Week
Friday, Oct. 25 at Briar Cliff (13-14, 3-9 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast | Live Stats
Saturday, Oct. 26 at Mount Marty (7-19, 0-10 GPAC), 4 p.m.
-Live Webcast
Concordia earned its national ranking with its 19-3 mark (8-3 GPAC) that equals the program’s best 22-match record during the GPAC era (2000-present). It has knocked off seven teams that were ranked at the time matches were contested and owns victories over current top 25 teams in No. 12 Corban University (Ore.), No. 20 Dordt and No. 24 Midland. The Bulldogs have been idle since defeating then 22nd-ranked Dordt in four sets on Oct. 19. Freshman Camryn Opfer enjoyed a big day while posting 14 kills, 14 digs, two blocks and a .467 hitting percentage.
Opfer is a budding star for a team that’s found a nice mix between veterans and newcomers. Players like Opfer (2.63 kill/set) and senior middle blocker Emmie Noyd (.337 hitting percentage) garner plenty of attention as the squad’s most prolific attackers, but Boldt speaks frequently about the players who set them up for success. Junior Marissa Hoerman (3.74 digs/set) recorded 19 digs in the win over the Defenders while Tara Callahan (10.58 assists/set) piled up 45 assists in that same match. As a team, Concordia is outhitting its opponents, .240 to .172, this season.
The Bulldogs will be meeting both of this week’s opponents for the first time in 2019. Concordia did get a look at Briar Cliff earlier this season when it played in the Bulldog Bash where it notched wins over Benedictine College (Kan.), Waldorf University (Iowa) and Bethel College (Kan.). The Chargers have dropped seven matches in a row, which is mostly an illustration of the challenges the GPAC presents. Briar Cliff is one of the NAIA’s better blocking teams while currently ranked eighth nationally in blocks per set (2.47) led by Grace Whitlaw (1.2 blocks/set). The program is guided by Lindsey Weatherford, who is in her first season as Charger head coach.
Mount Marty will first attempt to stop its skid on Friday when it hosts Midland. The Lancers have lost nine-straight matches since their win over York on Sept. 17. Head coach Frank Hebenstreit’s squad leans heavily upon junior outside hitter Elizabeth Watchorn, who paces Mount Marty in kills (2.7/set), digs (3.6/set) and aces (27 total). Her season high for kills was 21 in a four-set win over Sterling College (Kan.) on Sept. 6. Concordia got the best of the Lancers, 25-16, 25-20, 25-15, last season inside Walz Arena.
A GPAC regular-season championship is likely out of reach of the Bulldogs with No. 1 Northwestern now sitting at 12-0 in conference play. However, Concordia could still realistically finish as high as second in the NAIA’s best volleyball league. No. 8 Jamestown is currently in that position with an 8-2 GPAC record. After this weekend, the Bulldogs will have just three matches left in the regular season: versus Jamestown (Oct. 31), versus Dakota Wesleyan (Nov. 3) and at Northwestern (Nov. 6).
Nationally-ranked Dawgs escape Sioux City with five-set win
October 25
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Every road match is a potential landmine in the GPAC. The 17th-ranked Concordia University volleyball team avoided one, barely, on Friday (Oct. 25) night at the Newman Flanagan Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The Bulldogs trailed 9-6 in the deciding fifth set before rallying for a 25-27, 25-19, 25-18, 26-28, 15-13, victory over Briar Cliff.
This was only the second time this season that head coach Ben Boldt’s squad had been involved in a five-set match. Winner of five in a row, Concordia has improved to 20-3 overall and to 9-3 in GPAC play (third place).
“We were able to stay steady and didn’t get tense when it came crunch time,” Boldt said. “What really kind of took us over the edge was that our serve and our block and defense showed up at the right time. It was a really good job in that stretch (in the fifth set) to get back in the game. We had some good serves, some good plays on defense and put it away with our attack.”
This one was definitely a bit stressful on a night when three of the sets came down to two-point margins. The breaks often seemingly went against the Bulldogs on several occasions. The Chargers (13-15, 3-10 GPAC) played like a team desperate to end what is now an eight-match losing streak. Boldt credited Briar Cliff with being a difficult team to defend. Concordia somehow withstood the Chargers hitting .429 in the fifth set.
But the Bulldogs outhit Briar Cliff, .286 to .228, for the night (blocking was even at 10-10). Freshman Camryn Opfer knotted the score in the fifth set, 9-9, with back-to-back kills. The Chargers edged back in front at 11-10 before Emmie Noyd got going late. She swatted kills for three of the team’s five points. Kara Stark ended the night with a kill of her own.
Opfer (19 kills, .405), Stark (16 kills, .278) and Noyd (15 kills, .343) each had big nights on the attack to help rescue Concordia. Noyd added six blocks while Tara Callahan collected 57 assists and Marissa Hoerman contributed 20 digs.
“It’s been nice to have the ability to put the ball away when we’re one-on-one,” Boldt said. “That happened tonight because our middles were getting up and allowing our pins to get swings. Kara and Cam did a great job of putting the ball away and when we really needed it, Emmie stepped up and had some big swings down the stretch. Briar Cliff is a really hard to defend because they attack the ball really high and mix up their shots a lot. Our defenders did a great job.”
The Chargers had four players reach double figures in kills with Analyse Stapleton’s 13 kills representing a team high. Briar Cliff runs a two-setter system featuring Delaney Meyer and Maureen Imrie.
The Bulldogs will have an overnight stay during this particular weekend journey. They will be headed to Yankton, S.D., on Saturday for a 4 p.m. CT matchup with Mount Marty (7-20, 0-11 GPAC). There will also be a junior varsity contest at 2:30. In Friday action, the Lancers were beaten by 24th-ranked Midland in straight sets.
Middles large in straight-sets win at Mount Marty
October 26
YANKTON, S.D. – Following Friday’s nailbiter at Briar Cliff, the 17th-ranked Concordia University volleyball team made its Saturday afternoon match a much snappier one. Sure there was that 8-1 deficit in set No. 3, but the Bulldogs got it together and took care of Mount Marty, 25-20, 25-17, 25-22, in Yankton, S.D. Concordia has now won six in a row while the Lancers have dropped 11-straight.
Second-year head coach Ben Boldt’s squad is 21-3 overall and 10-3 in conference play (third place). That mark represents the program’s best after 24 matches during the entire GPAC era (2000-present).
“We had a really good second set with great focus,” Boldt said of the latest victory. “Our middles were playing really well. Mount Marty has some crazy servers and they were getting us out of system (in the third set). We couldn’t find our offense and we got aced a couple times. It was nice to chip away and we eventually got to where we needed to be.”
Mount Marty did an exceptional job of limiting the Bulldog pin hitters, but things were left wide open for the middle blocking duo of senior Emmie Noyd and freshman Kalee Wiltfong. Noyd pasted 16 kills on 29 attacks (.517 hitting percentage) while Wiltfong swatted eight kills on 12 swings (.583). Wiltfong went off for five kills during the second set.
Noyd and Wiltfong were often one-on-one in the middle of the court while spurred by setter Tara Callahan (31 assists). They helped collaborate on a .286 team hitting percentage, compared to a .143 clip put up by Mount Marty. Camryn Opfer topped Concordia with four blocks while Kaylie Dengel pitched in with nine digs.
Straight-set losses have happened regularly within the GPAC for Mount Marty. The Lancers (7-21, 0-12 GPAC) nearly pushed this one to a fourth while being led by Elizabeth Watchorn. She floored a team high 14 kills and hit .294.
Realistically, the Bulldogs can still earn the No. 2 seed in the final GPAC standings, but the road to get there will not be without barriers. The remaining regular-season schedule includes No. 8 Jamestown, Dakota Wesleyan and No. 1 Northwestern. The Jimmies (22-4, 10-2 GPAC) will be inside Walz Arena on Thursday (Oct. 31) for a 7:30 p.m. CT first serve. It will be one of the program’s most anticipated home matches in years.
“It will be a national-type match,” Boldt said. “We’re excited about it and the preparation for it. We play on a Thursday, which is different from normal. It’s a situation where we absolutely have to play our best to win. We love those types of challenges.”
Halloween showdown with Jamestown, senior day up next
October 29
SEWARD, Neb. – The stretch run of the conference season is in full swing within the rugged GPAC. The 17th-ranked Concordia University volleyball team has positioned itself right in the thick of things among the top teams in the league. After two wins on the road last week, head coach Ben Boldt’s squad have returned home and will host No. 8 Jamestown on Thursday and Dakota Wesleyan in a rare Sunday matinee. Sunday will also be senior day for the program.
This Week
Thursday, Oct. 31 vs. (8) Jamestown (22-4, 10-2 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
--Live Webcast/Stats
Sunday, Nov. 3 vs. Dakota Wesleyan (19-9, 4-9 GPAC), 3 p.m.
--Live Webcast/Stats
The win streak hung in the balance this past Friday in a nail-biter at Briar Cliff. The Bulldogs trailed 9-6 in the fifth set before rallying with the help of a late offensive surge from senior middle blocker Emmie Noyd. She swatted kills for three of the team’s five points. Kara Stark ended the night with a kill of her own for match point. Camryn Opfer (19 kills, .405), Stark (16 kills, .278) and Noyd (15 kills, .343) each had big nights on the attack to help rescue Concordia. The very next day the Bulldogs took care of Mount Marty in straight sets to move their win streak to six.
Junior setter Tara Callahan has certainly played a large role in Concordia outhitting its opponents, .244 to .140, this season. After notching 88 assists last week, Callahan collected the GPAC Setter of the Week honor for the fourth time this season. With Callahan’s help, five Bulldogs have accumulated 145 or more kills this season: Noyd (296), Opfer (221), Stark (194), Kalee Wiltfong (185) and Arleigh Costello (145). From a team perspective, Concordia has bumped last season’s figures of 12.37 kills per set and a .201 hitting percentage to 13.66 kills per set and a .244 hitting percentage. On the national leaderboard, the Bulldogs rank 11th in kills per set and 12th in hitting percentage.
Noyd headlines a senior class that also includes Kaylie Dengel, Jenna Eller, Katie Funk, Harlie Himmelberg, Kaci Hohenthaner and Raymi Marquardt. Noyd is a two-time second team All-GPAC choice who stands a strong chance of raking in a large number of postseason awards. Dengel, Hohenthaner and Marquardt are important contributors on the court while Eller, Funk and Himmelberg have served the team off the court during this season. Over the past three seasons, the senior class has helped the program improve its win totals from nine in 2017 to 15 in 2018 to 21 so far in 2019.
Jamestown has been a strong addition to GPAC volleyball. The Jimmies have lost to only one team within conference play – No. 1 Northwestern (twice). In back-to-back evening at home over the weekend, Jamestown saved off Doane in five sets before cruising past Hastings in straight sets. Senior Britta Knudson stands out from a statistical standpoint. He sports national rankings of 12th in blocks per set (1.23) and 13th in hitting percentage (.348). Last season Jamestown defeated Concordia in straight sets in North Dakota.
Dakota Wesleyan’s current standing of tied for ninth place in the GPAC is evidence of the strength of the conference. The Tigers are 10-0 outside of league play and boast one of the nation’s most prolific outside hitters in Rebecca Frick. Among NAIA players, Frick ranks fifth in kills per set (4.66). On average, Frick gets more than 13 attack attempts per set (.259 hitting percentage). Dakota Wesleyan is still working on getting over the hump against the GPAC’s top programs. Within the GPAC, the Tigers have defeated Mount Marty (twice), Briar Cliff and Hastings.
The Bulldogs will close the regular season next Wednesday (Nov. 6) with a road trip to top-ranked Northwestern. The GPAC tournament will begin with the quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 9.
Halloween showdown spoiled by visitors
October 31
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University volleyball program has not had a more significant home match in several years. It’s no trick, the 2019 Bulldogs are a treat to watch – even if they did come up a bit short on Halloween (Oct. 31) night. The Jamestown wall at the net helped the eighth-ranked Jimmies escape Walz Arena with a 25-19, 23-25, 17-25, 25-19, 15-7, victory.
Head coach Ben Boldt’s 17th-ranked squad has reached the point where it truly believes it will win no matter the opponent. Thus why it feels like it let an opportunity slip away against a highly-rated foe. Concordia (21-4, 10-4 GPAC) had its six-match win streak snapped.
“They have a really good blocking team,” Boldt said. “They took us out of what we wanted to do there in that last set. It started off with a couple of errors and it kind of spiraled from there. We told our team, we’re not going out tipping. We’re going to go after it. I took two early timeouts (in the fifth) set and said the only way we’re getting back in this is to be the woman. We did our best … It shows us where we need to get better.”
It looked like it may be a celebratory night in Seward after a Bulldog hustle play led to a Jamestown error to cap the third set. Concordia had effectively bounced back from the opening set to take the next two. From the right side, sophomore Arleigh Costello really got going in the third set when she hammered four of her team high 13 kills. Emmie Noyd (12) and Kara Stark (11) also reached double figures in kills.
The Bulldogs actually had two more kills (50-48) than the Jimmies, but the overall defensive play of Jamestown made the difference. Standouts Britta Knudson and Corina Ruud were in on eight blocks apiece as Jamestown owned an 18-9 advantage in blocks. Knudson blocked back-to-back Concordia attacks in the fifth set in leading a Jimmie runaway.
Said Boldt, “It comes back to things that we can control. We have to own this. What we do now shows us where we’re at and where we need to get better. Obviously a lot of things that we can control, we can get better at. It’s good for them to see it so that we can make adjustments.”
There were 51 combined errors (attacks/services) by the Bulldogs, who happened to fall victim to one of their own service errors on match point. Concordia was outhit, .135 to .076. Tara Callahan compiled 42 assists while Marissa Hoerman led all players with 25 digs.
Knudson added 13 kills for Jamestown (23-4, 11-2 GPAC), which is now in command of the No. 2 spot in the GPAC standings. Both of the Jimmies’ GPAC losses have come at the hands of top-ranked Northwestern. Jamestown will remain in Nebraska to play at No. 24 Midland on Friday.
The Bulldogs will be back in action for a rare Sunday matinee when Dakota Wesleyan (20-9, 4-9 GPAC) makes a visit to Walz Arena for a 3 p.m. CT first serve. It will be senior day for Concordia, which will honor a group of seven seniors prior to the match.
Wiltfong goes for 19 kills, Bulldogs top DWU on senior day
November 3
SEWARD, Neb. – Head coach Ben Boldt called Sunday’s matinee a “grind-out, earn everything type match” after his squad put the finishing touches on its latest victory. The 17th-ranked Concordia University volleyball team effectively rebounded from Thursday’s five-set defeat at the hands of No. 8 Jamestown and toppled Dakota Wesleyan, 25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 25-19, on senior day. The Bulldogs moved to 10-2 at home.
Concordia entered the day knowing it needed one victory to clinch third place and a GPAC tournament quarterfinal home match. The Bulldogs have reaped that reward while pushing their GPAC record to 11-4 (22-4 overall).
“I don’t know if the tempo of the match was exactly what we wanted,” Boldt said. “We had to earn our points tonight and we did. Hitting .236 is not bad. Dakota Wesleyan didn’t give us anything. We had to earn everything that we got.”
The opening set illustrated Boldt’s point. Concordia needed 20 kills to gain the upper hand and set the tone for the day. The Tigers gave the Bulldogs some fits in the second set with their blocking, but some slight adjustments did the trick. Freshman middle blocker Kalee Wiltfong went off for a career high 19 kills on 40 swings (.350 hitting percentage). She became the go-to hitter, but three teammates also put down at least 10 kills: Camryn Opfer (15), Kara Stark (11) and Emmie Noyd (10).
Junior setter Tara Callahan racked up 56 assists while playing the role of maestro in the balanced attack. Concordia notched at least 12 kills in each set (64 total) in overpowering a Dakota Wesleyan squad that was hunting for that elusive signature conference win.
“It was just about us understanding that they’re a really scrappy team,” Noyd said. “They’re going to get up balls that usually teams don’t. You have to have the mentality as a front row to keep going and keep swinging hard. The plays will come.”
The Tiger upset bid gained some traction in the second set when the likes of Emily Brunsing and Callie Heath made life difficult on the Bulldog attackers. That set concluded with Brunsing blocking Noyd to knot the match, 1-1. Dakota Wesleyan (20-11, 4-11 GPAC) did make a late push in the third set, but Wiltfong and company had figured out how to slice up the Tigers’ defensive alignments.
Said Boldt, “In that second set they were blocking us pretty well. That’s when we made our adjustment. We were able to flip our middles and have Wiltfong go behind a little bit more to open up their block and make them defend us pin to pin.”
Blocks were even at 8-8 by day’s end. Star Tiger outside hitter Rebecca Frick topped her side with 19 kills (.190 hitting percentage). In terms of percentage, Brunsing (11 kills, .292) was Dakota Wesleyan’s most efficient hitter.
One of the seven seniors honored prior to first serve, Kaylie Dengel paced the Bulldogs with 19 digs. Callahan and Noyd were both in on four blocks while senior Kaci Hohenthaner and sophomore Tristin Mason collected two aces apiece. Other seniors not already mentioned were Jenna Eller, Katie Funk, Harlie Himmelberg and Raymi Marquardt.
The Bulldogs will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday with a trip to Orange City, Iowa, for a 7:30 p.m. CT first serve at No. 1 Northwestern (27-0, 15-0 GPAC). The Red Raiders, who have already clinched the GPAC regular-season title, will be aiming to complete an unbeaten regular season. Northwestern has had three matches go to a fifth set in 2019.
No. 1 Northwestern, GPAC quarterfinals on tap this week
November 5
SEWARD, Neb. – Before hosting in the quarterfinals of the GPAC tournament, the 17th-ranked Concordia University volleyball team will take its shot at undefeated and top-ranked Northwestern in Orange City, Iowa, on Wednesday night. Head coach Ben Boldt’s squad already locked itself into the No. 3 slot in the conference tournament with Sunday’s four-set home win over Dakota Wesleyan. While a GPAC regular-season title is out of reach, a victory over the Red Raiders would make quite a statement.
This Week
Wednesday, Nov. 6 at (1) Northwestern (27-0, 15-0 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
--Live Webcast/Stats
Saturday, Nov. 9 vs. TBD (GPAC Quarterfinals), 7 p.m.
--Live Webcast/Stats | Radio coverage provided by 104.9 Max Country
--Admission for GPAC postseason events is $10 for adults, $3 for students K-12th grade and free for GPAC students who present their college ID.
Boldt’s bunch just missed out on another potential signature victory last week when it hosted eighth-ranked Jamestown. After dropping the opening set, the Bulldogs (22-4, 11-4 GPAC) rebounded by taking the next two. They were eventually beaten in five sets despite quality performances from sophomore Arleigh Costello (13 kills, .346) and junior Marissa Hoerman (25 digs). A win would have given Concordia the inside track on second place in the conference and may have pushed it inside the NAIA top 10.
The Bulldogs have remained at No. 17 in the national rankings while a fresh poll has not been released since Oct. 23. Based on the results around it, Concordia may wind up in roughly the same position when the NAIA unveils a new poll on Wednesday (Massey Ratings has it at No. 7 in the NAIA). The Bulldogs picked up a win they had to have on Sunday when they topped Dakota Wesleyan in four sets with the help of a career high 19 kills from freshman Kalee Wiltfong. Tara Callahan piled up 42 assists.
No matter what happens the remainder of the season, it’s been a remarkable turnaround for the program since it went 9-19 in 2017. The team’s current win percentage of .846 is the program’s best during the entire GPAC era. Now the hope is to secure the first NAIA national tournament bid since 2015. That particular squad garnered an at-large berth after being ranked 16th in the final NAIA poll of the regular season. The ’15 team is the only one in program history to qualify for nationals, although the 2000 Bulldogs shared the conference regular-season title in the first year of the GPAC.
Northwestern has been a more regular participant in the national tournament. The Red Raiders (27-0, 15-0 GPAC) have reached that stage nine times since 2006. The results thus far seem to indicate that head coach Kyle Van Den Bosch has his most serious national title contender yet. On the national leaderboard, undefeated Northwestern ranks first in hitting percentage (.313), third in kills per set (14.1) and 17th in blocks per set (2.3). Outside hitter Anna Wedel has been lethal. She averages 4.19 kills per set and is hitting .341. The Red Raiders have been taken to a fifth set three times this season.
Regardless of the outcome in Orange City, Concordia will be at home on Saturday in the postseason to host an opponent to be determined. As the No. 3 seed, the Bulldogs could play either College of Saint Mary, Doane or Morningside. First serve will be at 7 p.m. CT from Walz Arena. The winner on Saturday will advance to the GPAC semifinals, which will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
Hoerman tabbed GPAC Defender of the Week
November 5
SEWARD, Neb. – A reliable force in the back row all season, junior Marissa Hoerman has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Defender of the Week, as announced by the league on Tuesday (Nov. 5). Hoerman has now earned this honor twice in her career. As a team, Concordia University volleyball has raked in six GPAC weekly awards in 2019.
Hoerman joins junior Tara Callahan and senior Emmie Noyd as the third different Bulldog to be honored by the GPAC this season. In last week’s action that included home matches versus No. 8 Jamestown and Dakota Wesleyan, Hoerman totaled 40 digs (4.44/set) and successfully passed serve receive on 58 of 59 opportunities. She also added an ace in both matches. On the season, Hoerman has collected 356 digs (3.79/set) and 350 service receptions.
Hoerman and the 17th-ranked Bulldogs (22-4, 11-4 GPAC) will return to action on Wednesday with at trip to No. 1 Northwestern (27-0, 15-0 GPAC) for a 7:30 p.m. CT first serve. Concordia will also host a GPAC quarterfinal match at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
3-0 loss at top-ranked Northwestern concludes regular season
November 7
3-0 loss at top-ranked Northwestern concludes regular season
Orange City, Iowa – After the new NAIA top 25 poll was released earlier this week (Nov. 5), Concordia found that they had jumped a spot to be the sixteenth ranked team in the NAIA. Nonetheless, their desire was to climb even higher with a win over Northwestern on Wednesday night.
Though it would have no effect on the seeding for the GPAC Quarterfinals on Saturday, CUNE Volleyball knew a win over the number one team in the nation would be their biggest to date and would send fear into their competition the rest of the way. Unfortunately, this was not the case, as the Bulldogs were swept in three straight sets (20-25, 24-26, 23-25).
“It was still a fun match to be a part of” said Head Coach Ben Boldt. “We played well overall, especially our outsides. It was fun to see Kara (Stark) and Cam (Opfer) go against their big block and still be efficient.” Stark and Opfer led the way in kills for the Bulldogs. Stark had 10 kills and Opfer had 15 kills, and those were accompanied by Callahan who had 36 assists.
“They have a really good offense, so we have to give them credit” said Boldt. They made the big plays when it mattered most. It just felt like they made one more play than we did all night long. We were right there and we are looking forward to getting the chance to play at that level again.”
As the postseason is set to begin Saturday at home, the Bulldogs will look to get back to their winning ways and make a deep run. Three-seeded Concordia will face the six-seed, Doane University, with the match aiming for a 7 pm start time at Walz Arena in Seward.
Concordia-Jamestown to meet with spot in GPAC title match on the line
November 11
SEWARD, Neb. – Both the Concordia University volleyball team and Jamestown held serve at home in the quarterfinals of the GPAC tournament and will now meet in the semifinals. The 16th-ranked Bulldogs and eighth-ranked Jimmies will go head-to-head at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday inside Newman Arena in Jamestown, N.D. The two sides also met inside Walz Arena on Oct. 31 in what resulted in a five-set win for Jamestown.
GPAC Semifinals
Wednesday, Nov. 13 at Jamestown (27-4), 7 p.m.
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Head coach Ben Boldt’s squad is in hot pursuit of an NAIA national tournament bid. An automatic bid will go to the team that wins the GPAC tournament. Concordia (23-5) helped its chances by knocking off Doane, 25-18, 25-16, 20-25, 25-19, in the conference quarterfinals on Nov. 9. The program has now won four-straight GPAC tournament home matches, but it has never captured a conference postseason championship. The last league title for the program came in the regular season in 2000 (three-way tie) and its most recent and only national tournament bid came in 2015.
The victory over Doane was just the latest reflection of the balanced Bulldog roster. In that contest, four Bulldogs had at least 10 kills (Arleigh Costello, Emmie Noyd, Kalee Wiltfong and Camryn Opfer) and four had 11 or more digs (Erin Johnson, Marissa Hoerman, Opfer and Tara Callahan). On the season, five Concordia players have recorded at least 182 kills: Noyd (333), Opfer (268), Kara Stark (235), Wiltfong (227) and Costello (182). The Bulldogs are outhitting their opposition, .236 to .152.
A spot in the GPAC championship match would be another remarkable achievement for a program that is just two years removed from a 9-19 season. The current .821 win percentage is the best for the program during the GPAC era. During that same timeframe, the 2019 edition is one of three Bulldog squads to win at least 23 matches in a season (GPAC-era record is 26). Concordia has reached such heights while playing a schedule that Massey Ratings lists as the 16th most challenging in the NAIA.
The home venues of Concordia and Jamestown are nearly 500 miles apart. Top-ranked Northwestern is the only visiting team all season to emerge from Newman Arena with a victory. In last week’s GPAC quarterfinals, the Jimmies got past Morningside in straight sets behind 13 kills from Ellie Michaletz. Jamestown has won 19 of its last 21 matches with the two defeats both coming at the hands of the Red Raiders. Nationally, Jamestown ranks eighth in blocks per set (2.44) and 26th in hitting percentage (.223).
The winner in Jamestown will advance to the championship and play either eighth-seeded College of Saint Mary (23-13) or fourth-seeded Midland (19-9) at 7 p.m. on Saturday. If Concordia is to defeat the Jimmies, it would host the title match as the highest remaining seed.
2019 GPAC Volleyball Tournament
GPAC Quarterfinals – Saturday, Nov. 9
No. 8 College of Saint Mary def. No. 1 Northwestern, 3-0
No. 4 Midland def. No. 5 Dordt, 3-1
No. 3 Concordia def. No. 6 Doane, 3-1
No. 2 Jamestown def. No. 7 Morningside, 3-0
GPAC Semifinals – Wednesday, Nov. 13
No. 4 Midland vs. No. 8 College of Saint Mary, 7 p.m.
No. 2 Jamestown vs. No. 3 Concordia, 7 p.m.
GPAC Championship – Saturday, Nov. 16
7 p.m. at highest remaining seed
*The final NAIA top 25 poll and official NAIA national qualifiers will be announced by the NAIA on Monday, Nov. 18. More information on NAIA volleyball can be found HERE.
Callahan earns GPAC setter award for fifth time in 2019
November 12
SEWARD, Neb. – Nearly half of all GPAC Setter of the Week awards this fall have been scooped up by Concordia University junior Tara Callahan. The native of Brady, Neb., has collected the honor for the fifth time this season, as announced by the GPAC on Tuesday (Nov. 12). Teammates Marissa Hoerman and Emmie Noyd have also earned a GPAC weekly accolade this fall.
In last week’s action, Callahan accumulated 85 assists, 13 digs, four blocks and four kills over seven sets. In the GPAC tournament quarterfinal win over Doane, Callahan posted 49 assists and 11 digs as the Bulldogs moved on in the bracket. Concordia is now 23-5 overall and ranked 16th in the NAIA. On the year, Callahan is averaging 10.75 assists per set (11th most among all NAIA players).
Callahan and the Bulldogs will return to action on Wednesday with a GPAC tournament semifinal clash at No. 8 Jamestown (27-4). First serve is set for 7 p.m. CT from Newman Arena in North Dakota.
Concordia set to make first-ever trip to NAIA tournament final site
November 18
SEWARD, Neb. – For the second time in five seasons, the Concordia University volleyball program is headed to the NAIA Volleyball National Championship tournament. For the first time ever, the Bulldogs are bound for the final site, Sioux City, Iowa, for pool play action on the national stage. The announcement came from the NAIA on Monday (Nov. 18). With much of the team gathered in the Walz Conference Room, cheers rang out when Concordia was unveiled as the 15th-ranked team in the NAIA.
The program also qualified for the opening round of the national tournament in 2015. Pegged eighth in the GPAC’s preseason poll, the 2019 team has outperformed all outside expectations and has been rewarded for it.
“It’s a reward for all the hard that they’ve put in throughout the entire year,” said head coach Ben Boldt. “I’m glad that they have the opportunity to experience this. In the moment right now, it feels like we are just getting ready for the next challenge. To look back and reflect on it a little bit, it’s awesome to see that their hard work is paying off.”
The Bulldogs made the tournament fairly comfortably, earning the third at-large bid behind No. 9 Columbia (Mo.) and No. 14 Corban (Ore.). Based upon the NAIA’s final regular-season poll, Concordia (23-6) recorded four victories over top 25 foes: No. 14 Corban, No. 20 College of Saint Mary (twice) and No. 25 Midland. A perennially strong team within the GPAC, Midland was the last team out of the field. The final at-large berth went to No. 23 Bellevue.
The national qualifying field includes 44 teams, including 36 automatic qualifiers and one host berth (Morningside), in addition to the seven at-large selections. The top 19 teams in the final poll, plus Morningside, advance straight to pool play at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Pool play will take place Dec. 3-5. The other 24 qualifiers will be in action in the opening round this Saturday. Once the opening rounds are finished, the 32 remaining squads will be broken down into eight four-team pools. The top two teams in each pool will move on to play in a 16-team bracket.
The career of seniors like Emmie Noyd has been extended for at least three more matches. However, as Boldt talked about after Monday’s announcement, the Bulldogs are setting their sights on an extended stay in Sioux City.
“It’s a dream come true, honestly,” Noyd said. “I think any college athlete wants to get to nationals. For it to be my senior season and to end it that way is a great experience. I think we’re all just so thankful to have a chance at a national championship. It’s really exciting.”
Concordia’s qualification for nationals in 2015 occurred at the time when the NAIA had a 36-team (only 12 teams went straight to the final site) format that featured eight at-large selections. The Bulldogs were the No. 7 at-large team that year. They hosted an opening round matchup with Olivet Nazarene and fell in straight sets. Thus, this 2019 squad will also have a chance to be the program’s first to ever win a match in national tournament play.
According to the NAIA, final site pools will be determined by 5 p.m. CT on Sunday (Nov. 24). For more details on the 2019 NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship, visit the NAIA volleyball website HERE.
Callahan, Noyd named to GPAC first team, Opfer Freshman of the Year
November 20
SEWARD, Neb. – Five members of the national qualifying Concordia University volleyball team have been named 2019 all-conference selections, as announced by the GPAC on Wednesday (Nov. 19). Junior Tara Callahan and senior Emmie Noyd were chosen as first team honorees while Camryn Opfer pulled in GPAC Freshman of the Year accolades and landed on the second team. Honorable mention went to juniors Marissa Hoerman and Kara Stark.
Collectively, they have helped lead head coach Ben Boldt’s squad to a 23-6 overall record and a spot at the final site of the 2019 NAIA Volleyball National Championship. Pool play will begin on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
Callahan garnered first team selection after being tabbed as honorable mention as both a freshman and sophomore. The native of Brady, Neb., has established herself as one of the nation’s top setters. This fall she has collected five GPAC Setter of the Week awards and was named the NAIA National Setter of the Week on Sept. 10. Currently, Callahan ranks 11th nationally with an average of 10.71 assists per set (1,135 total assists). In her career, Callahan has accumulated 2,590 assists, 442 digs, 243 kills and 167 blocks.
Noyd has often been the beneficiary of Callahan’s passing. Also a two-time second team All-GPAC choice, Noyd is enjoying the best season of her career. Among all NAIA players, the star middle blocker ranks 23rd in hitting percentage (.326) and 27th in blocks per set (1.10). Noyd’s 346 kills are the most for a squad ranked 15th nationally in hitting percentage (.232). Noyd also earned one GPAC Attacker of the Week honor in 2019. Her career totals stand at 916 kills and 360 blocks to go along with a .307 hitting percentage.
Opfer’s addition has been critical to this season’s success. The Seward High School product is the program’s first-ever GPAC Freshman of the Year. In her first season with the Bulldogs, Opfer has notched 280 kills (2.67/set), 272 digs (2.59/set) and 39 blocks while hitting .212 from the outside. She has posted 10 or more kills 14 times this season with a high of 19 coming in the win at Briar Cliff.
Hoerman is the leader of a back row that has helped limit opponents to a .155 hitting percentage on the season. The native of Evergreen, Colo., paces the team with a career high 398 digs (3.75/set) while playing in all 106 sets this season. She has also passed serve receive at a 95.4 percent rate and has added 32 aces. She posted a season high of 25 digs on two occasions. In her career, Hoerman has totaled 1,122 serve receptions, 979 digs and 50 aces.
Stark provides another potent attacking option on the outside. She ranks third on the team with 249 kills (2.68/set). The native of Frisco, Texas, has collected 10 or more kills in 17 matches this season with a high of 17 versus Midland on Sept. 14. Stark has piled up 385 kills and 55 blocks in 151 career sets played.
Noyd embraces 'be the woman' mentality in senior season to remember
November 20
‘Be the woman’ is a phrase Concordia head volleyball coach Ben Boldt tells his team often. Clearly senior middle blocker Emmie Noyd has taken those words to heart. When the Bulldogs really have to have a point, they know they can count on Noyd’s powerful right arm.
The takeoff of the Shelby, Neb., native stands as a major reason why Concordia is ranked 15th in the NAIA and headed to the final site of the NAIA Volleyball National Championship. Just two years ago, Noyd was a sophomore on a team that stumbled to a 9-19 overall record.
Says Noyd, “I was actually thinking of this when we were going into the conference semifinals last week. If you would have told me two years ago that we would be in this position my senior year I wouldn’t have believed you. It really just took hard work and focus. We had to put the work in during spring seasons and stuff like that. I really think the work ethic changed and the atmosphere that all of us have helped create really changed.”
Setter Tara Callahan has spread the ball between five main attacking options, but Noyd is No. 1 on that list. The Shelby-Rising City High School product is enjoying the best season of her life with career high statistical numbers across the board. Her 346 kills are far away the most she’s had in a season and she’s hitting a robust .326 while playing in the NAIA’s best and deepest volleyball league.
The progression of Noyd’s game – and her importance to this team – can be seen in her attack attempts from year-to-year, which have gone from per set averages of 3.64 to 5.06 to 6.82 to 7.81, respectively, over her career. An increased reliance upon Noyd has helped the Bulldogs rank in the top 20 nationally in both hitting percentage (.232) and kills per set (13.53).
“I really think this season why I’ve had success is because one of our top focuses going into each match is to set the middles early and often,” Noyd said. “It’s a focus of our offense all around to have middles be up and ready for the majority of the attacks. I give kudos to Tara Callahan. She’s a top caliber setter and I wouldn’t want anyone else in the nation. Having that mentality for our middles to be set early and often has changed the game for me.”
Noyd has seen a lot in her career. She arrived at Concordia in the fall of 2016. At the time, there seemed to be momentum with the program coming off its first-ever appearance in the national tournament. Noyd played a key role immediately, but things did not go as planned from a team perspective. Then came a coaching change right in the middle of Noyd’s career.
For some veteran players, such a transition can be difficult. There’s a feeling of again having to prove one’s self and having to show the new coaching staff that you belong. As one of the most respected players in the program, Noyd could have impacted her teammates either positively or negatively. Two years later, the jury has reached a conclusion and her influence has been a driving force in leading the program back to prominence.
Said Noyd prior to the start of this season, “Having the Boldts is like the best-case scenario that I could have ever imagined. They have built my love for the game and that will carry on even when I’m done playing on the competitive court.”
It would be hard to find anyone who would appreciate those words more than Ben and Angie Boldt. Said Ben back in August, “She has really embraced our coaching staff. She is going to be somebody that we lean on obviously … When we lose a couple points in a row she’s going to look you in the eye and say, ‘Get me the ball.’ That’s the type of person we want to have out there.”
Even this preseason, Noyd uttered the words “GPAC championship” in discussing what she felt was possible for the 2019 team. Outside of the locker room, almost no one would have anticipated the Bulldogs putting together this type of season. Concordia was picked eighth in the GPAC preseason poll. So why did Noyd and her teammates suddenly believe?
Individually, they took on the idea of being the woman. Tangible results came in the form of an early season win over then 19th-ranked Corban University (Ore.), a key road triumph over then eighth-ranked Midland and generally consistent play and level-headedness. Those are traits that also describe Noyd.
Now the trick is to take what got them to this point and carry it into the national tournament. Ben Boldt thinks his team is capable of raising its game even higher. It twice came up just short in five-set losses to eighth-ranked Jamestown and competed closely with No. 2 Northwestern.
“All the hard work we’ve put in is all paying off,” Noyd said. “That I get to be part of it is so amazing and I’m so grateful that it’s my senior season.”
The wait is on until Noyd and the Bulldogs take the grand stage at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, for the start of national tournament pool play on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
Says Noyd, “I think it’ll be exciting. There may be some jitters. Our team has done it time and time again. We just go out and fight and are mentally tough. We have the ‘be the woman’ mentality.”
Bulldogs assigned pool for NAIA National Championship
November 24
NAIA Volleyball National Championship Pools
Concordia National Tournament Guide | PDF
SEWARD, Neb. – The 15th-ranked Concordia University volleyball team now has national tournament opponents to prepare for. On Sunday (Nov. 24), the NAIA announced pool play assignments for all 32 teams that have advanced to the final site of the 2019 NAIA Volleyball National Championship. The Bulldogs have been placed in Pool C along with No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan University, No. 19 Montana Tech and University of Saint Mary (Kan.).
Pool play will get underway on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Matches begin in the morning all three days (Dec. 3-5) of pool play (three courts with simultaneous action), but head coach Ben Boldt’s squad has drawn prime time slotting.
Concordia pool play matches
Tuesday, Dec. 3 – vs. No. 19 Montana Tech, 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 4 – vs. Saint Mary, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 5 – vs. No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan, 6 p.m.
Concordia earned a direct path to Sioux City by way of its No. 15 national ranking. The Bulldogs own a 23-6 overall record and own four wins over squads that will join them in Sioux City. Concordia has been idle since falling in five sets in the GPAC tournament semifinals at No. 8 Jamestown on Nov. 13. Now the program seeks its first-ever victory on the national stage. The 2015 Bulldog squad that qualified for the opening round of the national tournament was defeated inside Walz Arena by Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.).
Live coverage
Most Concordia matches can be heard live on 104.9 Max Country (the Dec. 4 match will not be on Max Country due to a conflict with basketball). Frank Greene will call the action. The NAIA Network – the association's official video-streaming home – will broadcast 60 matches live at the 2019 NAIA Volleyball National Championship final site in Sioux City, Iowa. The video platform, powered by Stretch Internet, allows users access to live video, statistics and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single-day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while a pool play pass is $24.95 (Dec. 3-5) and a championship package is available at $39.95. You can also buy an All-Championship pass and watch every championship streamed on the NAIA Network in 2019. Buy your All-Championship Pass today.
Pool play opponents
No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan University
Record: 34-1
Head coach: Candace Moats, 18th season
Location: Marion, Indiana
Conference: Crossroads League
Hitting %: .280 (2nd in NAIA)
Kills/set: 14.7 (1st)
Blocks/set: 1.9 (T-62nd)
Aces/set: 1.6 (T-90th)
No. 19 Montana Tech
Record: 25-7
Head coach: Brian Solomon, 8th season
Location: Butte, Montana
Conference: Frontier Conference
Hitting %: .197 (T-52nd)
Kills/set: 13.1 (26th)
Blocks/set: 2.3 (T-15th)
Aces/set: 1.5 (T-108th)
University of Saint Mary
Record: 30-10
Head coach: Amy Beall, 4th season
Location: Leavenworth, Kansas
Conference: Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
Hitting %: .194 (T-57th)
Kills/set: 12.4 (T-56th)
Blocks/set: 1.8 (T-81st)
Aces/set: 1.5 (T-108th)
NOTES
• Concordia is making its second all-time appearance in the NAIA Volleyball National Championship and first-ever trip to the final site of the national tournament. The 2015 squad qualified for the opening round of the event and fell at home in straight sets to Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.). The ‘15 Bulldogs went 26-9 overall and advanced to the GPAC tournament championship match while being led by previous head coach Scott Mattera. The 2019 squad has a chance to become the first in school history to win a national tournament match.
• The program has rebounded quickly from a 9-19 record in 2017. Coaches Ben and Angie Boldt arrived following the ‘17 campaign and helped Concordia improve to 15-12 in 2018. Both Boldts graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where they served as student support staff for head coach John Cook. Ben and Angie possess experience at many levels of collegiate volleyball having also spent time together as assistants at places such as the University of Alabama, the University of Arkansas and the University of Iowa.
• Prior to the start of this season, the Bulldogs had not cracked the NAIA top 25 since the 2016 preseason poll. This season, Concordia first landed in the top 25 on Oct. 23 when it appeared at No. 17. The Bulldogs then moved up to 16th on Nov. 6, climbed to No. 15 on Nov. 13 and then remained in that position in the final regular-season poll released on Nov. 18. During the GPAC era (2000-present), the program’s highest ever rating was 12th in 2000 when Concordia shared the conference regular-season title.
• The Bulldogs are 4-4 against teams that qualified for the national tournament. That mark includes wins over College of Saint Mary (twice), Corban University (Ore.) and Morningside. The losses came against Jamestown (twice), Morningside and Northwestern. Concordia also defeated two squads that just missed out on at-large berths: Dordt and Midland.
• Camryn Opfer became the first player in program history to earn GPAC Freshman of the Year accolades. The Seward High School product has produced 280 kills, 272 digs and 39 blocks while playing in 105 sets this season. While a prep, Opfer collected all-state recognition four times and led the Bluejays to a combined 105 wins and a state tournament appearance. Opfer originally committed to play volleyball at NCAA Division II Washburn University before choosing to stay at home.
• Junior setter Tara Callahan has made effective use of five main attacking options throughout this season. Five of her teammates have at least 190 kills: Emmie Noyd (346), Camryn Opfer (280), Kara Stark (249), Kalee Wiltfong (240) and Arleigh Costello (191). Callahan ranks 10th nationally with an average of 10.71 assists per set. As a team, the Bulldogs sport NAIA national rankings of 15th in hitting percentage (.232) and 16th in kills per set (13.53).
• After national qualifiers were announced on Nov. 18, Coach Ben Boldt talked to his team about not being satisfied with just being at the national tournament. Said Boldt, “There have been a couple of results this year, against Jamestown and Northwestern, that have shown us that we can compete at the highest level with teams across the nation. We truly believe that we’ve earned our way there. We’re not in a position where we’re just satisfied to get there. We want to compete to win the thing. That’s one of our goals. They have that edge behind them and I’m excited to see what we can do when we get out on the court.” Said senior Emmie Noyd, “It’s a dream come true, honestly. I think any college athlete wants to get to nationals. For it to be my senior season and to end it that way is a great experience.”
Noyd, '19 Dawgs make history with program's first national tourney win
December 4
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The 15th-ranked Concordia University volleyball team had not played a match since Nov. 13, but you wouldn’t have known it by how they performed late on Tuesday (Dec. 3) night. The Bulldogs displayed the calmness of NAIA National Championship tournament veterans while handling No. 19 Montana Tech, 25-16, 22-25, 25-14, 25-18, at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The victory was the program’s first ever at the national tournament.
In just his second year as head coach, Ben Boldt has Concordia making waves like never before. The Bulldogs (24-6) passed the test in their first of three matches in pool play on the national stage.
“We’re trying to focus on the controllables,” Boldt said. “I told them in that last set – we got out to a big lead and they started climbing back in. Once we called that timeout it could either go 25-18 or it could go 25-23. We did a really good job of serving well and keeping our composure.”
By night’s end, the Bulldogs had outhit the Orediggers, .322 to .156. It was a mostly dominant outing from senior Emmie Noyd and company. There were some adverse moments faced in the second set and win Montana Tech made a run in the fourth set, but Concordia always had an answer. Noyd powdered a match high 16 kills as one of five Bulldogs with at least eight kills.
Concordia’s serve game (eight aces) put it in good position and the attack never dipped below a .222 hitting percentage in any of the four sets. A nice crowd of Bulldog fans that made the fairly short journey were treated to a rather sharp effort.
“During practices our coaches really focused on knowing what our strengths are and building on our skillset,” Noyd said. “Just the different shots we were able to hit tonight really set it up for us to win tonight. I think that was really the difference in how we were able to go into it so confident in this match.”
Junior Kara Stark blasted 11 kills while Camryn Opfer (nine), Kalee Wiltfong (nine) and Arleigh Costello (eight) were close behind. Concordia’s advantage at the net surfaced in obvious ways. Wiltfong was in on eight blocks and the Bulldogs owned a massive 13-3 edge in blocks. Fittingly, Costello and Wiltfong combined on a denial for match point.
Concordia deserved at least a little time to celebrate. The 2015 Bulldogs are the only other team in program history to qualify for the national tournament. Boldt actually saw a turning point in his squad going way back to the preseason.
“Our very first practice of preseason was not great,” Boldt said. “But after that they realized we need to get ready to go. The rest of the practices were all really good. Great teams are player-led and they are holding each other accountable.”
Other leads for Concordia on Tuesday included Tara Callahan (39 assists), Marissa Hoerman (three aces, 11 digs) and Erin Johnson (11 digs). Montana Tech got a team high 12 kills from Maureen Jessop. An at-large national qualifier, the Orediggers (25-8) are making their fifth all-time appearance at the national championships.
Wednesday’s pool play: Up next for the Bulldogs is a matchup with Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season champion University of Saint Mary (Kan.) at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday. The Spires (30-11) were defeated by third-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University, 25-16, 25-18, 25-18, in Tuesday night action.
Live coverage:
--Stream/Stats (stream requires fee): https://portal.stretchinternet.com/naia/
--Radio: 104.9 Max Country (will air matches the remainder of the tournament after Wednesday)
--Twitter: @cunebulldogs
Wiltfong family a Bulldog family
December 4
Kalee Wiltfong hasn’t had to worry about what kind of support she would receive from her family when she chose to sign on with Concordia University volleyball. With Kalee and her teammates making history this week at the NAIA Volleyball National Championship, her brother and sister-in-law were both in the crowd to cheer her on.
It just so happens that her brother Riley Wiltfong and Riley’s wife Taylor (Roby) were also key members of Bulldog teams in the very recent past. Riley slung the football as a starting quarterback while Taylor earned a starting role as a defender for GPAC championship women’s soccer teams. Both have enjoyed the opportunity to see Kalee in action throughout her freshman season.
“It’s been a blast,” Riley said at the volleyball national tournament. “It gives us a reason to come back on campus. It’s been awesome to see what Ben and Angie have done with the program.”
In terms of her play on the court, Kalee has rarely looked like a freshman. She collaborated on eight blocks in Concordia’s first-ever win at the national tournament, which came over No. 19 Montana Tech on Tuesday (Dec. 3). Coaches Ben and Angie Boldt could tell early on that Kalee would be able to make an immediate impact. A product of Doniphan-Trumbull High School, Kalee hits the ball … hard.
Earlier this season, Kalee was jokingly whether Riley could hit a volleyball like she can. Said Kalee, “I’m going to say, no because I’m going to say I’m better than him. But he can definitely throw (a football) farther than me.”
Of course Kalee made her own decision to attend Concordia, but she may have been nudged at least a little bit by Riley and Taylor.
Said Taylor, “This summer I talked to her a lot because she wanted a girl’s perspective. I just told her about what Concordia’s meant to me both academically and athletically and just the family feel you have here. We were all crossing our fingers hoping she would go here. We’re excited to see her at Concordia wearing Bulldog blue.”
Added Riley, “I don’t know how much influence I had, but I told her about the cool experience I had and the people that I met. That’s what really made my experience at Concordia. It felt like a brotherhood on the football team and I’m sure she would say the same with it being a sisterhood on the volleyball team.”
Riley has been a regular at Walz Arena this season while having a first-hand look at one of the top volleyball teams in program history. As a younger, Kalee often watched Riley and her other brother Carson play sports. Now the tables have turned. All eyes lately have been on Kalee, the daughter of Scott and Brenda Wiltfong.
“She earned her stripes going to my games and my brother’s games when she was younger,” Riley said. “It’s fun to be on the fan side and focus on her athletic career. We’re having fun coming to these games. It’s going to be a 9:45 start (on Tuesday) and it’s going to be awesome.”
Riley has been there for Kalee if she needed any insight on what life as a Concordia Bulldog athlete would be like. Kalee has always been able to excel both academically (class valedictorian at Doniphan-Trumbull) and athletically. So far the transition to college student-athlete seems to have been a smooth one.
“I said it would be a little bit different,” Riley said of his conversations with Kalee. “The workload’s a little bit different. When you’re at the college level you’re focused more on one sport. That’s when you really focus on the sport you love. She was excited to get to this level.”
Bulldogs overpower Spires, move to 2-0 in pool play
December 5
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – A rookie to the final site of the national tournament stage, the 15th-ranked Concordia University volleyball team has motored past its first two opponents of pool play at the NAIA Volleyball National Championship. Senior Emmie Noyd dismantled the University of Saint Mary (Kan.) by going off for 21 kills on Wednesday (Dec. 4) as the Bulldogs won, 25-15, 25-18, 25-18, at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
Second-year head coach Ben Boldt had his team prepared to seize the moment. Concordia (25-6), which also topped No. 19 Montana Tech on Tuesday night, has not quite clinched a spot in Friday’s bracket play, but it’s moving in that direction. It has put itself on the cusp of such achievement with impressive focus.
"It's to a point where they're telling me, 'hey, ultra focus. Ultra focus,’” Boldt said. “They're doing a really good job of holding each other accountable. Sometimes it's easy in sets when you're getting separation to lose focus, but they're just holding each other accountable."
Noyd has put on a display in Sioux City. She backed up 16 kills on Tuesday with another big performance on Wednesday that included four blocks. It became clear early that Concordia’s height and power at the net would be too much. The Bulldogs blocked six Spire attacks in the opening set that laid the groundwork for a snappy late evening victory. Also in the middle, freshman Kalee Wiltfong went for 13 kills on 26 swings.
Junior Tara Callahan has developed quite a feel for where the ball needs to go to make Concordia’s attack sizzle. The Bulldogs outhit Saint Mary, .381 to .152.
“I think we have a few things to work on in cleaning up our game and staying focused a little better,” Callahan said. “But tonight our middles really flowed and our blocking was amazing in the first set. We have things to clean up, but our foundation is pretty strong.”
The middles were fed early and often so there were not quite as many chances on the pins, but GPAC Freshman of the Year Camryn Opfer managed to put down eight kills on 19 attempts. Callahan racked up 45 assists in another stellar outing. Opfer and Marissa Hoerman shared the team lead with 13 digs apiece. Noyd and Opfer were the ringleaders in a blocking effort that outnumbered the Spires, 8-3.
“We executed really well, which was awesome to see, especially at this point in the season” Boldt said. “We had 34 kills out of our middles. When you can do that it means you’re passing the ball and digging the ball really well, taking care of first contact. Those are the things we talk about. The good play from the middles was kind of icing on the cake.”
Saint Mary (30-12) competed early in the second and third sets, but did not have the firepower to take a set from Concordia (55-26 kill advantage). Anna Hester topped the Spires with seven kills. Saint Mary, a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, is making its first-ever appearance at the national tournament. The Spires fell in straight sets to Indiana Wesleyan on Tuesday and are 0-2 in pool play.
Thursday’s pool play: The Bulldogs now draw the top seed in Pool C, third-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University (35-2). So far at the NAIA National Championship, the Wildcats defeated Saint Mary (straight sets) and then fell to Montana Tech (five sets). Head coach Candace Moats’ squad sports national rankings of first in kills per set (14.78) and second in hitting percentage (.279).
Live coverage:
--Stream/Stats (stream requires fee): https://portal.stretchinternet.com/naia/
--Radio: 104.9 Max Country
--Twitter: @cunebulldogs
Callahan, Noyd, Opfer earn AVCA All-Region honors
December 5
SEWARD, Neb. – A trio of representatives from the national qualifying Concordia University volleyball team were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association West Central Region Team, as announced on Thursday (Dec. 5). Senior middle blocker Emmie Noyd and junior setter Tara Callahan landed on the 14-member All-West Central Region team while freshman outside hitter Camryn Opfer was chosen as the Region Freshman of the Year.
Noyd has justified the honors she’s received with her play at the NAIA Volleyball National Championship. In national tournament victories over No. 19 Montana Tech and the University of Saint Mary (Kan.), Noyd has totaled 37 kills and nine blocks while playing like an All-American in the middle. Overall this season, the native of Shelby, Neb., has accumulated 383 kills and 124 blocks (both team highs) and is hitting .340. Noyd is also a three-time All-GPAC honoree. She was selected as first team all-conference this fall.
Callahan has taken a leap forward in her third collegiate season and has become one of the NAIA’s top setters. The 6-foot-1 native of Brady, Neb., joined Noyd with first team All-GPAC accolades. Over seven sets at the national tournament, Callahan has recorded 84 assists while directing an attack that hit .322 versus Montana Tech and .381 versus Saint Mary. On the year, Callahan has put up 1,219 assists and ranks ninth nationally in assists per set (10.79).
Also named GPAC Freshman of the Year, Opfer has established herself as one of the nation’s top rookies. The Seward High School product has been instrumental in leading the program to heights it had never reached before. On the campaign, Opfer needs just three more kills for 300 and six more digs for 300 in that category. She is hitting .216 and has at least 10 kills in 14 matches. Opfer has notched a combined 17 kills over the first two matches at the national tournament.
The 15th-ranked Bulldogs (25-6) will play their final pool play matchup at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday (Dec. 5). Third-ranked Indiana Wesleyan (35-2) will be the opponent. Concordia is aiming to clinch one of 16 spots in single-elimination bracket play that will begin on Friday.
Five-set battle with Wildcats sends Bulldogs through to bracket play
December 6
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Down two-sets-to-nothing, the 15th-ranked Concordia University volleyball team had to dig deep to save its 2019 season. That’s exactly what it did. No, it wasn’t a win, but by forcing five sets the Bulldogs locked up a spot in the round of 16 at the NAIA Volleyball National Championship. Third-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University held off Concordia, 25-18, 25-20, 18-25, 14-25, 15-12, late on Thursday night (Dec. 5).
In defeat, second-year head coach Ben Boldt’s squad proved its mental toughness. The Bulldogs (25-7) went 2-1 in pool play and are clearly a threat to the top teams in the NAIA.
“It’s awesome,” said Boldt in reaction to the continuation of the season. “The moment I told the team you could feel it. We didn’t just come here to be here. The season wasn’t over when we got here. It’s up to us to refocus for tomorrow.”
This was the type of gritty, white-knuckler one might see in the GPAC. There were times when the Wildcats (36-2) appeared to have Concordia overmatched in the opening set. The Bulldogs hit .071 in the first set and .000 in the second set. Boldt’s crew kept coming. They finally found a little separation in the third set with the help of an Arleigh Costello block during a run that put Concordia up 20-16. It was able to finish it off with a kill by senior star Emmie Noyd.
The best stretch of play for the Bulldogs came in the fourth set when they hit .326 and rode a wave of momentum that Indiana Wesleyan could not snuff out. In a defensive battle, Concordia had found a groove and again leaned upon Noyd, who put down 15 more kills (and had six blocks) to bring her national tournament kill total to 52. Kara Stark (12), Camryn Opfer (10) and Kalee Wiltfong (10) also reached double figures in kills on Thursday.
This was a night for the back row to shine with a contest featuring plenty of lengthy rallies. Marissa Hoerman had 28 digs, Erin Johnson added 25 and Kaylie Dengel chipped in 17. The Bulldogs also posted 12 blocks and held Indiana Wesleyan to a .127 hitting percentage.
A Wiltfong kill provided Concordia an 8-7 lead as the two teams switched sides in the fifth set. The Wildcats evened up on the next series and the Bulldogs never led again. A kill by Marci Miller landed for match point. At that juncture, Boldt would have been proud no matter what. Concordia had already secured a spot in the 16-team national championship bracket.
“We’re competitors … I just love the team,” Boldt said. “I didn’t really have a whole lot of strategy for them after the third set. I told them, ‘Why not us?’ You could feel the trust they have in each other and they believe they have in each other. To be on a team where you can feel that, that’s what it’s all about.”
Whatever happens going forward, it seems safe to say that the Bulldogs will play without fear. It hasn’t seemed to matter that not a single player on the roster had previous experience on the national stage.
“We made it to the sweet 16 so that’s pretty cool,” Opfer said. “I’m excited to see what our team does with that. I think we’ll grab it and just go.”
Three Wildcats had at least 10 kills: Kelly Miller (14), Marci Miller (13) and Ana Collar (11). Indiana Wesleyan was getting ready to take on No. 19 Montana Tech in a tiebreaker contest (first to 25 wins) as of a few minutes after midnight.
Bracket play: Late Thursday night, Concordia learned it had earned the No. 1 seed out of Pool C. The Bulldogs will be taking on fourth-ranked Missouri Baptist at 3:45 p.m. CT on Friday (Dec. 6) in the single-elimination bracket. With a win, the Bulldogs would play again on Friday in the quarterfinals at 8:15 p.m.
Live coverage:
--Stream/Stats (stream requires fee): https://portal.stretchinternet.com/naia/
--Radio: 104.9 Max Country
--Twitter: @cunebulldogs
Breakthrough season ends in national round of 16
December 6
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Two years removed from a 9-19 overall record, the Concordia University volleyball program reached heights in 2019 that it previously could only dream about. The breakthrough season came to an end on Friday (Dec. 6) in the round of 16 at the NAIA Volleyball National Championship, staged at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Fourth-ranked Missouri Baptist made the plays down the stretch and took out the Bulldogs, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23.
It's both a badge of honor and an excruciating reality knowing the Bulldogs (25-8) are remarkably close to being a Saturday (semifinals/championship) team at the national tournament. This team had something special.
“We competed hard. They competed hard,” said head coach Ben Boldt, “There wasn’t much separation all night long. They would hit a shot and we would make an adjustment. Then they’d make an adjustment. Then we’d make an adjustment. We continued to play volleyball – they just made one more play than we did. It was really tight. We just couldn’t quite seem to get that lead. We were taking big swings. We didn’t play safe and I was really happy about that.”
There were moments of brilliance that provided hope of reaching the national quarterfinals. Concordia had a chance in every set. A Tristin Mason ace evened it up at 22-22 in the first set. The second set was knotted at 21-21 after a Spartan attack error. Then in the third set, Concordia held a 14-12 lead, fell behind and eventually tied it at 22-22. It really was that close, but each time Missouri Baptist (34-6) rose to the occasion. A different Spartan surfaced for the finishing kill in each of the three sets.
From a height standpoint, Missouri Baptist presents one of the NAIA’s most physically imposing teams. The 6-foot-2 Isidora Stojovic led the victors with 13 kills while 6-foot-4 Caterina Cigarini added 12 kills. The Spartans (11 all-time national tournament appearances) enjoyed an 8-2 advantage in blocks. They also outhit the Bulldogs, .286 to .208.
On the other side of the net, freshman Camryn Opfer turned in the most efficient attacking effort with nine kills on 20 swings. Junior Kara Stark paced Concordia with 13 kills. Missouri Baptist managed to hold senior Emmie Noyd (five kills, five errors) in check. All in all, it was a spectacular tournament for Noyd, who totaled 57 kills and 16 blocks over the four matches and ended her career with 973 kills.
Of course there were tearful hugs afterwards, particularly for Noyd and the other seniors, including Kaylie Dengel, Kaci Hohenthaner and Raymi Marquardt. Collectively, they bought in and helped build something that figures to last.
“I was telling the team, I kind of took us back to where we were at this point at the end of last season and everything we’ve put into this season,” Boldt said. “With the standards that we have, the results take care of themselves. We’ve got to continue those standards. One of the things we’ve taken from other Concordia programs is that tradition never graduates. It’s up to us to continue that work ethic and our core values.
“Nobody is ready to stop playing volleyball on our team. To have a close loss like that is more motivating than any words. They can feel what it’s like … I was super appreciative of the effort the seniors put in and I’m really happy for them.”
Junior setter Tara Callahan was credited with 33 assists on Friday while Erin Johnson posted 10 digs. Mason dropped in a pair of aces.
The program will miss the leadership of its current seniors, but there is plenty of firepower returning to expect more positive developments in 2020. The Bulldogs will almost certainly be ranked next preseason. Said Boldt, “We’ll stick to our core values. It’s stuff that we can control. I’ve had a couple of thoughts on where our program is at right now and what our message needs to be … we need to continue to get better.”
During its stay in Sioux City, Concordia earned wins over No. 19 Montana Tech and the University of Saint Mary (Kan.). As a result, the Bulldogs garnered the No. 1 seed in Pool C. The 2019 Bulldogs were the first in program history to ever reach the final site of the national tournament and the first to win a national tournament match.
Callahan, Noyd named All-Americans by NAIA, AVCA
December 10
NAIA Volleyball All-Americans: NAIA | AVCA
SEWARD, Neb. – Both instrumental in steering the Concordia University volleyball program to new heights, junior Tara Callahan and Emmie Noyd have been recognized with All-America honors from the NAIA and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Noyd landed on the All-America third team while Callahan garnered honorable mention status. Both Callahan and Noyd were also named to the AVCA’s NAIA West Central Region team last week.
Noyd and Callahan are the first Bulldog volleyball student-athletes to be chosen as All-Americans since Jocelyn Garcia and Alayna Kavanaugh collected honorable mention accolades in 2015. Noyd is the first Concordia volleyball player to claim first/second/third team All-America selection since Rachel (Kirchner) Miller was placed on the NAIA’s third team in 2001.
Also a first team All-GPAC choice, Noyd finished her senior season with 403 kills (3.36 per set) and 131 blocks while hitting .327. Not since Katie Werner posted 439 kills in 2007 had a Bulldog eclipsed 400 kills in a single season. During the four matches at the national tournament, Noyd totaled 57 kills and 16 blocks. Her 21 kills in the victory over the University of Saint Mary (Kan.) represented a season high. In her career, Noyd tallied 973 kills and 376 blocks. The native of Shelby, Neb., was named second team all-conference in 2017 and 2018.
Callahan, a first team all-conference setter, developed into one of the nation’s top setters in 2019. She ranked ninth nationally in assists per set (10.74) while quarterbacking an offense that hit .233 (14th in the NAIA) and averaged 13.52 kills per set (17th nationally). Throughout the fall, Callahan reeled in five GPAC Setter of the Week honors. In her career, the native of Shelby, Neb., has piled up 2,754 assists, 468 digs, 251 kills and 175 blocks.
Concordia finished the 2019 campaign at 25-8 overall and reached the round of 16 at the NAIA Volleyball National Championship.
Concordia lands at 14th for highest ever final NAIA poll finish
December 12
NAIA Volleyball Postseason Poll
SEWARD, Neb. – The 2019 Concordia University volleyball team has checked off a lot of ‘firsts.’ No other squad in program history had ever reached the final site of the NAIA National Championship and none had won a national tournament match. Times have changed for the Bulldogs, who landed at No. 14 in the NAIA Volleyball Postseason Coaches’ Top 25 Poll released on Thursday (Dec. 12). That marks the best final ranking ever achieved for Concordia volleyball.
In just their second season leading the Bulldogs, coaches Ben and Angie Boldt guided the ’19 team to a 25-8 overall record and a spot in the round of 16 at the NAIA National Championship. While at the national tournament, Concordia claimed wins over Montana Tech and the University of Saint Mary (Kan.). Over the past two years, the program went from 9-19 in 2017 to 15-12 in 2018 to a standard-setting season in 2019.
As a byproduct of the team success, senior middle blocker Emmie Noyd and junior setter Tara Callahan earned first team All-GPAC recognition. Noyd was later named a third team All-American while Callahan picked up honorable mention All-America accolades. Camryn Opfer was chosen as the Freshman of the Year in both the GPAC and the West Central Region (by the American Volleyball Coaches Association).
Based on the NAIA postseason poll, the Bulldogs earned four victories over top 25 teams in 2019: No. 15 Corban University (Ore.), No. 17 Montana Tech and No. 23 College of Saint Mary (twice). In addition Concordia defeated three teams listed as receiving votes: Midland, Dordt and Saint Mary (Kan.).
Not since the 2015 squad (coached by Scott Mattera) capped the season at No. 22 had the Bulldogs appeared in the top 25 of the postseason poll. Prior to Thursday’s rankings release, the Concordia volleyball program’s best final ranking was 18th after it shared the GPAC title in 2000 (coached by Rebecca Ernstmeyer). That ’00 squad reached as high as No. 12. Going back a bit further, the 1995 team (coached by Vicki Boye), inducted into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005, soared as high as 16th in the national poll.
This Is Us: Bulldogs set new standard in 2019
December 18
If you had warped into the future and happened to catch a glimpse of Concordia University volleyball in the NAIA National Championship round of 16, you would have sworn you had set your DeLorean time machine for the year 2020 or perhaps even 2021. Nope, this is 2019. It only felt as though the Bulldogs had made at least two years of progress in a much shorter timeframe.
Two years removed from a 9-19 record in 2017, second-year head coach Ben Boldt’s squad began this fall completely off the national radar.
“It shows where our program is at,” Boldt said. “For our team to do this their first go-round and compete with top 25, top 10 teams validates the work that they’ve put in. The match we played against Indiana Wesleyan was a great match. They took it to us in the first two sets and then we took it to them in the next two sets. Then it was a dogfight in the fifth set. They were ranked No. 3 in the nation. It just kind of tells us where we’re at and the kind of bar we need to set for ourselves.”
The bar will not be an easy one for future Concordia teams to clear. The 2019 Bulldogs far exceeded their eighth-place positioning in the GPAC preseason poll by going 25-8 overall (11-5 GPAC) with a third-place GPAC finish and the program’s best ever postseason national ranking of 14th. Along the journey, Concordia ended series droughts against rivals such as Dordt, Hastings and Midland while showing it could more than hold its own with the two GPAC squads that reached at least the national quarterfinals, Jamestown and Northwestern.
The rapid growth displayed during the two seasons with Ben and Angie Boldt leading the way has been impressive. Middle blocker Emmie Noyd had been more than solid in her previous three seasons, but she rose to stardom in 2019 and landed on NAIA’s All-America third team. Noyd became the first Bulldog to crush 400 kills since 2007 while being spurred by junior setter Tara Callahan, who also enjoyed a stellar season.
Callahan quarterbacked an attack that ranked in the top 20 nationally in both hitting percentage and kills per set. Unfortunately, middle blocker Morgan Nibbe missed the season because of injury, but Callahan still had plenty of options. Five Bulldogs notched more than 200 kills: Noyd (403), freshman Camryn Opfer (316), junior Kara Stark (293), freshman Kalee Wiltfong (275) and sophomore Arleigh Costello (213). It all added up to a season to remember.
“We’re satisfied, but not fully satisfied,” Ben Boldt said. “I believe that we gave everything that we have. Now we all know what to expect. I don’t want to promise any results in the future. I want to get them back refocused on what it took to get there. It’s all the things that we talk about. It’s a daily process that we need to continue if we’re going to get better. Nobody’s ready to be done playing volleyball and that’s the feeling that you want to have.”
The additions of Opfer, the GPAC Freshman of the Year, and Wiltfong were big-time. Their arrivals combined with the collective improvement of the returners were enough to make this a squad that could compete on the national level. Even in the match that ended Concordia’s season, the set losses came by two points (twice) and three points, respectively. Throughout the entirety of the campaign, it was a team that believed.
It’s hard to say exactly what allowed the Bulldogs to turn the corner, but the August victory over then 19th-ranked Corban University (Ore.) proved to be a significant one. Even as early as Sept. 4, Opfer confidently stated, “We have something special and I think everyone knows that.” Nationally, it took a bit longer for others to get the picture. It wasn’t until Oct. 23 that Concordia cracked the NAIA top 25.
Said Boldt after the elimination loss to fourth-ranked Missouri Baptist University, “I kind of took us back to where we were at this point at the end of last season and everything we’ve put into this season. With the standards that we have, the results take care of themselves. We’ve got to continue those standards. One of the things we’ve taken from other Concordia programs is that tradition never graduates.”
The Boldts were masters at getting this particular team to hone in on the task at hand and once a victory was claimed, it was time to look forward. The team’s theme of “This Is Us” was about taking ownership of the good and the bad. There was time for fun and time to get serious. On an early-season road trip, the Bulldogs performed “The Git Up” dance, coaches and all. A memorable moment also occurred when Ben Boldt grabbed the microphone and sang the National Anthem prior to a home match.
All of these moments made for quite a senior season for Noyd. How Concordia replaces her will be the biggest question mark for the program heading into 2020.
“The Tara-to-Emmie connection has been something that has been a staple of Concordia volleyball,” Boldt said. “We’re going to miss Emmie. We’re going to be a different team without her. Her being recognized as an All-American is something for our players to look up to and a good tone to set for the people that are involved in our program.”
Noyd and three fellow seniors will bid goodbye to the program, but plenty of talent remains on hand. It seems that Opfer and Wiltfong are just scratching the surface of their abilities. In 2020, Callahan and libero Marissa Hoerman will serve as senior leaders. These Bulldogs are in good hands. If we could travel that DeLorean into August 2020, we would expect to see Concordia listed as a preseason top 25 team.
Says Boldt, “It's about getting better. We’ll have a different theme for next year. Our theme for the 2019 season was ‘This Is Us.’ That’s about taking ownership of who you are and creating relationships on the court and off the court. Moving forward we’re going to have to strip it down and build it back up. I don’t want us to feel entitled to anything. That’s the message I want our team to hold onto. I want us to continue to fight like we’re an underdog and go to work and continue to get better. We’re happy but not satisfied. We’re looking forward to the future because we’re hungry for it.”
National qualifiers land six honorees on All-Nebraska Team
December 23
Omaha World-Herald news article
SEWARD, Neb. – Six student-athletes from the national qualifying Concordia University volleyball squad have been named to the 2019 NAIA/NCAA Division III All-Nebraska Volleyball Team, as chosen by the Omaha World-Herald. The All-Nebraska selections were announced by the Omaha news outlet on Dec. 21. The exclusive group of honorees includes an eight-member team in addition to honorable mention choices.
Senior Emmie Noyd and junior Tara Callahan were placed on the eight-member team while the other four Bulldog award winners were named honorable mention. That group included junior Marissa Hoerman, freshman Camryn Opfer, junior Kara Stark and freshman Kalee Wiltfong.
Callahan garnered first team All-GPAC, AVCA All-Region and NAIA honorable mention All-America selection in 2019. The native of Brady, Neb., has established herself as one of the nation’s top setters. This fall she has collected five GPAC Setter of the Week awards and was named the NAIA National Setter of the Week on Sept. 10. Callahan ranked 10th nationally with an average of 10.74 assists per set (1,299 total assists). In her career, Callahan has accumulated 2,754 assists, 468 digs, 251 kills and 175 blocks.
Noyd has often been the beneficiary of Callahan’s passing. Also a two-time second team All-GPAC and one-time first team All-GPAC choice, Noyd enjoyed the best season of her career. Among all NAIA players, the star middle blocker ranked 21st in hitting percentage (.327) and 31st in blocks per set (1.09). Noyd’s 346 kills are the most for a squad ranked 15th nationally in hitting percentage (.232). Noyd also earned one GPAC Attacker of the Week honor in 2019. Her career totals stood at 973 kills and 376 blocks to go along with a .308 hitting percentage. Noyd went on to earn All-Region and NAIA Third Team All-America honors.
Opfer’s addition proved critical to this past season’s success. The Seward High School product is the program’s first-ever GPAC Freshman of the Year and AVCA West Central Region Freshman of the Year. In her first season with the Bulldogs, Opfer has notched 316 kills (2.63/set), 312 digs (2.60/set) and 48 blocks while hitting .212 from the outside. She posted 10 or more kills 15 times this season with a high of 19 coming in the win at Briar Cliff.
Hoerman is the leader of a back row that helped limit opponents to a .157 hitting percentage on the season. The native of Evergreen, Colo., paced the team with a career high 458 digs (3.79/set) while playing in all 121 sets this season. She has also passed serve receive at a 95.8 percent rate and added 37 aces. She posted a season high of 25 digs on two occasions. In her career, Hoerman has totaled 1,185 serve receptions, 1,039 digs and 55 aces.
Stark provided another potent attacking option on the outside. She ranked third on the team with 293 kills (2.71/set). The native of Frisco, Texas, collected 10 or more kills in 20 matches this season with a high of 17 versus Midland on Sept. 14. Stark has piled up 429 kills and 61 blocks in 166 career sets played.
Wiltfong became a big factor in the middle during her rookie season. The native of Doniphan, Neb., tallied 275 kills (2.27/set) and 95 blocks (0.79/set) in 2019. Wiltfong put up a career high 19 kills in a win over Dakota Wesleyan on Nov. 3. Wiltfong also collected 35 kills during Concordia’s stay at the national tournament.
NAIA/NCAA Division III All-Nebraska Volleyball Team
H: Amber Anderson, Sr., St. Mary
H: Sierra Athen, So., Bellevue
H: Allison Kuenle, Sr., Doane
H: Emmie Noyd, Sr., Concordia
S: Tara Callahan, Jr., Concordia
* S: Olivia Galas, So., Bellevue
L: Taliyah Flores, So., Midland
DS: Payton Robley, Sr., St. Mary
Honorable mention: Bellevue: Andrea Carson, Coree Lipovsky. Concordia: Marissa Hoerman, Camryn Opfer, Kara Stark, Kalee Wiltfong. Doane: Alexis Dale, Jaime Renshaw, Madison VanHousen. Hastings: Danielle Bruha, Emily Lenners, Lucy Skoch. Midland: Brooke Fredrickson, Maggie Hiatt, Hope Leimbach. Nebraska Wesleyan: Hannah Bellinghausen, Whitney Jensen, Cora Svoboda. Peru State: Claire Cudney, Tyra Mollhoff, Darlene Quinonez Holguin. St. Mary: Elizabeth Dlouhy. York: Bailey Johnson.
*Honorary Captain