2020 Volleyball Schedule/Results
18-5 overall | 12-3 GPAC (3rd) | Season Stats | Roster
Due to the impact of COVID-19, conference and national tournaments were played in the spring of 2021.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time/Result | Record |
| Sep. 9 | *Midland University | Fremont, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 1-0, 1-0 |
| Sep. 16 | *Doane University | Crete, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 2-0, 2-0 |
| Sep. 19 | *Hastings College | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 3-0, 3-0 |
| Sep. 30 | *Midland University | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 4-0, 4-0 |
| Oct. 2 | *Dordt University (Originally scheduled for 10/31) | Sioux Center, Iowa | W, 3-0 | 5-0, 5-0 |
| Oct. 10 | *Northwestern College | Seward, Neb. | L, 1-3 | 5-1, 5-1 |
| Oct. 13 | *Mount Marty University (2 matches) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 / W, 3-0 | 7-1, 7-1 |
| Oct. 16 | *University of Jamestown | Jamestown, N.D. | L, 0-3 | 7-2, 7-2 |
| Oct. 17 | *Dakota Wesleyan University | Mitchell, S.D. | L, 2-3 | 7-3, 7-3 |
| Oct. 20 | *College of Saint Mary | Omaha, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 8-3, 8-3 |
| Oct. 23 | *Briar Cliff University | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 9-3, 9-3 |
| Oct. 24 | *Morningside College | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 10-3, 10-3 |
| Oct. 28 | *College of Saint Mary (Neb.) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 11-3, 11-3 |
| Oct. 29 | *Doane University (Originally scheduled for 10/7) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 12-3, 12-3 |
| March 17 | (24) Ottawa University (Kan.) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 13-3 |
| March 27 | (11) Grand View University (Iowa) | Des Moines, Iowa | W, 3-0 | 14-3 |
| GPAC Tournament | ||||
| April 3 | Dakota Wesleyan (GPAC Quarterfinals) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 15-3 |
| April 7 | (5) Northwestern College (GPAC Semifinals) | Orange City, Iowa | L, 1-3 | 15-4 |
| NAIA National Tournament | ||||
| April 17 | Xavier University of Louisiana (Opening Round) | New Orleans, La. | W, 3-1 | 16-4 |
| April 27 | Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) (Pool Play) | Sioux City, Iowa | W, 3-2 | 17-4 |
| April 28 | (7) Marian University (Ind.) (Pool Play) | Sioux City, Iowa | W, 3-1 | 18-4 |
| April 29 | (16) Dordt University (Quarterfinals) | Sioux City, Iowa | L, 0-3 | 18-5 |
2020 Roster
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| 1 | Bree Green | S/DS | 5-8 | So. | Gretna, Neb. | Millard West HS |
| 2 | Mollie Grosshans | RS | 5-10 | Fr. | Waverly, Neb. | Waverly HS |
| 3 | Tristin Mason | DS/S | 5-6 | Sr. | Hampton, Neb. | Hampton HS |
| 4 | Tara Callahan | S | 6-1 | Sr. | Brady, Neb. | Brady HS |
| 5 | Kennedy Vanscoy | DS | 5-3 | So. | Waverly, Neb. | Waverly HS |
| 6 | Erin Johnson | S | 5-4 | Jr. | Daykin, Neb. | Meridian HS |
| 7 | Tatum Kuti | RS | 5-10 | So. | Omaha, Neb. | Omaha Marian HS |
| 8 | Jadeyn Stutzman | DS | 5-3 | Jr. | Grand Island, Neb. | Grand Island Northwest HS |
| 9 | Erica Heinzerling | OH | 5-11 | Jr. | Ankeny, Iowa | Centennial HS |
| 10 | Camryn Opfer | OH | 6-0 | So. | Seward, Neb. | Seward HS |
| 11 | Gabi Nordaker | MB | 5-10 | Fr. | Omaha, Neb. | Millard West HS |
| 12 | Marissa Hoerman | DS | 5-7 | Sr. | Evergreen, Colo. | Evergreen HS |
| 13 | Arleigh Costello | RS | 5-11 | Jr. | Gothenburg, Neb. | Gothenburg HS |
| 14 | Sarah Huss | MB | 6-3 | Fr. | Fairbury, Neb. | Fairbury HS |
| 15 | Mary Nibbe | S/RS | 6-2 | So. | Red Cloud, Neb. | Red Cloud HS |
| 16 | Maddy Watchorn | OH | 6-0 | Fr. | Dalton, Neb. | Leyton HS |
| 17 | Kalee Wiltfong | OH | 5-10 | So. | Doniphan, Neb. | Doniphan-Trumbull HS |
| 18 | Kayla Ernstmeyer | MB | 5-9 | Jr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Lutheran HS |
| 19 | Morgan Nibbe | MB/RS | 6-1 | Jr. | Red Cloud, Neb. | Red Cloud HS |
| 20 | Shelby Stark | OH | 6-2 | Fr. | Magnolia, Texas | Concordia Lutheran HS |
| 23 | Maggie Durbin | OH/RS | 5-10 | Sr. | Omaha, Neb. | Millard West HS |
| 25 | Shelby Jones | S | 5-8 | So. | Ainsworth, Neb. | Ainsworth HS |
| 26 | Maddy Nagel | MB | 6-0 | Fr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Southwest HS |
| 27 | Kara Stark | OH/RS | 6-2 | Sr. | Frisco, Texas | Prince of Peace Christian HS |
| 28 | Addison Smith | DS | 5-8 | DS | Seward, Neb. | Seward HS |
| 30 | Anna McCoy | OH | 5-10 | Fr. | Grand Island, Neb. | Grand Island Senior HS |
| 31 | Lexie Kreizel | DS | 5-5 | Fr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Lutheran HS |
| 32 | Bree Burtwistle | S | 5-10 | So. | Stanton, Neb. | Stanton HS / Midland University |
| 36 | Ashtynne Frahm | RS | 6-2 | Fr. | Omaha, Neb. | Burke HS |
| Brooke Baugh | OH/RS | 6-0 | Sr. | Friend, Neb. | Friend HS | |
| Hannah Beethe | OH | 5-8 | Jr. | Exeter, Neb. | Exeter-Milligan HS | |
| Morgan James | DS | 5-7 | Jr. | Bellevue, Neb. | Bellevue West HS | |
| Allison Klipp | DS | 5-8 | Sr. | Tobias, Neb. | Meridian HS |
STAFF
Ben Boldt, Head Coach (3rd Year)
Angie Boldt, Assistant Coach
Rachel Losch, Graduate Assistant Coach
Season preview: 2020 Concordia Volleyball
August 21, 2020
Head Coach: Ben Boldt (40-20, 3rd year)
2019 Record: 25-8 overall; 11-5 GPAC (3rd); advanced to national round of 16.
Key Returners: S Tara Callahan; RS Arleigh Costello; DS Marissa Hoerman; MB Morgan Nibbe; OH Camryn Opfer; OH/RS Kara Stark; OH Kalee Wiltfong.
Key Newcomers: MB Gabi Nordaker; MB Sarah Huss; OH/RS Shelby Stark.
Key Losses: DS Kaylie Dengel; MB Emmie Noyd.
2019 NAIA All-America: Emmie Noyd (Third Team); Tara Callahan (Honorable Mention).
2019 GPAC All-Conference: Tara Callahan (First Team); Emmie Noyd (First Team); Camryn Opfer (Second Team; Freshman of the Year); Marissa Hoerman (Honorable Mention); Kara Stark (Honorable Mention).
Outlook
The road to the national tournament set for late April of 2021 (yep, that’s right) has begun in mid-August. Despite the postponement of the NAIA national event, the fall season will continue with 19 matches currently present on the regular-season slate (additional matches may be added in the spring semester). From September through early November, it will be a sprint to see who can claim the GPAC title. As Ben Boldt enters year three as head coach, he has a team full of believers.
And why not? The last time the Concordia University Volleyball Program took the court for real, it appeared in the round of 16 at the national tournament, something never before accomplished in school history. There has not been an NAIA preseason poll, but the Bulldogs were likely to appear in the top 15 after finishing ranked 14th in 2019.
“It has certainly built confidence for both our players and our returners,” says Boldt of last season’s breakthrough. “We have a couple of core values our team has embraced. The big two are being connected and showing resiliency. The resiliency comes into play with last season and how it plays into this season. It is a new year. Anything that comes at us we want to be resilient. We want to have that next ball mentality and be positive through any challenges that will come our way.”
Concordia went 25-8 overall and placed third in the GPAC last season. Those achievements went well beyond outside expectations. The previous year, Boldt’s first as head coach, the Bulldogs checked in with a 15-12 overall mark. Many of the same faces responsible for that climb upward are back in place, including 2019 all-conference honorees in setter Tara Callahan, defensive specialist Marissa Hoerman (1,039 career digs) and outside hitters Camryn Opfer and Kara Stark. Opfer and Kalee Wiltfong adapted quickly to the college game in their freshmen seasons.
The collective improvement of such aforementioned names, along with the addition of a number of impact newcomers, should help make up for the graduation of middle blocker Emmie Noyd, a third team All-American in 2019. Noyd led the way with 403 kills last season, but four others had more than 200 kills: Opfer (316), Stark (293), Wiltfong (275) and Arleigh Costello (213). Callahan averaged 10.7 assists per set (ninth most in the NAIA) while quarterbacking a squad that ranked 14th nationally in hitting percentage (.233). Conversely, Hoerman was one of the keys in holding opponents to a .157 hitting percentage.
“We’re pretty proud of where we’ve come from and where we ended up (in 2019),” Callahan said. “Our eyes are forward. Normally we come into the season as an underdog, but now we know there may be a target on our back. We’re just focused on us.”
More specifically, that focus is on the “little things” that have the potential to make a big difference. Actually, no detail seems to be too small in the eyes of Ben and Angie Boldt. They talk often about the need to have the right attitude and mindset and to always play with effort. It wasn’t just physical talent that propelled Concordia onto the national stage.
Explains Ben Boldt, “Our motto this year is little things. We are doing our best as a team to define that right now. For me it is figuring out at the core who you are. Who are you when nobody is watching? Are you going to go all the way to a line on a rep? Are you going to finish your move or are you going to reach out to a teammate when they are having an off practice? All those things when you add them up can really put you in positions to have big moments. When we break down huddles as a group, I say little things and the team says big moments.”
Few moments were bigger last season than when Costello blocked an attack for set point while clinching the program’s first-ever national tournament win – a four-set triumph over 19th-ranked Montana Tech. The Bulldogs also showed their mettle by battling No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan to five sets, allowing them to advance past pool play at the national championship.
This preseason there is an expectation of returning to the national tournament. Callahan is an established star with such respect that she’s considered an “extension of the coaching staff.” Meanwhile, Opfer could be on her way to becoming the next All-American. The Seward High School product seems to stand a strong chance of taking over the role of the team’s primary attacker – and a whole lot more.
“She has been able to have an opportunity to get better on her own,” Boldt said. “Now that we are back here we are hitting the ground running. She is going to be a player that takes swings and passes the ball for us. She has a hand in everything. Consistency and resiliency for her is going to be something not just for her but for the whole season. We are excited where we are at and we want to get out there to see where we are at.”
Morgan Nibbe is back from injury to add depth in the middle. She accumulated 132 kills and 61 blocks as a freshman in 2018 before missing all of 2019. Freshmen such as Gabi Nordaker, Sarah Huss and Shelby Stark (younger sister of Kara) will also have the opportunity to play a role. Additional returners who saw consistent playing time in 2019 include Erica Heinzerling, Erin Johnson and Tristin Mason.
In other words, there’s plenty of familiarity within the program. Says Callahan, “We’re pretty confident in the way that we do things. It just comes down to playing and executing on the court.”
Boldt hasn’t been afraid to talk about winning the GPAC as goal for this program. That is something that has not happened since 2000 when Concordia tied for first with two other GPAC rivals.
“We know what conference is like,” Boldt said. “It is a grind and we are looking forward to it. A standing goal since we have been here is to compete for a conference championship. When we approach every day we want to approach it at a GPAC conference championship level. We are excited for the opportunity and we are putting our mindset to approaching that conference championship level with a championship mentality.”
That mentality has helped members of the team navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Callahan says she and her teammates are willing to make necessary sacrifices in order to compete this fall. First serve of the 2020 season is set for 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 5 when Baker University (Kan.) will be at Walz Arena.
Added Boldt, “We have to be tight on things we can control: attitude, effort and communication. Those are things we can control. We want to be tight systems-wise and feed off our defense the whole way.”
Concordia checks in at third in GPAC preseason poll
August 26, 2020
GPAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
SEWARD, Neb. – The preseason expectations have risen significantly from a year ago when the Concordia University Volleyball program was picked to finish eighth in the conference. The Bulldogs far exceeded that projection by finishing third in the GPAC in 2019. That is exactly where Concordia has been pegged in the 2020 GPAC Preseason Volleyball Coaches’ Poll. It garnered 97 points in the poll.
Head coach Ben Boldt is gearing up for year three of his tenure leading the Bulldogs, along with his wife and lead assistant Angie Boldt. Concordia returns plenty of firepower with four of its five 2019 All-GPAC performers back in the fold – setter Tara Callahan (first team), outside hitter Camryn Opfer (second team), defensive specialist Marissa Hoerman (honorable mention) and outside hitter Kara Stark (honorable mention). Collectively they helped Concordia to a 25-8 overall record and a spot in the NAIA national round of 16 (a first in program history).
It does not appear there will be an NAIA preseason poll prior to the start of competition this fall. The Bulldogs almost certainly would have appeared in the top 25 after finishing last season at No. 14 in the postseason poll. Boldt’s team has been practicing since Aug. 15 in preparation for one of the more highly anticipated volleyball seasons ever at Concordia.
The team’s motto for this season is little things. Explains Boldt, “We are doing our best as a team to define that right now. For me it is figuring out at the core who you are. Who are you when nobody is watching? Are you going to go all the way to a line on a rep? Are you going to finish your move or are you going to reach out to a teammate when they are having an off practice? All those things when you add them up can really put you in positions to have big moments. When we break down huddles as a group, I say little things and the team says big moments.”
First serve of the 2020 campaign is set for 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 5 when Baker University (Kan.) will be at Walz Arena.
2020 GPAC Preseason Volleyball Coaches’ Poll
*First-place votes in parentheses
1. Northwestern – 117 (9)
2. Jamestown – 102 (2)
3. Concordia – 97
4. Midland – 92 (1)
5. Dordt – 85
6. College of Saint Mary – 70
7. Morningside – 55
8. Hastings – 48
9. Doane – 41
10. Dakota Wesleyan – 36
11. Briar Cliff – 32
12. Mount Marty – 17
Volleyball home match vs. Baker canceled
August 28, 2020
The match between Concordia University Volleyball Program and Baker University (Kan.) scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 5 has been canceled. No makeup date has been set. The season opener will now be at GPAC rival Midland on Sept. 9.
The complete 2020 schedule can be viewed HERE. To keep up-to-date on the latest scheduling changes, follow @cunebulldogs on Twitter.
Bulldogs upend No.14 Oklahoma Baptist in 2-0 day at Hastings Classic
September 5, 2020
HASTINGS, Neb. – Vying for the program’s first victory over a ranked opponent since 2007, the Concordia University volleyball team upset No. 14 Oklahoma Baptist University, 25-22, 26-28, 25-19, 25-17 in its second match of the Hastings College Classic on Friday. A few hours earlier, the Bulldogs knocked off Benedictine College (Kan.), 25-16, 22-25, 25-20, 25-18.
Friday’s sweep gives third-year head coach Scott Mattera’s Bulldogs a three-match win streak and an overall record of 5-2.
“We’ve really been trying to get over the hump and hang that national win on the board,” Mattera said. “I think the most gratifying part about it was the girls kind of acted like it was no big deal, like this is what we should be doing. That’s a cool place to be. I think it’s starting to set in that we can be a really good team.”
Despite feeling a little under the weather, junior Claire White produced in a big way with 39 kills on the day, including a match-high 20 in the win over Oklahoma Baptist. She also put up 11 and 12 digs, respectively.
It was an impressive effort for someone who Mattera wasn’t certain would be able to play entering the day.
“She’s a tough kid. She’s probably the sickest girl on the team right now,” Mattera said. “We weren’t sure if she was going to play. We were looking at different options to try to get her some rest. She came through with probably her best day as a Bulldog. I don’t know if the sickness helped her focus in or what. She just battled through it.”
With White hitting a cool .350 from the outside, Concordia dispatched of Oklahoma Baptist in surprisingly swift fashion. Senior Mariah Schamp pounded down 11 kills on 18 swings from the middle and sophomore outside hitter Paige Getz added 10 of her own.
After dropping a tight second set, Concordia won the final two by margins of six and eight points to put away the Bison (5-4) and secure the program’s first win over a top 25 team since beating then No. 9 Hastings in four sets on Aug. 29, 2007.
“OBU is a national power. They have been for years,” Mattera said. “We took it to them pretty good. We really turned it up in the third and fourth sets. I’m really, really happy with so many individual efforts today.”
In a match that got started at 1 p.m., the Bulldogs used a .327 hitting percentage to topple Benedictine, a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Sophomore setter Alayna Kavanaugh dished out 30 of her 69 assists on the day in leading the attack versus the Ravens. Sophomore Tiegen Skains floored seven kills on 15 attacks. Schamp chipped in three blocks.
Mattera also commended senior Jami Nekoliczak for her work in the back row while also complimenting the play of freshman defensive specialist Jocelyn Garcia and sophomore middle Taylor Workman. Senior Carli Smith combined for 26 digs while playing left back as opposed to her typical spot in the middle of the back row.
The perennially powerful Bison are coming off a 33-7 season in 2013, during which they did not lose a single Sooner Athletic Conference match. They were led by the 15 kills of Priscila Mendes on Friday.
The Hastings College Classic continues on Saturday as the Bulldogs play again at 1 and 5 p.m. Up first is a tussle with Friends University (Kan.) (26-13 in 2013) followed by a matchup with the University of Montana Western (10-24 in 2013). These matches can be seen live on the web HERE.
“We’ve got two tough matches on Saturday,” Mattera said. “Friends is a really underrated team, really strong in the middle and a very offensive setter. Montana Western is very legit. They took Wayland Baptist to five today. We’re going to learn a lot about who we are with how we come back from success.”
Nordaker shines in debut, Bulldogs take out Midland in three
September 10, 2020
FREMONT, Neb. – For the second time in as many tries at the Wikert Event Center, the Concordia University Volleyball team has come away victorious. Omaha native Gabi Nordaker made herself comfortable in her very first collegiate match and the Bulldogs took care of host Midland in straight sets, 25-19, 25-21, 25-23, on Wednesday (Sept. 9) night. Concordia outhit the Warriors, .248 to .168.
It was a long-awaited season opener for third-year head coach Ben Boldt’s squad. The Bulldogs are coming off a national round of 16 appearance in 2019 and have the majority of that team back in 2020.
"It's fun to have the opportunity to compete,” Boldt said. “We've been playing against ourselves for a while. Our team was nervous. I was nervous ... I've seen flashes in practice where I think we can be really good. We’re not really focused on that. We’re focused on relationships and our core values of being resilient and connected with our team. Those are the things we give feedback to our players about.”
With Midland threatening to push the match to a fourth set, sophomore Kalee Wiltfong emerged with a block to put a cap on the night. What a night it was for Nordaker, who pelted the floorboards with 12 kills (six in the opening set) without committing a single error. The Millard West High School graduate also added six blocks. Said Boldt afterwards, “That’s the way to start a career. How about that.”
In October of last year, Concordia snapped an eight-match series losing streak against rival Midland. In other words, any win over the Warriors (1-2, 0-1 GPAC) is a big one. Midland also returns a nice nucleus of players that helped it go five sets this past Saturday with two strong programs (win over Missouri Baptist and loss to Grand View). Middle blocker Sydney Morehouse managed 12 kills, but the Bulldogs kept everyone else in check.
Bulldog senior Kara Stark also put together a nice night on the outside while striking for 12 kills on 28 swings. Returning All-American setter Tara Callahan spurred the attack with her 39 assists. Senior Marissa Hoerman ruled the back row with 24 digs. Additionally, Camryn Opfer chipped in with eight kills and 11 digs and Tristin Mason dropped in a pair of aces. As a team, Concordia out-blocked Midland, 9-7.
This was a fine way to brush off the nerves. The Bulldogs did not have the benefit of a preseason scrimmage or a nonconference match. A strong collection of talent and experience coupled with confidence will make this team dangerous in 2020.
“Before anything can happen you have to believe it can happen,” Boldt said. “They’re a veteran group and they’ve been there. They’ve done a great job of fostering that mentality of knowing what it takes and trusting each other to get the job done. That’s what we saw on the floor tonight.”
The Bulldogs will have the weekend off while focusing their attention on next Wednesday (Sept. 16)’s matchup at Doane (3-0, 1-0 GPAC). First serve of the varsity match is set for 7:30 p.m. CT from the Haddix Center in Crete. Concordia topped the Tigers in all three of last season’s meetings, including one that occurred in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals.
GPAC rivals Doane, Hastings make up weekly slate
September 14, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The season has started at a slow trickle in terms of the quantity of matches being played. The lack of a tune-up heading into conference action did not seem to bother the Concordia University Volleyball Team last week at Midland. The Bulldogs took care of the longtime nemesis in a straight-sets decision, 25-19, 25-21, 25-23, in Fremont. Now Concordia prepares to face two more in-state GPAC foes with Doane on Wednesday and Hastings on Saturday.
This Week
Wednesday, Sept. 16 at Doane (3-1, 1-1), 7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Saturday, Sept. 19 vs. Hastings (2-1, 1-0), 3 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country
*Prior to attending Saturday’s match, fans should review Concordia’s protocols for fans HERE. Fans are required to wear face coverings while within campus venues.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s program has now won back-to-back trips to Fremont dating back to last season. Based on the final 2019 standings, it was a battle between the league’s third- and fourth-place squads. Freshman Gabi Nordaker starred in her collegiate debut, striking for 12 kills (no errors) and six blocks. Other statistical leaders included Tara Callahan (39 assists), Marissa Hoerman (24 digs) and Kara Stark (12 kills). The Bulldogs outhit the Warriors, .248 to .168, and held a slight blocking advantage, 9-7. Callahan, Hoerman, Stark and Camryn Opfer are each returning All-GPAC performers.
A look around the GPAC and NAIA landscapes shows a wide variance in regards to the number of matches being contested. Most teams in the conference have played three or more matches with Mount Marty having already played eight times. Several other NAIA leagues have postponed fall sports until the spring. Of the 193 NAIA volleyball programs listed on the official qualification plan, 72 have begun their 2020-21 seasons with at least one match. The NAIA national championship tournament will not begin until April 2021.
Doane has won three of its first four matches having claimed victories over Morningside, MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) and Mount Marty. In action this past Saturday, the Tigers fell at the hands of College of Saint Mary in four sets. Last season Concordia took all three meetings from Doane, including the matchup in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals. The Tigers have a first-year head coach in Jenna Jones, a former Nebraska Wesleyan University assistant and All-American at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. The team’s leading attacker so far has been 5-foot-6 Kennedy Scheele (51 kills).
Hastings owns a win over College of Saint Mary, which qualified for the 2019 national tournament. The Broncos are looking to bounce back from a down season in 2019 (11-15 overall record). Head Coach Alexandra Allard is in her second season leading the program. Hastings has been stout at the net averaging 3.1 blocks per set in the early going. Lucy Skoch is averaging 1.5 blocks per set individually. Prior to Saturday, the Broncos will host Midland on Wednesday. Hastings won the 2016 NAIA national championship.
Following this week’s action, Concordia will look forward to hosting Mount Marty on Sept. 23 prior to visiting College of Saint Mary on Sept. 26.
Dawgs hit .424 in making quick work of Doane
September 16, 2020
CRETE, Neb. – The makeup of the schedule hasn’t necessarily allowed for a natural rhythm to open up the 2020 season, but the Concordia University Volleyball Team has not been phased. The Bulldogs smoldered to the tune of a .424 hitting percentage on Wednesday (Sept. 16) and walloped host Doane, 25-16, 25-16, 25-14, in Crete, Neb. Five Bulldogs had seven kills or more in another dominant performance.
Third-year Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad has twice ventured into hostile GPAC territory without even a scratch, at least in terms of winning every set. Concordia (2-0) also won in straight sets at Midland a week ago.
“Again we were anxious to get out there and thankful for the opportunity to get out there,” Boldt said on the 104.9 Max Country postgame show. “We were hoping that we would stay focused from the service line. You think about the things we need to continue to work on and I think that’s one of the bigger ones, but it was nice to see us stay resilient and finish that one out.”
Boldt may still be asking for more consistency from the service line, but the statistics on Wednesday told the tale of a blowout. The Bulldogs out-numbered the Tigers in kills, 47-27. Doane really had no answer for the Concordia attack, which put forth respective hitting percentages by set of .290, .633 and .355. Setter Tara Callahan (37 assists) made use of the team’s many weapons.
Freshman Gabi Nordaker continues to be a fun player to watch. She pounded 10 kills on 18 swings (one error). Nordaker was followed in the kill department by teammates Arleigh Costello (nine), Kara Stark (nine), Kalee Wiltfong (nine) and Camryn Opfer (seven). Each of them hit .312 or better as part of the onslaught. Costello and Wiltfong also got in on three blocks apiece. In the back row, Marissa Hoerman posted 13 digs. Multiple aces were recorded by Erin Johnson (three), Hoerman (two) and Tristin Mason (two).
The Bulldogs played at such a level that they did not have to face a whole lot of adversity on this particular night. Doane did manage to lead the third set, 4-2, before Concordia took control. Tiger leading attacker Kennedy Scheele topped her squad with seven kills (six errors and 28 total attempts). Doane (3-2, 1-2 GPAC) has dropped back-to-back matches within the conference having also lost to College of Saint Mary over the weekend.
Boldt liked the way his team closed this one out in much sharper fashion than it finished the third set last week at Midland. Said Boldt, “Part of being resilient for us is finishing matches. We did better this time than we did in our last match. It’s a process. We need to get back at it. We’re looking forward to another opportunity on Saturday.”
The victory marked the fifth in a row in the series versus Doane. The Bulldogs won each of last season’s three meetings. The Tigers have a first-year head coach in Jenna Jones, previously an assistant at Nebraska Wesleyan.
At long last, the Bulldogs will host their home opener this Saturday when Hastings (3-1, 2-0 GPAC) pays a visit to Walz Arena. First serve is set for 3 p.m. CT (junior varsity at 1:30). Concordia and Hastings split their two meetings last season with the home team prevailing in both instances.
Opfer stars, Bulldogs roll to 3-0
September 20, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – Three GPAC matches. Nine sets. Still perfect. The Concordia University Volleyball team has rolled through three tests against in-state conference rivals in impressive fashion. On Saturday (Sept. 19), the Bulldogs played in front of the home fans for the first time in 2020 and toppled Hastings, 25-21, 25-21, 25-19.
Third-year Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad has also beaten Midland and Doane (both on the road) as part of the sterling start. Concordia strives to be connected and resilient – two buzz words inside the program. They have exhibited those qualities thus far.
“The energy was awesome. I loved the crowd,” Boldt said. “I think we fed off that a little bit. Once we get to game point people create that momentum and that energy for our players. They want to perform well for our fans.”
It feels especially like home for Seward High School product Camryn Opfer. She enjoyed her best outing of the season to date by filling the stat sheet with 12 kills, nine digs, three blocks and an ace. Opfer did so against a Hastings squad with plenty of height on its side of the net. The Broncos used that size to stay even with the Bulldogs in the blocking department, 8-8.
It's just not so easy to keep up with a team with such a variety of weapons and skillsets. All-American setter Tara Callahan plays the role of maestro in finding Opfer and others such as budding star freshman middle Gabi Nordaker. It was another fine performance for Nordaker, who swatted 13 more kills (.611 hitting percentage) and was in on all eight of the Concordia blocks.
“We’re really embracing our core values of resilient and connected,” Opfer said. “We’re always there for each other and cheering each other on, and I think we’ve just really embraced that.”
It could be debated whether the Bulldogs have needed to show a whole lot of resiliency to this point. The Broncos (3-2, 2-1 GPAC) held early leads in sets, but never when the team scores hovered near the 20-point mark. As an example, Hastings took a quick 6-4 advantage in the third set, but Concordia turned it around and led 13-7. It coasted from there before Kara Stark pounded a kill for match point.
The Bulldogs could have perhaps crumbled when the Broncos made a push in the opening set to get within 23-21, but that’s not in the DNA of this Concordia program. Said Boldt, “Mostly I’ve been happy with how resilient we’ve been. It hasn’t always been pretty with our team. We might have a couple in a row where we don’t get the point, but I see it in our players’ eyes that they trust each other to say, ‘Hey, I trust that you’re going to get it on the next ball.’ We can obviously execute better, but I think that trust is there.”
Concordia outhit Hastings, .222 to .156. Callahan finished with 34 assists and eight digs. Arleigh Costello was also effective from the right side in putting away nine kills with a .350 hitting percentage. Marissa Hoerman added nine digs and dropped in four of her side’s seven aces.
The Broncos, who own wins over College of Saint Mary and Midland, got eight kills apiece from Lucy Skoch and Marlee Taylor. Skoch was also credited with six block assists.
Up next for the Bulldogs is Wednesday’s home matchup with Mount Marty (5-6, 0-2 GPAC). First serve from Walz Arena is set for 7:30 p.m. CT.
Red hot Dawgs seek to continue unbeaten ride at CSM
September 22, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – Fresh off a 2-0 week, the Concordia University Volleyball team now focuses its attention on Saturday’s road match at College of Saint Mary. First serve from Omaha is set for 5 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs will not be hosting Mount Marty on Wednesday as originally scheduled. That match has been postponed with a makeup date yet to be determined.
Saturday, Sept. 26 at College of Saint Mary (7-1, 2-1), 5 p.m.
-Live Webcast
Head Coach Ben Boldt appears to have a GPAC title contender in his third season leading the program. In terms of winning sets, Concordia is a perfect 9-for-9 while taking care of Midland, Doane and Hastings to begin the season. The Bulldogs put together their most dominant win to date in last week’s venture to Crete. Concordia smoldered on the attack to the tune of a .424 hitting percentage. Five Bulldogs collected at least seven kills: Gabi Nordaker (10), Arleigh Costello (nine), Kara Stark (nine), Kalee Wiltfong (nine) and Camryn Opfer (seven).
Nordaker has been a big-time addition at middle blocker. Named GPAC Attacker of the Week, the Millard West High School product paces the conference in both hitting percentage (.552) and blocks per set (1.67) while ranking second in kills per set (3.89). Sophomore outside hitter Camryn Opfer checks in at No. 5 in the GPAC in hitting percentage (.344). As a team, Concordia sports national rankings of fourth in kills per set (14.67), sixth in hitting percentage (.291) and 14th in blocks per set (2.33). Senior setter Tara Callahan ranks second nationally in assists per set (12.22) as the facilitator of the attack.
The Bulldogs are 3-0 to begin GPAC play for the first time since 2015. The only Concordia volleyball team to start 4-0 in conference play during the GPAC era was the 2000 squad that went on to share the regular-season title. The ’00 team jumped out to a 6-0 GPAC mark before finally suffering a conference loss (at home to Dordt). Currently, the Bulldogs are one of eight unbeaten teams in the NAIA that have played at least three matches. Ninety-nine NAIA volleyball teams have at least begun their 2020-21 seasons.
College of Saint Mary has had one of the most active schedules in the nation in terms of quantity of matches. Its only loss during a 7-1 start occurred at Hastings on Sept. 9. The Flames were picked sixth in the GPAC preseason poll. They are led by Rick Pruett, now in his fourth season as head coach of the program. CSM returns two honorable mention all-conference hitters in Elizabeth Dlouhy and Makenna Freeman. Named GPAC Setter of the Week, Lauren Anderson is the NAIA national leader for total number of assists (320). Concordia has won the last two and four of the past five meetings versus the Flames.
In next week’s action, the Bulldogs will take on Midland (2-3, 1-2 GPAC) for the second time in three weeks. That match is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on Sept. 30. Concordia is also scheduled to be at Mount Marty (5-6, 0-2 GPAC) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2.
Nordaker chosen as NAIA, GPAC Attacker of the Week
September 22, 2020
UPDATE: Gabi Nordaker was upgraded to NAIA National Attacker of the Week, as announced by the NAIA on Tuesday (Sept. 22) morning. The Concordia Volleyball program has had an NAIA National Player of the Week in back-to-back seasons. Tara Callahan also garnered the NAIA National Setter of the Week honor in 2019.
SEWARD, Neb. – Freshman Gabi Nordaker has been on a roll to begin her collegiate career. On Tuesday (Sept. 22), the Omaha native was named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Attacker of the Week. This marks the second week of volleyball awards released by the conference in 2020. Members of the Concordia University Volleyball program combined for seven GPAC player of the week awards in 2019.
Nordaker has fit right in with an experienced squad coming off a national tournament appearance. The Millard West High School product has been a key to the 3-0 start. In last week’s action (straight-sets wins over Doane and Hastings), Nordaker posted a combined total of 23 kills and nine blocks while hitting .556 from her spot in the middle. In the home opener versus Hastings, Nordaker shined with 13 kills and eight blocks.
Among all NAIA players nationally, Nordaker ranks third in hitting percentage (.552), fourth in blocks per set (1.67) and 18th in kills per set (3.89). Nordaker tops the GPAC in both hitting percentage and blocks per set.
Up next for the Bulldogs (3-0) is Saturday’s matchup at College of Saint Mary (7-1, 2-1 GPAC). First serve from Omaha is set for 5 p.m. CT.
Upcoming volleyball schedule restructured
September 24, 2020
2020 Concordia Volleyball Schedule
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Volleyball program has announced some restructuring of its 2020 GPAC regular-season slate. Both matches that had been scheduled to be played this week were postponed. As it stands, the next contest on the schedule is next Wednesday (Sept. 30)’s home meeting with Midland. Fans are advised to check the website and social media for updates prior to traveling for any matches throughout this season.
New dates on 2020 schedule:
· Tuesday, Oct. 13 vs. Mount Marty (Seward, Neb.): two varsity matches, 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., with a junior varsity match (5:30 p.m.) in between. These are rescheduled matches in place of contests that had been set for Sept. 23 (in Seward) and Oct. 2 (in Yankton). The junior varsity match on Oct. 13 will be a best-of-five sets game.
· Tuesday, Oct. 20 at College of Saint Mary (Omaha, Neb.): junior varsity at 6 p.m. followed by varsity at 7:30 p.m. Concordia-College of Saint Mary were originally scheduled to play this Saturday (Sept. 26).
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad is currently 3-0 with GPAC victories over Midland, Doane and Hastings (all in straight sets). This past Tuesday (Sept. 22), freshman Gabi Nordaker earned GPAC and NAIA National Attacker of the Week honors.
Idle stretch to end with visit from Midland, trip to Dordt
September 28, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – Circumstances outside of its control have prevented the Concordia University Volleyball team from taking the floor since the straight-sets home win over Hastings on Sept. 19. Two scheduled matches last week were postponed and have been slotted into future dates. The Bulldogs now look forward to hosting Midland on Wednesday before a trip to Dordt on Friday. The match in Sioux Center was originally slated for Halloween.
This Week
Wednesday, Sept. 30 vs. Midland (2-3, 1-2 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Friday, Oct. 2 at Dordt (5-1, 4-1 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad remains at 3-0 with straight-sets wins over Midland, Doane and Hastings. When given the opportunity to play, Concordia has been remarkably effective, especially considering the lack of rhythm to the season. The most recent action yielded an NAIA National Player of the Week in freshman Gabi Nordaker. Nordaker has been a major reason why the Bulldogs sport national rankings of third in kills per set (14.67), fourth in hitting percentage (.291) and 12th in blocks per set (2.33). Nordaker is the current individual NAIA national leader in hitting percentage at a .552 clip.
Elsewhere on the NAIA leaderboard, Tara Callahan ranks No. 1 in assists per set (12.22), Nordaker ranks fourth in blocks per set (1.67) and 14th in kills per set (3.89), Marissa Hoerman ranks 15th in aces per set (0.67) and digs per set (5.11) and Camryn Opfer ranks 21st in hitting percentage (.344). Five Bulldogs have accumulated 20 or more kills: Nordaker (35), Opfer (27), Kara Stark (24), Arleigh Costello (21) and Kalee Wiltfong (20).
Concordia will attempt to sweep the regular-season series from Midland, which has suffered three losses – all against high level opponents. Head Coach Paul Giesselmann can also lean upon a strong setter in the form of Hope Leimbach (sixth nationally in assists per set). The team’s top hitter has been Taliyah Flores, who is averaging 3.23 kills per set. The Warriors own wins over Missouri Baptist University and Doane. Midland narrowly missed out on qualifying for the national tournament in 2019.
Dordt is 5-1 with its lone loss coming versus Jamestown. The Defenders are also slated to play at Jamestown on Tuesday. Champion of the 2018 GPAC regular season, Dordt is regularly known as a strong blocking team. The Defenders are averaging 2.76 blocks per set behind star Brenna Krommendyk. Dordt is another team looking to return to the national tournament after missing out last season. Entering 2020, Head Coach Chad Hanson owned an overall record of 217-86 with the Defenders.
As the schedule stands, the Bulldogs will play only once next week – Saturday, Oct. 10 in a showdown with defending GPAC champion Northwestern (2-0, 0-0 GPAC). The Red Raiders have not yet begun conference play. Every conference team other than Northwestern, Concordia (3-0) and Jamestown (2-0) has lost at least once within GPAC play.
Bulldogs grind out regular-season sweep of Midland, move to 4-0
September 30, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – Two well-rested rivals finally ended a lengthy idle stretch as GPAC play resumed Wednesday (Sept. 30) night inside Walz Arena. For the second time in three weeks, the Concordia University Volleyball team got the best of Midland. It turned into a typical conference grinder with the Bulldogs triumphing, 25-20, 25-18, 25-27, 25-18.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad had not previously dropped a set this season. On this particular evening, a setback in the third game was just a blip on the way to moving to 4-0 this season. Boldt knows his team has another gear yet to be displayed.
“The first couple of sets were kind of ugly. We were able to grind through it,” Boldt said. “There wasn’t really one stat that was awesome. It was good to see us be resilient and work through all that stuff. I think in the second part of the third set that Midland actually won, we started playing pretty well. We started playing Bulldog Volleyball … the last two sets were better volleyball. Sometimes that’s the way matches go.”
One of the nation’s most efficient attacking teams, Concordia hit .250 or lower in each of the four sets. The Bulldogs dug out of a 4-0 hole out of the gate, rattled off six-straight points and never trailed again in that first set. Senior Kara Stark got going early on and finished with 12 kills. Meanwhile, some of the loudest roars of the match were produced by Arleigh Costello, who notched a team high 13 kills.
But not a whole lot came easy. For the first time this season, Concordia freshman middle Gabi Nordaker (four kills, four errors) was held in check on the attack. However, she found a way to make a big impact by rising up for six total blocks. Two of those came on back-to-back plays in the second set. It’s just not in this team’s DNA to fold, even when it’s not at its best.
“It’s really cool (to be 4-0), especially in the GPAC – just being able to play as well as we have been,” Costello said. “We’re sticking together and being thankful for every game we do get to play this season. We’re cherishing every moment we get to go out there and play Bulldog volleyball.”
Of course these grinders are good fun for the defensive stalwarts in the back row. The Bulldogs were peppered with 143 Midland attacks, of which 67 resulted in digs (40 kills, 24 errors and 11 block backs). Five Concordia players registered nine digs or more: Marissa Hoerman (17), Camryn Opfer (15), Erin Johnson (11), Tristin Mason (10) and Tara Callahan (nine). The Bulldogs were burned most by the combo of Maggie Hiatt (13 kills) and Taliyah Flores (11 kills).
Concordia could not complete the comeback in the third set, but it did show off its championship mettle in rallying from deficits of 17-11 and 24-21 to knot things up, 24-24. The Bulldogs seemed to carry that level of play over into the fourth set that they controlled. They raced out to a 16-8 advantage and maintained a lead of at least six points the rest of the way.
“It’s that kind of year,” Boldt said of the layoff between matches. “We’re going to have a long season. Our conference (tournament) championship isn’t until the spring now. We’re going to have a big break. That’s the kind of season we need to gear up for. Volleyball doesn’t care whether you’ve had 11 days off or two months off.”
Callahan filled the stat sheet with 38 assists, six kills and two blocks to go along with her nine digs. Opfer chipped in with nine kills. This marked the first time Concordia has beaten Midland (2-4, 1-3 GPAC) twice in a regular season since 2008.
The Bulldogs will open up the month of October with a trip to Dordt (5-2, 4-2 GPAC) on Friday. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m. CT (junior varsity at 6 p.m.).
Back row makes difference in first win at Dordt of GPAC era
October 2, 2020
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – Four weeks out from Halloween, the Concordia University Volleyball team ventured into a proverbial house of horrors for the program. But Gabi Nordaker and the Bulldogs wouldn’t allow history to repeat itself. The Concordia back row did the trick in a 25-20, 25-17, 25-21 win at Dordt on Friday (Oct. 2) evening.
During the GPAC era (and as far back as all-time records indicate), the Bulldogs had never emerged from De Witt Gymnasium with a victory. Several veterans on this Concordia team remembered how quickly the host Defenders put away the Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the 2018 GPAC tournament.
“Marissa (Hoerman) actually talked to me about that before the match started,” said head coach Ben Boldt in the postgame interview on 104.9 Max Country. “She said, ‘Coach, you remember the last time we were in here?’ I said, ‘Yeah, it was the conference tournament two years ago and I think that match lasted maybe 45 minutes.’ We’re a team that stays resilient and here we are.”
Here they are at 5-0 (all conference matches) with two victories in a three-day span. The hitting numbers certainly wouldn’t wow anyone on this night, but that doesn’t provide a complete picture. Concordia won with superior serving and passing. Out of 106 Defender attacks, Concordia came up with 55 digs. Hoerman led the way with 17 while Tara Callahan (11), Camryn Opfer (10) and Erin Johnson (10) also reached double figures.
When on the road, it certainly helps build confidence to jump out to a lead. The Bulldogs mounted advantages of 6-1 to begin both the first and second sets. Nordaker got rolling in that second set by smashing kills for point Nos. 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8. After hitting -.031 in the first set, Concordia improved to .235 in the second and .294 in the third. Callahan tossed up 33 assists while quarterbacking the attack.
A complete team like the Bulldogs isn’t reliant on its hitting prowess alone. Said Boldt, “Serving and passing was the difference for us. It wasn’t necessarily our best hitting night, but we stayed consistent and solid. It was fun. This was a hard-hitting and tough-blocking match with big swings, big digs and big blocks. That’s what we play for.”
Nordaker led all players with 11 kills on the night, to go along with her two blocks (four as a team). Junior Arleigh Costello also produced some big swings and floored nine kills (.333 hitting percentage). Kara Stark chipped in with eight kills and Kalee Wiltfong added six. Concordia managed only two service aces, but its one service error (compared to 10 by Dordt) was a major statistical advantage.
In the grand scheme of things, this was significant. The Bulldog Volleyball program was 0-for-12 at Dordt in the GPAC era (2000-present). Each of the previous 10 matches Concordia had played in Sioux Center, Iowa, resulted in straight-set defeats. Prior to tonight, Dordt (5-3, 4-3 GPAC) had suffered both of its losses at the hands of Jamestown. The Defenders (.142 hitting percentage) were led on Friday by six kills apiece from Brenna Krommendyk, Allison Timmermans and Karsyn Winterfeld.
Said Boldt, “One of our keys to success tonight was for our right back to dig, baby, dig. They hit that cross-court shot from the right sight. Erin and Tara got a lot of opportunities today.”
The Bulldogs will have more than a week off from action before returning to Walz Arena to host a major showdown with Northwestern (4-0, 2-0 GPAC) at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 10. The Red Raiders are the defending GPAC regular-season champions. Northwestern has won five-straight meetings with Concordia.
Bulldogs prepping for showdown with defending GPAC champ
October 6, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Volleyball team has passed all tests placed in front of it. Another significant challenge awaits on Saturday when the Bulldogs will welcome defending GPAC champion Northwestern to Walz Arena. First serve is set for 3 p.m. CT. It will be the first and only meeting this regular season between the two sides.
Match Info
Saturday, Oct. 10 vs. Northwestern (4-1, 2-1 GPAC)
-Live Webcast/Stats
By the time the action gets underway on Saturday, Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad will have had more than a week between matches. Such is life in 2020 when schedule changes and postponements have occurred regularly. Concordia has handled that lack of rhythm quite impressively while out to a 5-0 start with all matches coming against conference opponents. Not since the very first year of the GPAC (2000) had the program opened up conference play with a 5-0 mark. The ’00 squad, coached by Becky Ernstmeyer, went on to share the GPAC regular-season title. As it stands, Concordia and Jamestown (4-0 GPAC) are the lone unbeaten teams in the conference.
The Bulldogs finally dropped a set last week when Midland edged them in the third, 27-25, last week. Concordia shook off the minor setback and claimed the fourth set. Junior right side hitter Arleigh Costello starred as the team’s top hitter last week with a combined 22 kills (.302 hitting percentage) in the victories over Midland and Dordt. Budding freshman Gabi Nordaker was held in check on the attack by Midland, but she made a big impact with six blocks. The victory at Dordt was dominated by a back row that compiled 55 digs (out of 106 attacks). Four Bulldogs posted 10 or more digs: Marissa Hoerman (17), Tara Callahan (11), Erin Johnson (10) and Camryn Opfer (10).
Despite being held to hitting percentages below .200 in both of last week’s outings, Concordia continues to rank as one of the nation’s top attacking teams. The Bulldogs sport NAIA rankings of ninth in assists per set (12.81), ninth in hitting percentage (.246), ninth in kills per set (13.88) and 21st in blocks per set (2.19). On the individual national leaderboards, Callahan ranks third in assists (11.31) and Nordaker ranks fifth in hitting percentage (.404) and 14th in blocks per set (1.44).
The Red Raiders are in the midst of a hectic week. In a result that raised some eyebrows on Monday night, Northwestern was beaten at home in straight sets by Dordt, 25-20, 25-21, 25-16. However, Head Coach Kyle Van Den Bosch’s team remains a clear threat in the GPAC and nationally. The Red Raiders started last season 28-0 before falling in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals. They went on to advance to the NAIA national quarterfinals (lost to Jamestown). Northwestern returns reigning GPAC and NAIA National Player of the Year Anna Wedel. From the outside, Wedel has hammered 1,065 kills in her career. The Red Raiders brought back two other 2019 first team All-GPAC honorees in Makenzie Fink and AJ Kacmarynski.
If things go as planned, Concordia will play four conference matches next week, including two at home versus Mount Marty (5-6, 0-2 GPAC) on the same day (Oct. 13). The Bulldogs are also slated to play at Jamestown (5-0, 4-0 GPAC) on Oct. 16 and at Dakota Wesleyan (6-4, 3-4 GPAC) on Oct. 17.
Resilient and connected seniors grateful for opportunity to continue program's rise
October 8, 2020
When the 2019 season concluded at the national tournament, members of the Concordia University Volleyball team weren’t ready for the end. Five matches into a new regular season unlike any other, the anticipation for that next match and that next opportunity remains undeterred. Nope, not even Covid can rob this program of its palpable buzz fueled by the special connectedness and resilience within it.
It would only be human nature for the five Bulldog seniors to have let their minds slip into despair during the months that led up to the opening of the 2020-21 academic year. The pandemic broke the hearts of a lot of athletes this past spring and it was possible the same could happen this fall. Instead of preparing for the worst, they prepared to be champions.
“If we focused on all the things out of our control, we’d be wasting this opportunity to actually play,” said senior and Frisco, Texas, native Kara Stark. “We have so much to be thankful for, and we really try to focus on all that we’ve been blessed with — all the hard work so many people at Concordia and in the GPAC have done to make things safe for us to play. This year is obviously not what I expected my senior year to look like, but God’s been so faithful to me and to this team in the middle of all this mess.”
Mask requirements, social distancing measures and increasingly sheltered social lives are part of the deal these days. If that’s what it takes to play volleyball, these Bulldogs are on board. Even a lack of rhythm in the schedule has failed to prevent the continued upward trajectory of the program. Just four matches were played in the month of September. It’s all good. Concordia is 5-0 in the conference for the first time since 2000 and has dropped just one set to date.
The aforementioned Stark is a great example of the maturity that characterizes this senior class, which also includes Tara Callahan (Brady, Neb.), Maggie Durbin (Omaha, Neb.), Marissa Hoerman (Evergreen, Colo.) and Tristin Mason (Hampton, Neb.). They won’t take what’s happening for granted. They know all about the climb and the mental and physical hurdles that were cleared to rise up from a 9-19 record their freshman years to a squad that has the feel of a top 10 team in the country. Coaches Ben and Angie Boldt have fostered a team of believers.
“As someone that’s been around for a while, it’s pretty hard to believe that we’re 5-0 in the GPAC,” Hoerman said. “We still feel like the underdogs, and I think that’s a good thing. We put pressure on ourselves every day in practice to compete and perform, because we know the stakes get higher with every match. Ben always says anything can happen in the GPAC on any given day, which might sound obvious, but it's easy to start assuming we know what's going to happen in matches.”
With Callahan (honorable mention All-American in 2019) quarterbacking the attack, the Bulldogs are barking. They have turned the tables by beating opponents (like Dordt and Midland) that used to beat them regularly. What makes Concordia scary is it can win in different ways. It can overwhelm you one night on the attack. The next night it can beat you with superior serving and passing. Or it might be a combination of all of the above.
There’s talent here for sure, but it’s not just about talent. Each of the seniors are firm believers in doing the “little things” and working to be “connected” and “resilient” as a unit. They don’t just pay lip service to these buzzwords that serve as the company line, they live them.
Says Callahan, “This particular team is so unique because everyone is committed to this season and making it special. We know what we are capable of accomplishing and we are living our core values, on and off the court. We are confident, connected, resilient, and when we are able to compete, we focus on our team and our ability to perform and execute.”
Considering their level of play so far and their burning desire to be champions, the Bulldogs are highly incentivized to keep this season going, even if the format has changed – and even if the schedule was stripped of its nonconference dates. Not everyone around the country has this same opportunity. As junior Arleigh Costello put it, they are “cherishing every moment we get to go out and play Bulldog Volleyball.”
Says Hoerman, “Being appreciative is so important right now, and I think it's pretty hard not to be. We see what other schools and athletes are going through every day, even in our own conference, and it's really motivating for us to follow protocols and try to do the right stuff. Even then, you never know when it's going to hit us. Without being cynical all the time, we remind each other that we're lucky to be here.”
Surely there’s some luck involved, but the program has handled this current situation quite impressively to this point. All postponements and rescheduled matches that have occurred thus far have been necessitated by Concordia opponents. Of course no one wants to have any part in sidetracking this promising 2020 campaign.
The seniors in particular want to soak up every moment and see how far they can take it. When you’re doing what you love with people you love, it’s hard for life to get much better. For Durbin, part of her role is helping to “make my teammates better.”
Added Durbin, “The other four seniors have become some of my best friends in the last four years. The time we have spent together on the court and for volleyball-related stuff has translated into friendships that I hope will last forever. They are just really good people and I feel like Concordia Volleyball has brought us together and shaped us into who we are now. All of the teammates I have had at Concordia have taught me something, and I am really proud to be a part of something so significant and inspiring.”
Mason touched on similar thoughts. Said Mason, “From my four years at Concordia, this year's team has the highest team chemistry. Any team will have their certain groups, but this team is capable of connecting with everyone on the team. Seniors have been able to make connections with the freshman in a short amount of time.”
If the Bulldogs manage to qualify for the national tournament for a second year in a row, they will play on into (checks notes) … April – and maybe even the first of May. That would be something unforgettable for a senior class that already figures to leave a lasting legacy. It’s a bit of an unspoken goal, but of course these seniors would like to go out as GPAC champions.
“We have standing goals as a program, and those haven’t changed at all over the last few years,” Stark said. “This year is no different. We’re here to keep fighting, to keep growing in our relationships with each other and in our trust on and off the court, and we’re here to play volleyball.”
In the era of pandemic athletics, Bulldog Volleyball has laid out a winning game plan. When it comes to the senior class, there’s so much to be grateful for. Another opportunity awaits on Saturday.
More from the seniors
Callahan: I just continue to be thankful every day we get to practice, and I am incredibly thankful we are able to compete this fall. Even if we had played in the spring, our mindset and values would’ve stayed the same … Our core values of connected and resilience and motto of “little things” have kept us focused on the present. Of course we wonder when we’ll play again, if other teams will have to quarantine and if other games get moved, but we stay focused on ourselves to prepare for when we do get to play.
Durbin: Obviously on such a big team, not everyone is going to start. Coach always tells us we have to accept our roles, but we don't have to be satisfied with them. I think that is really important to realize on a team this big, and use that as motivation to get better for yourself, but also for the team. Even as a player who doesn't start, working my hardest will make my teammates better and I think everyone on the team has an understanding of this. When we can practice as one team working towards an ultimate goal, we aren't competing against each other for a certain spot, we are competing with each other and making each other better every day. I think that is where our success comes from, understanding that each role has its own importance.
Hoerman: As a senior class, we talk about the differences between our first and final years all the time. So much has changed, but the biggest difference to me has been the standard for team chemistry. Ben and Angie do such a great job of enforcing our foundational core values for the program (love trust, hard work, sacrifice), and as a team we're focusing on being connected as one of our additional values. When the whole team is on the same page with that, the level of volleyball improves so much faster. Our freshmen are a great example, they've embraced everything, and we can't keep them out of the gym. Our coaches have worked so hard to create a culture that allows anyone to lead by example. Our underclassmen set the standard every day.
Mason: The coaches are so down to earth and here to love us and help us be successful off the court just as much as on the court. I also believe the trust between us players and the coaches is so strong that it makes it easier to follow along with their leadership. We all believe that winning is a great variable of competing, but being able to be with each other and get better every day is just another benefit.
Stark: It’s so fun to be 5-0 in conference with this team — as seniors, we were talking after the Dordt game about how we’ve started the past couple of seasons 12-0 and 13-0, but we all agreed that it's so much more fun to be 5-0 in GPAC games. This team is special and we can all feel it. We’ve all bought into our core values, and you can feel that commitment in practice and during games — even during team lifts and non-volleyball team activities. We’ve talked a lot about what it looks like to be resilient and remain connected as a team, and I think these core values fit very well into a pandemic season. The nature of this year is that nothing is guaranteed or predictable, but our focus on remaining resilient and connected has put us in a good mindset to adapt to external circumstances while remaining true to who we’ve decided to be as a team … It’s really easy to dwell on how different this year is, how inconvenient and frustrating all these protocols and changes can be, but that’s not helpful for anyone. We get to play volleyball — there are so many schools across the nation that don’t get to play right now, and we’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be in the gym every week.
Wiltfong floors 18 kills; Bulldogs fall for first time in 2020
October 10, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – Perennial league power Northwestern remains a barrier in the way of the lofty goals harbored by the Concordia University Volleyball program. Bulldog sophomore Kalee Wiltfong put away 18 kills, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the team’s wealth of errors on the attack. The defending GPAC regular-season champs left Walz Arena with a 25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22, victory on Saturday (Oct. 10) afternoon.
The defeat puts the first blemish this season on the record of Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad. Concordia (5-1 GPAC) had not played since toppling Dordt in straight sets on Oct. 2.
“We didn’t execute like we needed to,” Boldt said. “You see the hitting percentage there and you see that we had a lot of errors and a lot of those were unforced errors. There were points there where we were just awesome and points where we just couldn’t string it together. The lasting thoughts are that we can be a really, really good team when we have that rhythm. When you’re playing against a really good opponent they’re not going to allow you to make those mistakes.”
There are no NAIA national ratings to add to the hype for a match like this, but Concordia and Northwestern very likely would both be ranked in the top 10 nationally. In other words, these are rivals with GPAC championship aspirations. On the Red Raider side of the net, Anna Wedel looked the part of the reigning NAIA National Player of the Year. She paced both squads with 19 kills, though they were much tougher to come by as the match went on.
Wiltfong accounted for a large number of her side’s 50 kills. It was a tough day for the Bulldog outsides and the team’s attack errors mounted for a final tally of 37. Northwestern (6-1, 4-1 GPAC) outhit Concordia, .243 to .076. The contrast was especially striking over the first two sets, which were largely controlled by the Red Raiders.
That’s not to say the energy was lacking for the Bulldogs. There multiple noteworthy hustle plays made by Concordia. Senior libero Marissa Hoerman somehow came up with a third-set dig on a laser of an attack. That particularly play led to a kill for Kara Stark. Then in the fourth set, sophomore Camryn Opfer went crashing into the scorer’s table to track down a ball that ended up landing for a kill. Later on, the Bulldogs roared back from a 23-12 deficit in the fourth and got within 24-22. Fittingly, match point came on an attack error.
It was clear by the end of the match, Concordia had not been sharp enough to come away with this one. Said Boldt, “I’m envisioning a lot of swings that we were just missing on. When you don’t get it, it’s a two-point swing. We had too many of those. As long as we learn from that, I think we’ll be just fine. It’s kind of a frustrating loss because we didn’t play our best.”
At the same time, Northwestern is a giant on the NAIA volleyball landscape. The Red Raiders spent all of last season ranked in the top 10 (twice rated No. 1 in the NAIA). Their only loss this season came at home against Dordt. AJ Kacmarynski and Emily Van Ginkel added 11 kills apiece while Lacey Reitz notched 42 assists. The Red Raiders have beaten the Bulldogs six-straight times.
Concordia had a large edge on service with nine aces to two errors (Northwestern had just one ace to eight errors). Tristin Mason collected five aces herself. Hoerman topped the Bulldogs with 21 digs. Arleigh Costello pounded 11 kills (second on the team to Wiltfong).
The Bulldogs will be back at Walz Arena on Tuesday for two matches – 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. CT – both versus Mount Marty (5-6, 0-2 GPAC). There will also be a junior varsity match (best of five) sandwiched in-between the two varsity contests.
Four opportunities await Concordia this week
October 12, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – If all goes as planned, this will be the busiest week yet this season for the Concordia University Volleyball team. The Bulldogs are slated to host a rare conference doubleheader (tripleheader when factoring in junior varsity) on Tuesday before hitting the road for a trip up north this weekend. The four-match week could be exactly what the Bulldogs (5-1) need to put their first loss of 2020 behind them.
This Week
*Tuesday, Oct. 13 vs. Mount Marty (5-6, 0-2 GPAC), 3:30/7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country
*Pink out for breast cancer awareness (fans are encouraged to wear pink); Concordia players will be playing in honor of people close to them who have been personally affected by breast cancer.
Friday, Oct. 16 at Jamestown (8-0, 6-0 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast | Live Stats
Saturday, Oct. 17 at Dakota Wesleyan (7-5, 4-5 GPAC), 5 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad raced out to a 5-0 record before tripping up at home on Oct. 10 while entertaining defending GPAC champion Northwestern (6-1, 4-1 GPAC). Sophomore Kalee Wiltfong starred for Concordia in piling up 18 kills (one shy of a career high). However, the Bulldogs were unable to overcome a season high 37 attack errors. Reigning NAIA National Player of the Year Anna Wedel (match high 19 kills) and the Red Raiders did not allow the Bulldogs to get away with those mistakes. Northwestern effectively bounced back after it lost in straight sets earlier in the week versus Dordt.
Concordia would like to get its attack in order after it has hit below .200 in three-straight matches (.198, .170 and .076, respectively). Spurred by honorable mention All-American setter Tara Callahan, the Bulldogs are plenty capable of doing that. Despite struggling on the attack last week, the Bulldogs sport NAIA national rankings of 11th in kills per set (13.6) and 23rd in hitting percentage (.206). Callahan ranks fourth nationally in assists per set (10.95). Callahan enters the week needing 27 more assists for 3,000 in her career. Four Concordia players have 50+ kills this season: Gabi Nordaker (56), Arleigh Costello (54), Kara Stark (51) and Wiltfong (50).
Since beginning the season on Sept. 9, the Bulldogs have gone a week or more between matches three separate times. They have been impressive despite that lack of rhythm. Even with the loss to Northwestern, Concordia currently appears at No. 1 in the NAIA national rankings computed by Massey Ratings (which includes teams that have not yet played in 2020-21). Massey lists the Bulldogs as having played the fourth most challenging schedule in the nation so far in 2020. The Concordia-Northwestern matchup likely would have featured two top 10 teams had there been a recent NAIA official poll.
Mount Marty has not played since it defeated York College on Sept. 19. Before the extended break, the lancers dropped conference clashes with Doane and College of Saint Mary. The Lancers are coming off a 2019 season that saw them go 0-16 in conference play. Mount Marty returns two honorable mention All-GPAC outside hitters in Gabrielle Ruth and Elizabeth Watchorn.
Jamestown advanced the farthest of any GPAC team a year ago in reaching the national semifinals. On paper, the two most quality victories for the Jimmies are the two they have earned over Dordt. Head Coach Jon Hegerle’s squad owns NAIA national rankings of third in kills per set (14.25), sixth in blocks per set (2.68) and 13th in hitting percentage (.238). The team’s leading hitter is returning second team All-GPAC selection Anna Holen (3.1 kills/set).
Dakota Wesleyan picked up a solid home win last week over Midland and has taken a set apiece (four-set losses) against both Northwestern and Jamestown. The Tigers graduated a prolific hitter in Rebecca Frick, but have regrouped with a respectable attack. Madeline Else leads the country in total number of assists with 474. DWU placed 10th in the GPAC last season.
The Bulldogs will be more than halfway through the GPAC regular-season slate by the end of the week. Coming up next week, Concordia will be at College of Saint Mary on Oct. 20 before hosting Briar Cliff on Oct. 23 and Morningside on Oct. 24.
Dawgs take two from Mount Marty, Callahan surpasses milestone
October 13, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – Tuesday (Oct. 13) provided a different type of challenge. For the first time this season, the Concordia University Volleyball team was tasked with playing two matches in one day. The Bulldogs put an emphasis upon returning their attack to form and did just that while taking two from visiting Mount Marty in a rare conference doubleheader. Concordia won both matches in straight sets on a pink-out night that brought awareness to breast cancer.
The double dip inside Walz Arena marked the first time back out since the Bulldogs suffered their first loss of 2020. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad is now halfway through GPAC regular-season play with a conference mark of 7-1.
“I told our team that this is exactly what we need right now. We need to be able to simulate what a big five-set match is going to be like,” Boldt said. “It’s focus for long periods of time. You’re not always going to be 100 percent focused, but to be able to refocus is important to us. We were talking a lot about that throughout this match.”
Both matches on Tuesday lasted roughly an hour apiece (with a junior varsity contest sandwiched in-between). For the day, Concordia hit .366 and totaled 69 kills to just 16 errors. The Bulldogs also accumulated 27 service aces in giving the Lancers fits. Mount Marty frequently struggled in its serve receive and passing.
Concordia has been mostly strong in those areas. It wanted to get back to attacking with efficiency on this particular day. Sophomore Camryn Opfer led the way with a combined 18 kills (.424 hitting percentage). Four other Bulldogs had at least 10 kills on the day: Arleigh Costello (13), Gabi Nordaker (13), Kalee Wiltfong (12) and Kara Stark (10). It was a good way to put behind the 37 errors that plagued Concordia in last week’s four-set loss to Northwestern.
“We challenged our players to take national championship style swings,” Boldt said. “As we talked about from the first match to the second match, where’s our purpose in our swings? After our loss to Northwestern, we’re really working on training to take national championship style swings. It’s all about our contact on the ball – things we have control of.”
The Bulldogs toppled the Lancers by scores of 25-12, 25-12, 25-8, and 25-18, 25-16, 25-12. There was never much doubt about Concordia’s grip on the lead in the latter stages of any of the six sets. As Boldt noted, Mount Marty improved from the service line in match No. 2. After having no aces in the first match, the Lancers took a 7-5 lead in the opening set of the night cap after back-to-back aces. That advantage was short-lived and the Bulldogs quickly regained control.
Senior setter Tara Callahan directed the attack and surpassed a career milestone. Her 60 assists on the day pushed her over 3,000 for her career (third player in program history on record to accomplish that feat). As mentioned, aces were plentiful. Five or more aces on Tuesday were recorded by Erin Johnson (seven), Tatum Kuti (five), Tristin Mason (five) and Opfer (five). Nordaker and Wiltfong were in on eight blocks apiece (out of 19 total team blocks for the day).
Mount Marty (5-8, 0-4 GPAC) had not played since Sept. 19. The Lancers were paced by the 18 combined kills of Elizabeth Watchorn on Tuesday. Mount Marty hit -.042 in match one and .084 in match two.
A challenging road trip is next on the docket. The Bulldogs will be at 2019 national semifinalist and reigning GPAC tournament champion Jamestown (8-0, 6-0 GPAC) for a 7:30 p.m. CT first serve on Friday before heading to Dakota Wesleyan (7-5, 4-5 GPAC) for a 5 p.m. match on Saturday. Concordia battled Jamestown to five sets in North Dakota in the semifinals of last year’s GPAC tournament.
Road trip opens with loss at 2019 national semifinalist Jamestown
October 16, 2020
JAMESTOWN, N.D. – In a pivotal matchup of GPAC championship contenders, host Jamestown showed why it remains undefeated in 2020. The Jimmies continued their dominance inside Newman Arena while sending the Concordia University Volleyball team away by a 25-22, 25-22, 25-18, decision on Friday (Oct. 16) night. The Bulldogs hung tight with Jamestown in the first two sets before letting the third one get away from them.
Third-year Head Coach Ben Boldt’s program had hoped to close the deal this time against Jamestown, a foe that twice beat Concordia in five sets in 2019. At 7-2 in the GPAC, the Bulldogs are looking up at Jamestown (9-0, 7-0 GPAC) and Northwestern (9-1, 7-1 GPAC) in the league standings.
Said Boldt, “Jamestown played a clean game. Their middles and right sides were able to put the ball away. I thought we took some good swings, but we made too many mistakes on out-of-system plays.”
The Jimmies actually graduated a couple of top-flight attackers from last year’s NAIA national semifinal team. They have clearly reloaded quite nicely with a core that includes North Dakota State University transfer Kalli Hagerle. There isn’t just one star that has to do it all for Jamestown, which got six or more kills from Corina Huff (10), Hegerle (nine), Taylor Sabinash (seven) and Anna Holen (six) on Friday. The Jimmies outhit Concordia, .235 – .091.
An opportunity slipped away from the Bulldogs in the second set when they led 19-17. The 7-0 run that followed by Jamestown represented the most significant sequence of the night. Three of those points came courtesy of kills by Huff. A kill later on from Camryn Opfer got Concordia within 24-22 before Hegerle responded to make it a commanding 2-0 lead for the home team.
Arleigh Costello kept up a nice string of matches for her by pacing the Bulldogs with 10 kills on 25 swings. Opfer and Kara Stark were close behind with nine apiece. Freshman Gabi Nordaker (six kills, three blocks) was hot early on with four of her kills coming in the first set. Additionally, Tara Callahan collected 28 assists and three Concordia players notched at least 13 digs: Tristin Mason (14), Opfer (14) and Marissa Hoerman (13). Hoerman added a pair of aces.
Head Coach Jon Hegerle’s program is 18-1 over its last 19 home matches. Jamestown put away 42 kills compared to 37 for the Bulldogs. The Jimmies, who will host Midland on Saturday, entered the weekend ranked third nationally with an average of 14.25 kills per set.
The weekend road trip continues on Saturday with a matchup at Dakota Wesleyan (8-6, 4-6 GPAC). First serve of the varsity match is set for 5 p.m. CT from Mitchell, S.D. In their most recent outing, the Tigers fell in four sets at Northwestern.
Dawgs clipped by Tigers in five sets
October 17, 2020
MITCHELL, S.D. – The Concordia University Volleyball team will want to flush the results from a long weekend road trip up north. After falling in straight sets at Jamestown on Friday, the Bulldog comeback bid came up short at Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday (Oct. 17). The Tigers put up the final three points of the match to edge out Concordia, 22-25, 25-18, 25-21, 15-25, 15-12, inside the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D.
The Bulldogs (7-3 GPAC) are left in a tough position as it relates to the GPAC regular-season title. Third-year Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad will have to regroup next week.
“Anything can happen in the GPAC,” Boldt said. “We need to own who we are and look in the mirror and go back to work. We have to keep working on our rhythm and connection. I trust that our team wants to be great and will work to have a solution-oriented mindset when we get back.”
Dakota Wesleyan (9-6, 5-6 GPAC) is no pushover. It had taken a game from both Jamestown and Northwestern and defeated Midland in four sets earlier this season. On this particular evening, the statistics were strikingly even across the board. Ultimately, the Tigers were a bit cleaner down the stretch. With the fifth set tied, 12-12, Concordia was bitten by a service error and an attack error. Ady Dwight then polished it off with the match-clinching kill.
If only the Bulldogs could have bottled up their performance in the fourth set and it unleashed it all night. In the fourth, Concordia racked up 15 kills with just one error (while hitting .500). That was a major contrast to the fifth set when the Bulldogs accumulated seven attack errors. Concordia outnumbered DWU in kills, 64-60, but had a lesser hitting percentage (.272 – .223).
Four Bulldogs posted 10 or more kills: Gabi Nordaker (19), Kalee Wiltfong (15), Camryn Opfer (12) and Kara Stark (10). Nordaker also added five blocks. Other team leaders included Tara Callahan in assists (57), Marissa Hoerman in digs (20) and Tristin Mason in aces (four). Concordia registered 12 aces to eight service errors. On the other side of the net, the Tigers notched only one ace, but also just three service errors.
Dwight paced her squad with 17 kills (and seven total blocks). Mariah Gloe contributed 15 kills while Mackenzie Miller added 11. Dakota Wesleyan (4-12 in the GPAC in 2019) has surpassed its conference win total from a year ago.
The Bulldogs will have an opportunity to right themselves on Tuesday when they play at College of Saint Mary (7-5, 2-5 GPAC). First serve will be at 7:30 p.m. CT in Omaha. Concordia won both of last season’s meetings. The Flames, who fell at Morningside on Saturday, qualified for the 2019 national tournament.
Rebound opportunities, senior day await Concordia
October 19, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – In terms of on-court results, the Concordia University Volleyball program is facing a bit of adversity. The Bulldogs stumbled twice over this past weekend’s road trip up north. The Bulldogs hope to rebound this week while playing at College of Saint Mary on Tuesday before beginning a home swing on Friday. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s program will celebrate a class of eight seniors prior to first serve on Saturday when Morningside will be in town.
This Week
-All three matches will be preceded by junior varsity contests
Tuesday, Oct. 20 at College of Saint Mary (7-5, 2-5 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast
Friday, Oct. 23 vs. Briar Cliff (8-11, 3-8 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Saturday, Oct. 24 vs. Morningside (7-6, 6-4 GPAC), 4 p.m. (Senior Day)
-Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Boldt’s squad is in the midst of the busiest two-week stretch of the regular season. Concordia (7-3 GPAC) played four times last week, including twice at home versus Mount Marty in a rare GPAC doubleheader on Oct. 13. The Bulldogs breezed past the Lancers in straight sets in both matches while hitting a combined .366 with 69 kills (to just 16 errors). As part of the day, senior Tara Callahan surpassed 3,000 assists in her career. Sophomore Camryn Opfer enjoyed a fine day on the attack as she pounded 18 kills while hitting .424.
Unfortunately, Concordia did not have its ‘A’ game this past weekend. The Bulldogs were beaten in three sets at GPAC leading Jamestown (2019 NAIA national semifinalist) on Oct. 16. Concordia allowed a 19-17 lead in the second set to slip away and never recovered. The next day, the Bulldogs dominated the fourth set at Dakota Wesleyan, but conceded the final three points of the match and fell in five sets. Prior to last week, Concordia had no trouble on the road having defeated Midland, Doane and Dordt all in straight sets in enemy territory.
Last week’s results put the Bulldogs in a hole in terms of the GPAC championship race. Concordia is looking up at Jamestown (8-0 GPAC) and Northwestern (8-1 GPAC) in the standings. The Bulldogs still have a shot at outperforming their GPAC mark from last year (11-5) and stating a strong case for another berth in the national tournament (which will be held in the spring of 2021). However, Boldt has conditioned his teams to focus only on the direct challenge ahead. Concordia remains highly rated in Massey Ratings (No. 5 in the NAIA).
The list of 2020-21 seniors can be viewed below. Five of the eight members are on-court contributors to the varsity team while three serve as managers. Among them, Callahan (first team), Marissa Hoerman (honorable mention) and Kara Stark (honorable mention) have garnered past All-GPAC recognition. The senior class has been a rock as the program transitioned under the leadership of coaches Ben and Angie Boldt. The group helped the program move from 9-19 in 2017 to a 25-8 mark and a spot in the national round of 16 in 2019. The Bulldogs are a combined 56-42 since the start of 2017 (47-23 since the start of 2018).
College of Saint Mary is also looking for a rebound having dropped four-straight matches. Head Coach Rick Pruett’s program also appeared at the national tournament in 2019 and was the GPAC tournament runner up. The Flames are hitting .150 compared to a .166 percentage for their opponents. Then this weekend, Concordia will be challenged by the league’s two Sioux City natives. Briar Cliff pushed Northwestern to five sets before falling this past Saturday. The Chargers have managed to play 19 matches (eight nonconference). Grace Hanno has taken advantage and leads the nation with 234 total kills. Lastly, Morningside enters the week on a hot streak with four-straight wins (over Dakota Wesleyan, Dordt, Mount Marty and College of Saint Mary). The Mustangs rank 14th nationally in kills per set (13.4).
Just three matches will remain on the regular season schedule at the conclusion of this week. In next week’s action, the Bulldogs will host both College of Saint Mary on Oct. 28 and Doane on Oct. 29. The regular-season finale will take place at Hastings on Nov. 3.
2020-21 Senior Class
Brooke Baugh (Friend, Neb.)
Tara Callahan (Brady, Neb.)
Maggie Durbin (Omaha, Neb.)
Allison Echtenkamp (Wayne, Neb.)
Marissa Hoerman (Evergreen, Colo.)
Allison Klipp (Tobias, Neb.)
Tristin Mason (Hampton, Neb.)
Kara Stark (Frisco, Texas)
Cleaner attack leads to bounce-back win at CSM
October 20, 2020
OMAHA, Neb. – Coming off a challenging and lengthy road trip, the Concordia University Volleyball team made a shorter journey on Tuesday (Oct. 20) and got a much more favorable result. A cleaner brand of volleyball did wonders for the Bulldogs, who rode a hot start to a 25-13, 25-20, 14-25, 25-21, victory at College of Saint Mary, located in Omaha. This was a matchup between programs that both finished the 2019 season ranked in the top 25 of the NAIA.
Head Coach Ben Boldt liked the way his team regrouped after enduring back-to-back losses over the weekend. The Bulldogs (8-3 GPAC) have an opportunity this week to perhaps solidify themselves as a top-three team in the conference.
“We played a much cleaner game,” Boldt said. “We were a lot more efficient when we needed to be. Down the stretch, College of Saint Mary started taking some really big swings. We had some really good blocking that was the difference. It was also some good digs and out-of-system swings. We played a lot cleaner and a lot tougher at the net.”
The third set represented an outlier for Concordia, which had a negative hitting percentage during that stretch. However, the Bulldogs hit .375 or better in each of the other three sets. They relied on their own ability at the net in those instances. Following the direction of setter Tara Callahan (48 assists), Concordia put away 13 kills in the first set, 18 in the second set and 17 in the fourth set.
Callahan most frequently called upon the likes of four teammates who each had double-digit kill totals: Camryn Opfer (13), Gabi Nordaker (12), Kara Stark (11) and Kalee Wiltfong (11). Nordaker (who had the match-clinching kill) hit .417 in the middle while adding five assisted blocks. Arleigh Costello topped the team in the block category with six (five assisted). Concordia owned an advantage of 9-5 in blocks and outhit the host, .275 to .197, for the evening.
This Bulldog team is a reflection of a coaching staff that never wavers or shows panic after defeat. Concordia is ready to attack the stretch run of the GPAC regular season.
“We definitely worked on our ability to refocus and stay connected,” Boldt said. “We did a much better job with that this match. It’s never going to be perfect – it’s always something that’s going to be evolving. I thought we grew tonight. We want to continue to have a growth mindset. Whether we win or lose, we want to stay connected. I thought we did a really good job of that.”
Other leaders for Concordia included Marissa Hoerman with 19 digs and Callahan and Tristin Mason with two aces apiece. On the other side of the net, Elizabeth Dlouhy (15 kills, .370 hitting percentage) had the most success for the Flames (7-6, 2-6 GPAC). Dlouhy and company did make a push in the fourth set (trailed 23-21) before falling short. CSM has lost five-straight matches (all within the GPAC).
Fans of the Bulldogs will have a couple of opportunities to catch Concordia at home this weekend. The Bulldogs will host Briar Cliff (8-12, 3-9 GPAC) at 7:30 p.m. CT on Friday before welcoming Morningside (7-6, 6-4 GPAC) for a 4 p.m. match on Saturday. The matchups will mark the first and only meetings between these respective sides in the 2020 regular season.
Balanced effort characterizes straight-set home win
October 23, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – This week has been about regaining an edge in regards to the tough-minded mentality the Concordia University Volleyball program aspires to be known for. There were no glaring weaknesses on this particular night as the Bulldogs used a balanced effort to turn away visiting Briar Cliff. Concordia won in straight sets for the seventh time this season while triumphing, 25-19, 25-19, 25-15, on Friday (Oct. 23) evening.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad is two-thirds of the way through a successful week of GPAC play. The Bulldogs stand at 9-3 with one more match left on the weekend.
“We’re getting there,” Boldt said. “Our theme this week is to have an edge. We’re really trying to define – what does an edge mean? Is it a rah-rah thing? For us, it’s to have a purpose out there. We don’t need to be spinning without any purpose. We need to have clean digs, clean blocks and clean attacks. To make the game simple is important for us right now. I think we’re getting there.”
Concordia trailed 4-1 to open up the first set, but for the most part, it was in control of the night. Over the three sets, the Bulldogs posted solid hitting percentages of .158, .212 and .323, respectively. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs were solid defensively (the Chargers hit .092 for the match). Concordia collected six blocks and Marissa Hoerman cleaned things up in the back row with a match high 15 digs.
Hoerman and company handled the Briar Cliff serve (two aces) quite well in helping set up for some powerful attacks by the likes of Camryn Opfer. The Seward High School product powdered one of her six kills off the face of a Charger early in the second set. Set-point swings were delivered in the first set by Kalee Wiltfong in the first and Kara Stark in the third.
Now boasting more than 1,200 career digs (top five in program history), Hoerman is a steadying influence as part of the senior class. Said Hoerman, “We as a team decided we needed to get tougher and so we went through a tougher week of practice and a tougher week of holding each other accountable. We upped our standard and elevated our play. We just decided to be tougher and not take it from other teams.”
Due in part to the wealth of matches Briar Cliff (8-12, 3-9 GPAC) had played, it entered the night with several individuals ranked near the top of the NAIA in overall totals. Grace Hanno (No. 1 nationally in total kills) floored only five kills (nine errors) and hit in the red. Abbie Ericson topped the Chargers with six kills.
On the other side of the net, the Bulldogs had five players with six or more kills: Arleigh Costello (11), Gabi Nordaker (eight), Stark (eight), Opfer (six) and Wiltfong (six). Tara Callahan piled up 35 assists while contributing to three blocks. Hoerman added a match best three aces. Tatum Kuti and Tristin Mason also pitched in with two aces apiece.
Concordia may have lost its chance on competing for a GPAC regular-season title, but there’s still so much to play for – including a potential bid to the national tournament in the spring. The class of five seniors that has helped boost the program will be honored on Saturday.
Said Boldt, “Again, it’s about having an edge and having a purpose with what we’re doing. We’re not just up there swinging as hard as we can. There’s a difference between that and being a smart attacker … We’re getting towards the end of our regular season. It’s important that we push through to the finish and keep our purpose through that.”
The Bulldogs will host Morningside (7-7, 6-5 GPAC) at 4 p.m. CT (junior varsity at 2:30) on Saturday. The senior day festivities will take place prior to the varsity match.
Stark, classmates enjoy happy senior day
October 24, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The end is not necessarily near, but the Concordia University Volleyball program enjoyed celebrating a transformational group of seniors on Saturday (Oct. 24). In honor of eight seniors, the Bulldogs made quick work of Morningside, 26-24, 25-15, 25-16, inside Walz Arena. That result completed a 3-0 week for Concordia, which got a dominant performance from senior outside hitter Kara Stark to cap it off.
Third-year Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad pushed its record to 10-3 in the GPAC. Wins this week over College of Saint Mary, Briar Cliff and Morningside have put the Bulldogs in good position for a top-three spot in the final conference regular-season standings.
On Saturday evening, Boldt gushed about Stark’s 15-kill outing. Said Boldt, “Kara took it to another level today with the purpose she had when she was attacking and how the ball was coming off her hand. She really had control of it tonight. When it clicks like that, that’s the moment that you love as a coach. It’s fun to see them play well.”
The Mustangs (7-8, 6-6 GPAC) have been a bit up-and-down, but they owned strong wins at Dakota Wesleyan and over Dordt. Based on the grinder that took place in the first set (both teams hit below .100) on Saturday, it appeared as though Morningside might provide a significant push. Concordia proceeded to heat up and then emphatically put the match away by collecting 15 kills against two errors in the third set. The Bulldogs outhit the Mustangs, .238 to .082, for the match.
A native of Frisco, Texas, Stark had plenty of family members on hand to support her. Stark put on a show for them by smoldering to the tune of a .519 hitting percentage. She ensured that her teammates and families could get to their postgame festivities in a timely fashion by going for seven kills in the third set.
“It was just so fun,” Stark said. “We’ve all been talking as seniors that it’s crazy it’s been four years already, but we still get to keep going into the spring – so we’re so excited for that. We approached (today) as a chance to celebrate together and with our team. We came in ready to play.”
It has not been uncommon in recent years for a Concordia point to result from a Marissa Hoerman dig – Tara Callahan set – Stark kill sequence. All three are now seniors who have played prominent roles in the program’s rise. On senior day, Callahan notched 34 assists and four blocks while Hoerman paced both sides with 14 digs. Fellow senior Tristin Mason contributed 11 digs.
In addition, the Bulldogs held fairly significant advantages in service (six aces and six errors compared to three aces and eight errors for Morningside) and in blocking (9-3). The Mustangs entered play ranked 28th nationally in hitting percentage (.203). Their leading attacker, Krista Zenk (six kills, five errors) was held in check.
“Senior day can go one way or the other,” Boldt said. “You can get distracted and have your focus in other places. Angie and I were talking about how that was one of the more focused warmups we have seen from our team. I think our team really wanted to rally around our senior group. They did a good job of doing that.”
Kalee Wiltfong added eight kills in the middle for Concordia while Arleigh Costello had seven and Gabi Nordaker and Camryn Opfer chipped in with five apiece. Nordaker also earned credit for six block assists. Hoerman dropped in a trio of aces.
The run of home matches will continue on Wednesday when the Bulldogs will host College of Saint Mary (7-8, 2-8 GPAC) at 7:30 p.m. CT. Concordia defeated the Flames in Omaha this past Tuesday.
GPAC in-state foes to visit Walz this week
October 26, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The home stand continues for the Concordia University Volleyball program, which enters the week with a three-match win streak. Just three matches remain in the 2020 regular season as the Bulldogs near the finish line in terms of GPAC play. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad looks forward to hosting College of Saint Mary on Wednesday and Doane on Thursday. It will mark the third time this season that Concordia has played in back-to-back days.
This Week
Wednesday, Oct. 28 vs. College of Saint Mary (7-8, 2-8 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Thursday, Oct. 29 vs. Doane (4-8, 2-8 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country
After defeating College of Saint Mary, Briar Cliff and Morningside last week, the Bulldogs (10-3 GPAC) have the inside track on the No. 3 spot in the GPAC standings. Concordia currently looks up in the standings at Jamestown (10-0) and Northwestern (10-1). Mathematically, three teams with five league losses also still have a shot at finishing top three: Dordt (10-5), Midland (5-5) and Hastings (3-5). With 10 conference wins, the Bulldogs need to win out in order to set a new program record for most GPAC victories in a single season (the 2015 team went 12-4).
Another rare feat is still attainable for this 2020 Concordia edition. Since the GPAC went to a 16-match conference regular season in 2002, the Bulldogs have never gone unbeaten against their in-state GPAC rivals. So far this season, Concordia is 5-0 versus the state of Nebraska having beaten Midland twice and College of Saint Mary, Doane and Hastings once apiece. The Bulldogs will be on the hunt for season sweeps of the latter three foes.
From an individual perspective, senior Kara Stark enjoyed a big week in collecting 34 combined kills over last week’s three victories. On senior day on Oct. 24, Stark equaled a career best for a three-set match while pounding 15 kills (.519 hitting percentage). Other leaders over last week’s action included Tara Callahan (117 assists), Marissa Hoerman (48 digs and seven aces) and Gabi Nordaker (14 blocks). In display of the team’s balance, five Concordia players have reached the 100-kill mark on the season: Nordaker (119), Stark (114), Arleigh Costello (109), Camryn Opfer (108) and Kalee Wiltfong (102).
Wednesday’s clash with College of Saint Mary will be the second meeting in a nine-day period. Concordia outhit the Flames, .275 to .197, in the matchup that took place in Omaha on Oct. 20. CSM will carry a seven-match losing streak into Walz. However, the Flames had a close battle (five sets) at home against Dordt this past weekend. The most recent victory for CSM came on Sept. 19 versus Dakota State University. Last season the Flames reached the GPAC tournament championship match and finished ranked 23rd in the NAIA.
Doane ended an eight-match skid this past weekend by outlasting Dakota Wesleyan in five sets. The Tigers got a big outing from outside hitter Gabby Menghini (14 kills on 26 swings) in the win. First-year Head Coach Jenna Jones’ squad will be fighting for its GPAC postseason hopes down the stretch. Doane is currently tied with College of Saint Mary for 10th place in the conference standings. The Tigers have made seven national tournament appearances during the GPAC era.
The Bulldogs are slated to finish the regular season next Tuesday (Nov. 3) at Hastings (4-6, 3-5 GPAC). As announced earlier this fall, the GPAC tournament will not be played until the spring semester. Dates for the conference postseason event are yet to be announced. The NAIA Volleyball National Championship has been rescheduled and is set to begin on April 17, 2021, with the opening round.
Concordia Volleyball, most conference wins (GPAC era)
12-4 | 2015
11-5 | 2019
10-3 | 2020
10-6 | 2014
*The 2000 team that shared the GPAC regular-season title went 9-1 in conference play.
Program rankings
-Tara Callahan – ranks third in program history for career assists (3,235)
-Marissa Hoerman – ranks fifth in program history for career digs (1,229)
Fast track to 50
With the win over Morningside this past Saturday, Ben Boldt picked up career victory No. 50 since taking over the program prior to the start of the 2018 season. Boldt is now 50-23 as head coach of the Bulldogs. The program’s all-time winningest coach is Vicki Boye, who went 167-136 from 1989 through 1995. Of the program’s all-time head coaches with 50 or more victories, Boldt’s winning percentage of .685 ranks No. 1.
Concordia volleyball coaches with 50+ wins
Vicki Boye – 167-136
Rachel Miller – 107-125
Scott Mattera – 97-94
Diane Mendenhall – 89-54
Ben Boldt – 50-23
*Berniece Jones also had more than 50 wins, but her specific career record has not been archived.
Bulldogs 5-0 vs. in-state opponents
9/9 at Midland | W, 3-0
9/16 at Doane | W, 3-0
9/19 vs. Hastings | W, 3-0
9/30 vs. Midland | W, 3-1
10/20 at College of Saint Mary | W, 3-1
*The 2019 team went 9-2 versus Nebraska opponents (including nonconference wins over York College and Peru State College); the lone losses came at the hands of Midland and Hastings.
Massey Ratings
The GPAC continues to rank highly in Massey Ratings, the only ratings system publicly available this fall. The NAIA has chosen to unveil the first official NAIA top 25 poll of 2020-21 on Nov. 18. Based on the current Massey Ratings, there are four GPAC teams ranked in the top six of the NAIA: No. 1 Jamestown, No. 2 Northwestern, No. 5 Concordia and No. 6 Dordt. The ratings system does include teams that have not yet played in 2020.
Sharp performance pushes win streak to four
October 29, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Volleyball team is enjoying this final home stretch of the regular season. The Bulldogs were crisp on Wednesday (Oct. 28) while defeating College of Saint Mary for the second time in nine days. This matchup lasted just over an hour and saw Concordia take it in straight sets, 25-21, 25-13, 25-13, in the third of four-straight outings inside Walz Arena.
Third-year Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad moved to 11-3 inside the GPAC and has guaranteed it will place no lower than a tie for third in the final conference regular-season standings.
“Every GPAC win is a special thing and we’re not taking it for granted,” Boldt said. “We have to get refocused and get back at it tomorrow … We hit really well. It was nice to see some people be efficient and have no fear. We talk about faith over fear. Let’s go up and rip it.”
You can’t rip it much better than the Bulldogs did in the second set when they hammered 17 kills against just two errors. In that set, Arleigh Costello, Camryn Opfer and Kara Stark each put away four kills. A senior from Frisco, Texas, Stark has found a groove on the outside. She collected a match high 12 kills on Wednesday, four days after she pulverized 15 kills in the win over Morningside.
College of Saint Mary (7-9, 2-9 GPAC) could not got out of its rut. It has lost eight matches in a row. The Flames exhausted their two timeouts quickly in both the second and third sets while trying to contain the blazing Bulldogs. CSM, led by the seven kills of Kamryn Willman, owned a 10-9 lead in the third set before a 10-1 Concordia run just about put this one on ice.
Balance has been a theme throughout the season for the Bulldogs. Five Concordia hitters posted six or more kills in the win: Stark (12), Costello (eight), Opfer (seven), Kalee Wiltfong (seven) and Gabi Nordaker (six). Senior setter Tara Callahan (36 assists) directed the attack that outhit the Flames, .293 to .060.
Said Nordaker, “This team is a lot different from my past teams. We really get along. One of our core values is connected – and we really worked hard on that during preseason. It’s really transitioned into our season. We all get along perfectly. I think that really translates on the court.”
Nordaker and Opfer (11 digs and three aces) both added a pair of blocks. In the back row, Marissa Hoerman chipped in with eight digs. Tatum Kuti also dropped in three aces.
As Boldt will tell people, the back row for Concordia deserves some love. Said Boldt, “We’re really proud of the work our senior group has put in with Tristin (Mason) and Marissa in the back row. That allows us to play in system in the front row. When you have that, you can have balance.”
The Bulldogs have improved to 6-0 against in-state GPAC opponents this season. Concordia has earned regular-season sweeps of College of Saint Mary and Midland and now will have the opportunity to pick up a second victory over Doane. The Bulldogs and Tigers (4-9, 2-9 GPAC) will meet at 7:30 p.m. CT inside Walz on Thursday. Concordia took the first matchup in straight sets back on Sept. 16 in Crete.
Mastery of Nebraska GPAC rivals continues with win over Doane
October 29, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The fight Doane brought to the Concordia University Volleyball team is a show of the strength and depth of the GPAC. Though currently situated outside of GPAC tournament placement territory, the Tigers made the Bulldogs sweat it out. Senior Marissa Hoerman (match high 19 digs) led a defensive performance that helped Concordia edge the visitors, 25-22, 25-23, 25-23, inside Walz Arena on Thursday (Oct. 29).
The win streak has grown to five for Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad, which is guaranteed to finish in the top three of the final GPAC regular season standings. The Bulldogs improved to 12-3 in the GPAC with one match remaining this fall.
“They were scrappy and forced us to earn it,” Boldt said. “That’s why we play. We had a couple timeouts late and my message to them was – this is what we signed up for. It’s 24-23. Who’s going to get the next point? That’s what you want to play for. I trust that our players are going to give everything they’ve got. We have to continue to be the woman in big moments.”
Doane is playing at a higher level than it did when Concordia handily defeated the Tigers in Crete on Sept. 16. Doane (4-10, 2-10 GPAC) scrapped on Thursday while limiting the Bulldogs to a .129 hitting percentage. The Tigers edged in front in the third set, 18-17, before Concordia seemingly restored order. Leading 24-23, Boldt took a timeout before watching junior Arleigh Costello put away match point with a kill.
The close nature of each set may serve the Bulldogs well moving forward. They always had a response in clutch situations. Kalee Wiltfong pounded a kill for set point in the first set and Costello did the same to polish off the second and third sets. It wasn’t always the prettiest night on the attack. Concordia totaled 40 kills, but 86 of its attacks resulted in either a dig or error.
The stat sheet looked remarkably similar at the end of the night:
· Hitting percentage: DU .130, CUNE .129
· Kills: CUNE 40, DU 36
· Digs: DU 64, CUNE 61
· Blocks: CUNE 6, DU 3
The Bulldogs were just a bit tighter in their serving and passing. Tara Callahan finished with 35 assists, nine digs and two aces. Gabi Nordaker topped the team in kills (10) and blocks (five). Four others had seven or more kills: Costello (nine), Camryn Opfer (seven), Kara Stark (seven) and Wiltfong (seven; .438 hitting percentage). In addition to her stellar work in the back, Hoerman added two aces.
As usual, Wiltfong garnered attention with the fastball she throws across court. She also brings a high level of energy each time out. Said Boldt, “I thought Kalee Wiltfong did a really good job. Her energy was contagious and we need a lot more of that. I was really proud of her and her mentality tonight.”
Doane got a team high 10 kills from Kennedy Scheele, who also notched 10 digs. Katie Ellard also recorded 19 digs. The Tigers have a familiar face on their bench in graduate assistant coach Claire White, a key figure on Concordia’s 2015 national tournament qualifying squad.
Boldt’s crew has now completed season sweeps of Midland, College of Saint Mary and Doane. Concordia owns a record of 7-0 this season against in-state opponents.
The Bulldogs will have a chance to complete an unbeaten regular season against in-state foes next Tuesday (Nov. 3) when they will play at Hastings (7-6, 6-5 GPAC). First serve from Lynn Farrell Arena is set for 7:30 p.m. CT. Concordia won the first meeting at home in straight sets.
UPDATE: Tuesday match at Hastings postponed
November 2, 2020
UPDATE: On Monday evening, the varsity and junior varsity matches scheduled for Tuesday (Nov. 3) at Hastings were postponed. A makeup date has not yet been determined.
SEWARD, Neb. – The GPAC regular season will conclude on Tuesday for the Concordia University Volleyball team. There have been some hiccups along the way in terms of postponements, but the Bulldogs are about to reach the finish line – for the fall anyway. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad is gearing up to play at Hastings on election night. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m. CT.
Game Info
Concordia (12-3, 12-3 GPAC) at Hastings (7-7, 6-6 GPAC)
Tuesday, Nov. 3 | 7:30 p.m. (junior varsity at 6 p.m.)
Lynn Farrell Arena | Hastings, Neb.
Webcast/Stats: Stretch Internet
Radio: 104.9 Max Country (Frank Greene)
Boldt’s crew had the weekend off after concluding a run of four matches in a row at home. During that home stand, Concordia defeated each of its opponents in straight sets – Briar Cliff, Morningside, College of Saint Mary and Doane. The Bulldogs went 8-1 at home in GPAC regular-season play with the only defeat coming at the hands of Northwestern. In last week’s action, Concordia outhit College of Saint Mary, .293 to .060, before Doane narrowly outhit the Bulldogs, .130 to .129, in a match that featured three very closely contested sets. Senior Kara Stark’s 19 combined kills paced the team in those victories.
The pair of wins last week ensured that the Bulldogs will be no lower than the No. 3 seed in the GPAC tournament that will take place during the spring 2021 semester (dates yet to be announced). Mathematically, Concordia still has a shot at winning/sharing the conference regular-season title, but it will require significant help from the opponents of Jamestown (11-0 GPAC) and Northwestern (11-2 GPAC). With 12 GPAC wins in hand, the Bulldogs have equaled a program single-season record for conference wins (tying the 2015 team that went 12-4). The program has reached the 10-win GPAC mark four times since the conference moved to a 16-match regular season in 2002.
Concordia continues to get the best of its foes in the areas of service and passing. Nationally, the Bulldogs rank sixth in total service aces (108) and 16th in aces per set (13.22). On the other hand, its opponents have totaled only 43 aces (compared to 100 errors). Those advantages have made a difference in instances when the attack has been a bit off. However, Concordia’s attack remains potent with the help of Tara Callahan (11.04 assists/set). Five Bulldogs have floored more than 115 kills: Gabi Nordaker (135), Kara Stark (133), Arleigh Costello (126), Camryn Opfer (122) and Kalee Wiltfong (116).
Hastings has never been beaten at home by the Bulldogs during the GPAC era. The Broncos are 3-2 this season at Lynn Farrell Arena. It’s been an up and down season for Hastings, which had a three-match win streak interrupted over the weekend when it fell in five sets at Briar Cliff. Head Coach Alexandra Allard boasts one of the nation’s top blocking squads, currently ranking fifth in the NAIA with an average of 2.75 blocks per set. Three Broncos have totaled 60 or more blocks: Amani Monroe (69), Sydney Mullin (65) and Lucy Skoch (62).
With a win at Hastings, Concordia would complete the fall at 8-0 against GPAC Nebraska foes. The Bulldogs have earned regular-season sweeps over College of Saint Mary, Doane and Midland.
In all likelihood, the Bulldogs will play a select number of nonconference matches leading up to the GPAC tournament in the spring. Additions to the 2021 spring schedule will be announced when appropriate. Dates for the NAIA national tournament are set for April 17, 2021, (opening round) and April 27 – May 1, 2021, (final site in Sioux City, Iowa).
Callahan named GPAC Setter of the Week
November 3, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – For her role in two GPAC victories last week, senior Tara Callahan has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Setter of the Week, as announced by the conference on Tuesday (Nov. 3). Callahan has garnered GPAC weekly honors for the first time this season and for the seventh time in her career. Callahan is the second Bulldog to collect a conference award in 2020, joining freshman Gabi Nordaker (NAIA National Attacker of the Week on Sept. 22).
Over last week’s straight-sets wins over College of Saint Mary and Doane, Callahan totaled a combined 71 assists for an average of 11.83 per set. She also added 11 digs, two kills and two aces. An honorable mention All-American last season, Callahan continues to spread the ball around to a variety of attackers. Five different Bulldogs have recorded more than 115 kills in 2020. Among all players in the NAIA, Callahan ranks fifth in assists per set (11.04) and seventh in total assists (552).
The native of Brady, Neb., has achieved career totals of 3,306 assists (third most in program history), 554 digs, 273 kills and 170 blocks. Callahan has earned some form of All-GPAC recognition each season of her collegiate career.
The Bulldogs (12-3 GPAC) were scheduled to play Tuesday (Nov. 3) at Hastings, but that match has been postponed. A makeup date is yet to be determined. That match will be the final one of the conference regular season for Concordia.
Match at Hastings rescheduled for Nov. 21
November 10, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The final varsity match of the GPAC regular season for Concordia University Volleyball is back on the schedule. The Bulldogs will gear up to play at Hastings on Saturday, Nov. 21 with the first serve at 6 p.m. CT. Originally, the contest was slated for Nov. 3. Please note that there will not be a junior varsity match on Nov. 21.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad will be finished with its fall slate once the action concludes at Hastings. No matter the result, Concordia (12-3 GPAC) is locked into the No. 3 seed in the GPAC tournament, which will be held in the 2021 spring semester (dates have not yet been announced). As a top four seed, the Bulldogs are guaranteed to host in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Concordia also earned the league’s No. 3 seed last season.
The Bulldogs have been idle since defeating Doane in straight sets on Oct. 29. Concordia owns an active five-match win streak that incudes victories over College of Saint Mary (twice), Briar Cliff, Morningside and Doane. Based upon the GPAC standings, the most significant win achieved by the Bulldogs this fall was the straight-sets triumph at Dordt on Oct. 2. The Defenders (11-5 GPAC) will be the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament. Jamestown (13-1 GPAC) and Northwestern (13-2 GPAC) continue to battle for the top seed.
Concordia is likely to officially be an NAIA top 25 team again next week. The NAIA is scheduled to release the first conference (Nov. 16) and national (Nov. 18) polls of the regular season in the coming days. The Bulldogs finished the 2019 campaign at No. 14 in the NAIA Coaches’ Poll for the highest final ranking in program history.
This 2020 Concordia team has relied upon impressive balance while again ranking as one of the best in the GPAC. Senior setter Tara Callahan ranks No. 5 nationally in assists per set (11.04). Five Bulldogs have collected more than 115 kills: Gabi Nordaker (135), Kara Stark (133), Arleigh Costello (126), Camryn Opfer (122) and Kalee Wiltfong (116). Other statistical leaders include Marissa Hoerman (4.34 digs/set), Tristin Mason (27 assists) and Nordaker (1.22 blocks/set).
Dates for the national tournament are set. The NAIA Volleyball National Championship will begin with the opening round on April 17, 2021. Teams that advance to the final site in Sioux City, Iowa, will continue action April 27 – May 1.
Final 2020 GPAC regular-season match canceled
November 16, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The fall portion of the schedule for the Concordia University Volleyball team has officially come to a conclusion. The matchup at Hastings rescheduled for Saturday (Nov. 21) has now been canceled. It will not be made up. Originally, the two sides were slated to play in Hastings on Nov. 3. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad owns a record of 12-3.
A win or a loss at Hastings would not have mattered for the Bulldogs in terms of a seeding perspective. Concordia is locked into the No. 3 spot in the GPAC standings. It finished behind Jamestown (15-1) and Northwestern (13-3) at the top of the league. This marks the second-straight year that the Bulldogs have placed third in the GPAC.
The 2020-21 season will resume at some point during the spring semester. Dates for the GPAC tournament have not yet been announced. However, the NAIA has set dates for the NAIA national tournament – April 17, 2021, for the opening round and April 27 – May 1, 2021, for action at the final site (Sioux City, Iowa).
The NAIA has again pushed back the first scheduled national poll of 2020. It is now slated to be released on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Concordia finished the 2019 season at No. 14 in the NAIA national poll and is likely to be ranked somewhere in the top 25 next week.
Callahan, Nordaker named to All-Midwest Sports Net team
November 20, 2020
All-Midwest Sports Net Volleyball Team
SEWARD, Neb. – Though most honors for the 2020-21 season have been put on hold, Midwest Sports Net announced All-Midwest Volleyball teams on Friday (Nov. 20). In representation of the Concordia University Volleyball program, senior setter Tara Callahan and freshman middle blocker Gabi Nordaker earned recognition on the All-Midwest second team. Midwest Sports Net considered NAIA volleyball players from the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
Callahan has established herself as one of the nation’s top setters. Over 15 GPAC regular-season matches this fall, Callahan played in all 50 sets and totaled 552 assists, 86 digs, 22 kills, 21 blocks and 13 aces. The Brady, Neb., native ranks fifth nationally with an average of 11.04 assists per set. She picked up a GPAC Setter of the Week award on Nov. 3. Callahan ranks third on the program’s all-time list with 3,306 career assists.
Nordaker has made an immediate impact as a rookie. The Omaha native has paced the Bulldogs with 61 blocks in 50 sets played. She has also accumulated 135 kills and sports a .287 hitting percentage. Nordaker has notched 10 or more kills seven times. Following a hot start to the season, Nordaker was named the GPAC and NAIA National Attacker of the Week on Sept. 22.
Concordia (12-3 GPAC) has finished playing this fall, but the season will resume during the spring 2021 semester. The Bulldogs have clinched the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament.
Callahan's first team selection highlights All-GPAC volleyball honors
December 17, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – For the second year in a row, standout setter Tara Callahan has garnered selection as a first team all-conference honoree. Callahan highlighted a list of five Bulldogs to be recognized with 2020 All-GPAC volleyball team awards, as announced by the conference on Thursday (Dec. 17). Teammates Gabi Nordaker and Camryn Opfer garnered second team all-conference accolades while Arleigh Costello and Marissa Hoerman were named honorable mention performers.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s Concordia University Volleyball team went 12-3 in the GPAC and placed third in the 2020 conference regular season standings. The season will continue in the spring semester when both the GPAC tournament and NAIA national tournament are scheduled to be played.
A senior from Brady, Neb., Callahan has played a starring role in the program’s rise to national prominence. In 15 matches (50 sets) this fall, Callahan accumulated 552 assists, 86 digs, 22 kills, 21 blocks and 13 service aces. Callahan ranks fifth among all NAIA setters with an average of 11.04 assists per set. In a win over Mount Marty, Callahan surpassed 3,000 career assists, making her the third player in program history to accomplish that feat. While leading the Bulldogs to the NAIA national round of 16 in 2019, Callahan earned NAIA honorable mention All-America status. She is a four-time All-GPAC selection (two first team and two honorable mention awards).
A sophomore from Seward, Opfer has landed on the All-GPAC second team for the second year in a row to begin her collegiate career. The Seward High School product played in all 50 sets this fall and produced 140 digs, 122 kills (.159 hitting percentage), 24 blocks and 12 service aces. Statistically, Opfer enjoyed her best performance of 2020 when she pounded 12 kills and hit .579 from the outside in a home win over Hastings. In her first season with the Bulldogs, Opfer was named the GPAC Freshman of the Year and the AVCA West Central Region Freshman of the Year.
Nordaker, a freshman from Omaha, Neb., immediately stepped into the starting middle blocker role and excelled. The former Millard West High School star appeared in all 50 sets this fall and racked up a team high 61 blocks to go along with 135 kills and a .287 hitting percentage. After hitting .500 or better in back-to-back early season matches, Nordaker was voted the NAIA National Attacker of the Week on Sept. 22. She posted a season high 19 kills at Dakota Wesleyan on Oct. 17.
Costello, a junior from Gothenburg, Neb., has put together her best season as a Bulldog. Costello has floored 126 kills (2.52/set) and has hit .256 from the right side in 2020. She notched a season high 13 kills in the win over Midland on Sept. 30. Costello recorded 10 or more kills in four separate matches this fall.
A senior from Evergreen, Colo., Hoerman is now a two-time honorable mention All-GPAC choice. Hoerman has been a rock in the back row over her four years with the Bulldogs. This season, Hoerman has averaged career bests of 4.34 digs per set and 4.76 service receptions per set. She has totaled 229 receptions and 217 digs while passing serve receive at 96.2 percent clip. In 357 career sets played, Hoerman has recorded 1,256 digs.
Three spring regular-season matches added to varsity schedule
January 13, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Volleyball team has announced the addition of three varsity matches to the spring 2021 regular-season schedule. The changes are official as of Jan. 13. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad played 15 times during the typical fall season before wrapping up action for the calendar year 2020. The three new matches will serve as a precursor to the GPAC tournament, set to begin on April 3.
Varsity schedule additions for spring 2021:
· Wednesday, March 3 at Bellevue University (Bellevue, Neb.), 7 p.m.
· Wednesday, March 17 vs. Ottawa University (Friedrich Arena), 7 p.m.
· Saturday, March 27 at Grand View University (Des Moines, Iowa), Time TBA
All three matches will factor into Concordia’s overall regular-season record for 2020-21. The three-match slate in March will be a challenging one. Bellevue, Ottawa and Grand View each qualified for the 2019 national tournament. Back in the fall, Bellevue (4-1) played five matches, Ottawa (10-3) played 13 matches and Grand View (14-0) played 14 matches. Unbeaten Grand View owns a victory over Midland to its credit.
The GPAC managed to complete the conference regular-season schedule in the fall. The Bulldogs placed third with a 12-3 GPAC record. Unofficially, Concordia will be the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament and will host a GPAC quarterfinal match on Saturday, April 3. The dates for the proceeding rounds are April 7 for the semifinals and April 10 for the championship. The NAIA national tournament will get started with the opening round on April 17 prior to final site action (in Sioux City, Iowa) getting underway on April 27.
Additionally, the program has scheduled two junior varsity matches in March. The Bulldog JV team will be at Central Community College (Columbus, Neb.) on March 13 and at Hastings on March 24.
View the complete Concordia volleyball schedule HERE. Back in the middle of December, five Bulldogs earned All-GPAC honors: Tara Callahan (first team), Gabi Nordaker (second team), Camryn Opfer (second team), Arleigh Costello (honorable mention) and Marissa Hoerman (honorable mention).
No. 10 Bulldogs poll at highest ever national ranking
February 3, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – A trend of breaking new ground continues for the Concordia University Volleyball program. For the first time in the program’s history, the Bulldogs have cracked the top 10 of the NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad landed at No. 10 on Wednesday (Feb. 3) in what was the first NAIA volleyball poll release of the 2020-21 season. This marks a four-spot jump from where Concordia ended last season (14th).
In an unusual two-part season, the Bulldogs are a month away from their first official match of the second semester. During the fall portion of the campaign, Concordia went 12-3 (all conference matches) and placed third in the GPAC regular-season standings. Based on the top 25 poll, the Bulldogs own three victories over nationally-ranked foes: No. 14 Dordt and No. 20 Midland (twice). Concordia will also play top 25 opponents in No. 12 Bellevue University and No. 7 Grand View University (Iowa) this March.
During the GPAC era (2000-present), the Bulldogs have appeared in the NAIA top 25 in six separate seasons. Prior to this week’s No. 10 ranking, Concordia’s highest poll position was 12th during its co-GPAC championship run in 2000. During the 1990s, the Bulldogs also climbed as high as 14th in 1999 and 16th in 1995.
Three regular-season matches in March will lead up to the GPAC tournament quarterfinals on April 3. Dates for the proceeding rounds are April 7 for the semifinals and April 10 for the championship. The NAIA national tournament will get started on April 17 with the opening round. For the complete schedule, click HERE.
Volleyball season resumes with home match on Wednesday
March 15, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – Part II of the 2020-21 Concordia University Volleyball season is about to get underway. The 10th-ranked Bulldogs are getting set to host No. 24 Ottawa University (Kan.) at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday. Officially, Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad has not played a match since defeating Doane in straight sets at home back on Oct. 29. Concordia stands at 12-3 overall.
Match Info
(10) Concordia (12-3) vs. (24) Ottawa (23-6)
Wednesday, March 17 | 7 p.m.
Friedrich Arena | Seward, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Concordia Sports Network
Radio: 104.9 KTMX-FM Max Country
Commentator: Frank Greene
Fan policy: Fan attendance inside Friedrich Arena is limited to 50 percent of the venue’s capacity. Fans are required to wear masks. Advance tickets can be purchased online here: https://www.cune.edu/athletics/tickets. Tickets will also be sold on site on game day, provided capacity limits have not been reached through online sales.
The Bulldogs actually have yet to go up against a nonconference opponent this season. They had originally hoped to play at Bellevue University on March 3, but that match fell through. Back in the fall, Concordia placed third in the GPAC regular season standings. Based on the most recent NAIA coaches’ poll (March 10), the Bulldogs own three wins over top 25 opponents: No. 13 Dordt and No. 19 Midland (two). Concordia is one of five GPAC teams ranked in the top 25 (and other is receiving votes).
Over 15 matches, the team leaders for the Bulldogs in the major statistical categories include Kara Stark in kills (133 – 2.7/set), Tara Callahan in assists (552 – 11.0/set), Marissa Hoerman in digs (217 – 4.3/set), Gabi Nordaker in blocks (61 – 1.2/set) and hitting percentage (.287) and Tristin Mason in aces (27 – 0.5/set). All-GPAC honors went to Callahan (first team), Camryn Opfer (second team), Nordaker (second team), Arleigh Costello (honorable mention) and Hoerman (honorable mention). As a team, Concordia sports national rankings of ninth in aces per set (2.16), 21st in kills per set (13.22), 26th in hitting percentage (.220) and 29th in blocks per set (2.16).
During the GPAC era (2000-present), the Bulldogs have appeared in the NAIA top 25 in six separate seasons. Prior to the No. 10 ranking achieved this spring, Concordia’s highest ever poll position was 12th during its co-GPAC championship run in 2000. During the 1990s, the Bulldogs also climbed as high as 14th in 1999 and 16th in 1995. The 2019 squad that reached the NAIA national round of 16 checked in at No. 14 in the postseason poll.
A member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, the Braves have been busy during the second semester. They have gone 13-3 since starting back up on Jan. 30. Ottawa earned a breakthrough five-set win over then 11th-ranked Central Methodist University (Mo.) on Feb. 22. More recently, Head Coach Melissa Blessington’s squad took on No. 13 Dordt and was beaten in four sets in Sioux Center, Iowa, on March 12. The star attacker for the Braves is Ayona Tharps, who sports NAIA national rankings of eighth in blocks (92) and 13th in kills (320).
The Bulldogs are also scheduled to play another ranked opponent on Saturday, March 27 when they are slated to visit 11th-ranked Grand View University (Iowa). First serve is set for 4:30 p.m. CT from Des Moines, Iowa. The GPAC tournament is also on the horizon with the quarterfinals coming up on April 3.
Opfer, Dawgs pick up where they left off in fall
March 17, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – The results sure didn’t indicate signs of rust during an opening set that saw the 10th-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team build a 12-3 lead. No. 24 Ottawa University (Kan.) responded and made it a competitive match, but couldn’t overcome a big night from Bulldog sophomore Camryn Opfer. Concordia defeated the Braves, 25-14, 25-17, 22-15, 25-22, inside Friedrich Arena on Wednesday (March 17).
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad played in its first official match since Oct. 29 while hosting Ottawa. The Bulldogs (13-3) completed their entire GPAC regular season during the fall, but did not go up against a nonconference foe until a unique St. Patrick’s Day outing on Wednesday.
“We got it going when we needed to,” Boldt said. “I think you saw what we are working for in that last set as far as being fearless and taking big swings in those big moments. That’s more of the conversation and the training that we’re having with our team right now. It was fun to get back out there.”
The Seward High School product Opfer had plenty of fun of her own in a career 21-kill performance. She hit .405 while dropping bombs from the outside and also coming up with 12 digs. The play of Opfer helped affirmatively answer any questions about how Concordia might look in the beginning to part II of a very unusual 2020-21 season.
The Bulldogs outhit the Braves for the night, .205 to .140. In an especially positive sign, Concordia blitzed Ottawa early in the first (12-3 lead) and second (7-0 lead) sets. Boldt’s crew continues to be one with impressive focus, even after a long layoff.
“Coach said before the match that we hadn’t played in about four or five months,” Opfer said. “It’s different, but we have to stay in the present, communicate on the floor and play like we have together all year. That’s what we did.”
Senior standouts like Tara Callahan, Marissa Hoerman and Kara Stark aspire to see this thing out as long as they can. Stark added 16 kills on Wednesday and put a cap on the evening by hammering match points to the floor boards. The quarterback of the operation, Callahan amassed 45 assists and assisted on three blocks. In the back row, Hoerman did fine work in notching 28 digs.
Ottawa (23-7) has packed in a whopping 17 matches since the calendar flipped to 2021. The Braves refused to go down quietly after dropping the first two sets. Ryleigh Burdick (12 kills on 28 attacks) had the most success from an offensive perspective. Burdick and company came close to forcing a fifth set. They closed within 22-21 in the fourth set before Concordia’s strong finishing blow.
“I thought we took good swings,” Boldt said. “Our kill numbers from each set were really good. The third set we kind of let off the gas pedal a little bit. The fourth set I was happy with our mentality through the end and our ability to take big swings.”
Erin Johnson and Tristin Mason contributed to the win with 12 digs apiece. Arleigh Costello chipped in with nine kills and Kalee Wiltfong led the way at the net by getting in on four of the team’s seven blocks. Also noteworthy, Midland transfer Bree Burtwistle made her first appearance as a Bulldog while subbing in at setter.
Concordia will spend this spring trying to show it belongs ranked in the NAIA top 10. Said Opfer, “We’re going to play like we’re No. 10 and we’re going to stay in the present.”
Next up on the slate is a nonconference clash with 11th-ranked Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, March 27. First serve is set for 4:30 p.m. CT.
No. 10 Bulldogs take out No. 11 Grand View in dominant fashion
March 28, 2021
DES MOINES, Iowa – It hasn’t taken long for the 10th-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team to get back into a groove this spring. Ten days after a four-set win over then No. 24 Ottawa University (Kan.), the Bulldogs were even better on Saturday (March 27) when they handled 11th-ranked Grand View University (Iowa) in straight sets, 25-15, 25-19, 25-19, in action in Des Moines, Iowa.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad has moved to 14-3 overall with postseason play up next on the schedule. Concordia is working on positioning itself for a second-straight trip to the national tournament.
“I loved our focus today,” Boldt said. “We set the tone early with our serving and our defense was really good because of that. Offensively we took big swings when it was there and we hit smart shots when we needed to. Cam (Opfer) and Kara (Stark) played an efficient match. Tara (Callahan) set a balanced offense. Kalee Wiltfong came up with a huge hustle play in the second set that built some momentum for us. I’m really proud of our attitude, effort and communication against a really good Grand View team.”
The Bulldogs outhit the Vikings, .291 to .128, for the match and got 13 kills from Stark and 10 from Opfer. Concordia went on a roll in the first set with a 7-0 run that provided a 15-8 advantage. Grand View failed to make a serious push in an opening set that saw it hit in the red (-.073 hitting percentage). Opfer put away the second set with a kill while match point came via a Viking attack error.
Defensively, Concordia held Grand View in check with the help of three blocks by Gabi Nordaker and double-digit dig totals from Marissa Hoerman (16), Tristin Mason (13), Callahan (10) and Opfer (10). The back row of the Bulldogs also played a key role in not surrendering a single service ace. Hoerman registered the only ace on either side.
Concordia held a significant advantage in kills, 47-34. Callahan mounted 34 assists while spurring the attack. Wiltfong floored eight kills on 13 swings (.462), Arleigh Costello added seven kills and Nordaker chipped in with six kills.
The Vikings began this season at 15-0 before hitting a current three-match slide. In other action against GPAC opponents, Grand View defeated Midland in five sets and was beaten by Dordt in straight sets. The Vikings got a team high of nine kills from Alexa Aldrich-Ingram on Saturday.
Based on the current NAIA top 25 poll, the Bulldogs own five wins over ranked opponents: No. 11 Grand View, No. 12 Dordt, No. 18 Midland (two) and No. 22 Ottawa. Two of Concordia’s three losses have come against foes ranked in the top 10: No. 1 Jamestown and No. 7 Northwestern.
The Bulldogs will begin what they hope to be a long postseason run when they host Dakota Wesleyan (12-8, 8-8 GPAC) at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, April 3 in the GPAC quarterfinals. The winner will advance to play in the semifinals on April 7. Tickets for the April 3 match will be sold online here: https://www.cune.edu/athletics/tickets.
Match Preview: 10th-ranked Bulldogs set to host GPAC quarterfinals
March 31, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – The expectation for the 10th-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team is to enjoy a lengthy postseason run. After a pair of nonconference spring matches, the third-seeded Bulldogs will host sixth-seeded Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday in the GPAC quarterfinals. This will mark the second-straight season that Head Coach Ben Boldt’s program has hosted in the conference quarterfinals.
GPAC Quarterfinal Match Info
(10) Concordia (14-3, 12-3) vs. Dakota Wesleyan (12-8, 8-8)
Saturday, April 3 | 3 p.m. CT
Friedrich Arena | Seward, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Concordia Sports Network (fee required)
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Frank Greene
Tickets: https://www.cune.edu/athletics/tickets (also sold on site)
--Admission: $10 for adults/senior citizens, $3 for K-12; only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s will be admitted free of charge.
Fan policy: Friedrich Arena will welcome fans for Saturday’s match (up to 50 percent capacity). Per GPAC policy, fans are required to wear face coverings and are encouraged to distance themselves from other family groups.
By the numbers
· In action this spring, Concordia has defeated two ranked opponents: then No. 24 Ottawa University (Kan.), 25-14, 25-17, 22-25, 25-22, and No. 11 Grand View University (Iowa), 25-15, 25-19, 25-19. Over those two matches, individual leaders have included Camryn Opfer in kills (31), Tara Callahan in assists (79), Marissa Hoerman in digs (44) and Gabi Nordaker and Kalee Wiltfong in blocks (five apiece). Opfer posted a career high 21 kills in the home win over Ottawa.
· Three national coaches’ polls have been released this spring by the NAIA. In all three instances, the Bulldogs have landed at No. 10, which is the highest poll position in program history (previous high was No. 12 in 2000). Based on the current top 25, Concordia owns five wins over nationally-ranked opponents: No. 11 Grand View, No. 12 Dordt, No. 18 Midland (two) and No. 22 Ottawa. Seven of the 17 overall matches have been played against top 25 foes.
· Balance has been a theme during the program’s rise to national prominence. Over 17 matches this season, five Bulldogs have notched more than 100 kills: Kara Stark (162), Opfer (153), Nordaker (148), Arleigh Costello (142) and Wiltfong (129). In addition, four Concordia players have tallied at least 100 digs: Hoerman (261), Opfer (162), Tristin Mason (142) and Callahan (103). Collectively, they have helped the Bulldogs outhit their opponents, .223 to .153.
· Concordia has advanced to the GPAC tournament title match only once in program history (2015). Last season, the Bulldogs toppled Doane in four sets in the conference quarterfinals. They then lost a heart stopper in five sets (15-13 in fifth set) at Jamestown in the semifinals. During the GPAC era (2000-present), Concordia has advanced to at least the conference semifinals four times (also did so in 2001 and in 2014).
· On the NAIA national leaderboard, the Bulldogs rank 14th in kills per set (13.5), 19th in assists per set (12.3), 24th in hitting percentage (.223), 26th in aces per set (2.0) and 34th in blocks per set (2.1). On the individual NAIA leaderboard, Callahan ranks sixth in assists per set (11.1), Nordaker ranks 16th in blocks per set (1.16) and Mason ranks 37th in aces per set (0.49).
The opponent
Dakota Wesleyan is currently receiving votes in the NAIA poll. Head Coach Lindsay Wilber’s squad picked up a signature win on Oct. 17, 2020, when it outlasted Concordia in five sets. The Tigers will not have had an official spring match under their belt by the time Saturday rolls around. Dakota Wesleyan was defeated in straight sets by Jamestown on Nov. 3 back on Nov. 3 in its most recent action. The Tigers have received a big boost from leading attacker Ady Dwight, who was named the GPAC Freshman of the Year. Dwight was a first team All-GPAC selection while setter Madeline Else landed on the second team.
GPAC Semifinals
The Concordia/Dakota Wesleyan winner will advance to the GPAC semifinals and play either second-seeded Northwestern or seventh-seeded Hastings on April 7. The championship match will take place on Saturday, April 10. The highest seeds get the honor of hosting in each round.
Concordia fends off DWU in three, moves to GPAC semis
April 3, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – The 10th-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team knew it was in for a battle while up against a Dakota Wesleyan squad with a strong serve and pass game. Ultimately, the Bulldogs won in straight sets, 25-19, 28-26, 25-15, though it was a gritty, defensive GPAC quarterfinal clash on Saturday (April 3) afternoon. Concordia managed to make fewer mistakes and got 14 kills from Camryn Opfer in the process of reaching the conference semifinals for the second year in a row.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad is 3-0 this spring and now 15-3 overall heading into a top 10 showdown with Northwestern in the next round. For the moment, the Bulldogs are happy to avenge one of their three defeats from the fall.
“We were defending three attackers all day long and it’s really hard to get them out of system,” Boldt said. “What it came down to from our matchup in the regular season was people were making plays the whole time. Their offense was great. It comes down to who can make the stop. Our players were ready for that challenge. Marissa (Hoerman) put herself in a lot of good positions today. She dug a lot of good balls and was nails passing.”
No doubt the absence of GPAC Freshman of the Year Ady Dwight had an impact on how the Tigers played on Saturday. Dwight missed the match due to injury. Despite the significant personnel change, DWU appeared to be on the brink of taking the second set. Several different Bulldogs emerged to “be the woman” and Kara Stark rocketed one of her four kills for set point. That came after DWU led 24-23 and had later evened the score at 25-25 and 26-26.
There was much less drama in the third set that turned into a rough one for the Tigers. The front row of Concordia threw up a wall for six blocks in that set alone. Freshman middle Gabi Nordaker was especially impressive in that department in racking up nine total blocks (three solos). DWU made 16 attack errors and had a negative hitting percentage in the third set.
For the match, the Bulldogs outhit the Tigers, .192 to .049, following the lead of seniors like setter Tara Callahan. Said Callahan, “They’re a really good serve-pass team, probably one of the best we’ve seen between both seasons. We just really wanted to focus on winning that game. We’re excited to keep continuing on this revenge tour.”
In addition to Opfer’s 14 kills, three other Bulldogs notched at least seven kills: Kalee Wiltfong (eight), Arleigh Costello (seven) and Nordaker (seven). Callahan finished with 32 assists and seven digs. It was certainly a big day for the back rows of both squads (129 combined digs). Hoerman collected 22 digs and Erin Johnson added 13. On the other side of the net, DWU’s Madeline Else registered 23 digs. Concordia owned advantages of 43-35 in kills and 12-8 in blocks.
In Dwight’s absence, McKenzie Buisker and Mariah Gloe paced the Tigers with nine kills apiece. Head Coach Lindsay Wilber’s program made its first-ever GPAC tournament appearance and finished its season at 12-9 overall. DWU is receiving votes in the national poll.
Opfer has totaled 45 kills in the three matches this spring while heating it up from the outside. Said Boldt, “She’s come along way and is embracing this role of who she is. She doesn’t need to get a kill every time she swings the ball. We do need to have purpose when we do. She’s grown a lot as a volleyball player.”
Because No. 2 seed Northwestern (18-3) also took care of business, the third-seeded Bulldogs will be headed to Orange City, Iowa, for the GPAC semifinals on Wednesday (April 7). First serve is set for 7 p.m. CT. The GPAC championship match will be held on Saturday, April 10.
Match preview: No. 10 Concordia looking forward to rematch with No. 7 Northwestern
April 5, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – After avenging one regular season loss, the 10th-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team hopes to make amends for another one when it visits No. 7 Northwestern in a GPAC semifinal clash on Wednesday. The Bulldogs are hoping to reach the GPAC tournament final for the second time in program history and for the first time since 2015. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad defeated Dakota Wesleyan in straight sets, 25-19, 28-26, 25-15, in the quarterfinals on April 3.
GPAC Semifinal Match Info
(10) Concordia (15-3) at (7) Northwestern (18-3)
Wednesday, April 7 | 7 p.m. CT
Bultman Center | Orange City, Iowa
Webcast: Red Raiders All-Access
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Frank Greene
Tickets: https://www.cune.edu/athletics/tickets (also sold on site)
--Admission: $10 for adults/senior citizens, $3 for K-12; only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s will be admitted free of charge.
Fan policy: Northwestern is capping fan attendance to 50 percent capacity within the Bultman Center. Admission will be charged on site on game day (no online ticketing).
By the numbers
· The matchup last week with Dakota Wesleyan turned into a defensive battle. Concordia outhit the Tigers, .192 to .049. The Bulldogs owned additional advantages in kills (43-35) and blocks (12-8). Individual statistical leaders for Concordia included Camryn Opfer with 14 kills, Tara Callahan with 32 assists, Gabi Nordaker with nine blocks and Marissa Hoerman with 22 digs. DWU had a key personnel loss with GPAC Freshman of the Year Ady Dwight sidelined by injury. Tiger setter Madeline Else put together a fine match that included 28 assists and 23 digs.
· All three matches this spring have resulted in wins over teams either ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA national poll (current rankings): No. 11 Grand View University (Iowa), No. 22 Ottawa University (Kan.) and Dakota Wesleyan (receiving votes). The Tigers were one of three GPAC teams that defeated the Bulldogs during the regular season. The other two are the top two seeds in the conference: Jamestown and Northwestern.
· In the three spring matches, Concordia has been led by Opfer in kills (45), Kalee Wiltfong in hitting percentage (.304), Callahan in assists (111), Nordaker in blocks (14) and Hoerman in digs (66) and aces (three). Opfer is averaging 4.5 kills per set this spring while ramping up her production on the outside. The Seward High School product racked up a career high 21 kills in the win over Ottawa. Four teammates have totaled at least 20 kills this spring: Kara Stark (33), Arleigh Costello (23), Wiltfong (21) and Nordaker (20).
· The Bulldogs and Red Raiders met up in Seward on Oct. 10, 2020, with Northwestern winning, 25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22. Reigning NAIA National Player of the Year Anna Wedel powered 19 kills while the Red Raiders outhit Concordia, .243 to .076. Wiltfong paced the Bulldogs with 18 kills while Hoerman added 21 digs. At the time, it was the first loss of the season for Concordia, which slipped to 5-1.
· The Bulldogs have reached the GPAC semifinals for the second year in a row and for the fifth time since the conference formed in 2000. The 2015 Concordia squad remains the lone one in program history to reach the GPAC postseason championship match. Back in the days of the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference (NIAC), the Bulldogs appeared in the 1996 conference tournament title match. Concordia lost the championship matches in both 1996 and 2015.
The opponent
Currently in his 16th season as head coach, Kyle Van Den Bosch always seems to have Northwestern in the running for GPAC championships. Van Den Bosch has led the program to a combined 10 GPAC titles and 10 national tournament berths. With Wedel as the star of the show, this edition of the Red Raiders is another powerful one. Nationally, they rank third in hitting percentage (.272) and 17th in kills per set (13.4). Wedel was joined on the All-GPAC first team by teammates in right side Makenzie Fink and setter Lacey Reitz. Northwestern’s losses this season have come against Dordt (twice) and Jamestown.
GPAC tournament results
Quarterfinals
(1) Jamestown def. (8) Morningside, 25-20, 25-15, 25-16
(5) Midland def. (4) Dordt, 25-21, 25-22, 24-26, 25-21
(3) Concordia def. (6) Dakota Wesleyan, 25-19, 28-26, 25-15
(2) Northwestern def. (7) Hastings, 25-17, 25-21, 25-10
The Concordia/Northwestern winner will advance to the championship match and play either Jamestown or Midland on Saturday, April 10.
GPAC tourney run halted in battle of top 10 teams
April 7, 2021
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – As evidence of the strength of the GPAC, the conference tournament semifinal round featured four teams all ranked in the top 12 of the latest NAIA coaches’ poll. On one side of the bracket, the 10th-ranked Concordia University Volleyball squad took on No. 5 Northwestern in a clash between combatants both capable of leaving their mark on the national stage. The Red Raiders owned a 15-7 advantage in blocking and won, 25-22, 25-22, 18-25, 25-23, inside the Bultman Center on Wednesday (April 7).
Head Coach Ben Boldt had hoped to lead the program back to the GPAC championship match for the first time since 2015. Northwestern (19-3) has been a difficult opponent for the Bulldogs (15-4) to deal with.
“I felt like we were figuring it out and learning. I thought we competed really well,” Boldt said. “Serve and pass-wise, it was almost dead even. We always talk about winning the serve and pass game. We competed really well from that perspective. When you have an error, it’s more about how you bounce back from it. There were a couple things they were able to execute with their middle attack that we couldn’t stop. We’re going to have to take a look at that and rep that out. It was pretty even across the board – could have made a couple more stops.”
Concordia had a chance in each of the three sets it lost. It very nearly forced a fifth set, having led 21-20 and later pulling even (23-23) before the Red Raiders collected points 24 and 25. Reigning NAIA National Player of the Year Anna Wedel blocked a Bulldog attack for match point. The result means that Northwestern will head to top-ranked Jamestown for the GPAC championship match on Saturday.
The middles were a big story in this contest. From a measure of efficiency, Concordia freshman middle blocker Gabi Nordaker enjoyed one of her finest outings of the season. She floored 12 kills on 19 swings (.526) and was credited with three block assists. On the outsides, Kara Stark (13) and Camryn Opfer (12) also reached double figures in the kill department.
The Red Raiders hit better than .350 in each of the sets they won (.370, .357, .359). As an outside, Wedel was kept contained to a degree (.095 hitting percentage; six errors), but middles Bekah Horstman (13 kills, seven blocks) and Emily Van Ginkel (11 kills, five blocks) sizzled. They both hit better than .450 while poking holes in the Bulldog defense. Star setter Lacey Reitz piled up 48 assists.
“They’re solid across the board,” Boldt said of Northwestern. “They set their middle a little bit more than what they probably normally want to, but when you’re passing the ball well you’re able to do that.”
Other leaders for Concordia on Wednesday included Tara Callahan in assists (40) and Marissa Hoerman in digs (17). Callahan also added 13 digs. An ace serve apiece was notched by Hoerman and Kennedy Vanscoy. The Bulldogs were outhit on the night, .259 to .188.
According to the NAIA website, the NAIA is scheduled to announce the volleyball national qualifiers via a live selection show at 10 a.m. CT on Monday (April 12). In the spring 2021 format, all 48 qualifiers will play in the opening round (at campus sites) on April 17. Action at the final site, the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, is slated to run from April 27 – May 1.
Bulldogs headed to New Orleans for NAIA Championship Opening Round
April 12, 2021
NAIA Volleyball National Championship Info
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Volleyball team will be more than 1,000 miles from home when first serve of the NAIA Volleyball National Championship Opening Round occurs on Saturday (April 17). Cheers rang out from the on campus Walz Conference Room on Monday when members of the team learned they would be headed to New Orleans. As an at-large national qualifier, the Bulldogs will travel to play Xavier University of New Orleans.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s program will make a second straight appearance at the national tournament. Last season they went straight to the final site in Sioux City, Iowa, bypassing the opening round. In this year’s format, all 48 national qualifiers must compete in the opening round.
Travel plans are quickly in the works for Concordia, which did not play outside of the Midwest during this past fall or spring. Boldt had a simple message for his team in the short address that followed the national tournament announcement on Monday. Now is about making the most of the time they have leading up to Saturday’s match.
One of five GPAC teams to qualify for nationals, the Bulldogs will enter Saturday’s contest with an overall record of 15-4. They have been ranked 10th in the NAIA in all five national coaches’ polls released this spring. That ranking represents the highest for Concordia in the history of its program. Meanwhile, Xavier qualified for the opening round by winning the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament title.
As of the afternoon on Monday, a match time had not yet been announced. Fans will be allowed to attend Saturday’s match. Specific information about fan attendance will be disseminated when available.
Each opening round winner will advance to pool play at the final site, the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City. The action in Sioux City will run from April 27 – May 1.
National Tournament Facts
· Concordia will be making the third national tournament appearance in program history. The 2015 squad became the first Bulldog volleyball edition to qualify for nationals. The ’15 squad was defeated in the opening round while hosting Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.). Then in 2019, Concordia broke through with an advancement to the national round of 16 and claimed the program’s first two national tournament victories – over Montana Tech and the University of Saint Mary.
· Nine Bulldogs on the current national tournament roster gained experience on the national stage last season. In four 2019 national tournament matches, four returners produced a combined 20+ kills: Kara Stark (44), Camryn Opfer (36) Kalee Wiltfong (35) and Arleigh Costello (22). Tara Callahan racked up 164 assists and Marissa Hoerman totaled 60 digs during the 2019 national tournament run.
· Concordia owns wins over four teams that qualified for the 2020 national tournament: Dordt, Grand View University (Iowa), Midland and Ottawa University (Kan.). The Bulldogs twice defeated Midland.
· Xavier is making an appearance at nationals for the 10th time in program history. The Gold Nuggets will carry a record of 18-4 into Saturday’s matchup. Xavier is coached by Pat Kendrick, who is in her fourth season leading the program.
Match Preview: No. 10 Concordia readying for trip to The Big Easy
April 13, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – While several of the top-ranked teams will be hosting NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship Opening Round matches, the Bulldogs will have an added reward of a trip to New Orleans. Tenth-ranked Concordia is finalizing its travel preparations to head down to The Big Easy for an opening round clash with Xavier University of New Orleans. The winner of Saturday’s match will be one of 24 teams that will earn a spot at the final site of the national tournament.
Opening Round Info
No. 10 Concordia (15-4) at Xavier (18-4)
Saturday, April 17 | 2 p.m. CDT
Convocation Center | New Orleans, La.
Webcast: https://www.meridix.com/event/191047
Live Stats: Dakstats
Radio: 104.9 Max Country (Frank Greene)
--Tickets: https://xulatix.universitytickets.com/ (capacity capped at 800 tickets sold); cost is $8 for adults & $5 for students/youth; tickets MUST be bought online.
Fan policy: Fans are required to wear masks when inside the Convocation Center. Fan attendance will be capped at 800. Doors will be opened to fans at 1 p.m.
By the numbers
· Head Coach Ben Boldt will lead Concordia into the national tournament for a second year in a row. Boldt is the first coach in the program’s history to guide the Bulldogs to multiple national tournament trips. In the 2019 journey at nationals, the Bulldogs advanced straight to the final site, where they reached the NAIA national round of 16 (never before achieved in program history). The ’19 team defeated 19th-ranked Montana Tech and University of Saint Mary (Kan.) before eventually having its season ended by fourth-ranked Missouri Baptist University in the round of 16.
· The first national tournament appearance in program history occurred in 2015 when Concordia hosted an opening round matchup with Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.). The Bulldogs dropped three tight sets and fell in a straight sets defeat (25-23, 27-25, 26-24). Paige Getz led Concordia with 14 kills. The GPAC tournament runner up that season, the Bulldogs finished the campaign with an overall record of 26-9. Then Head Coach Scott Mattera is now the leader of an Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas) program that has also qualified for nationals.
· Nine Bulldogs on the current national tournament roster gained experience on the national stage last season. In four 2019 national tournament matches, four returners produced a combined 20+ kills: Kara Stark (44), Camryn Opfer (36) Kalee Wiltfong (35) and Arleigh Costello (22). Tara Callahan racked up 164 assists and Marissa Hoerman totaled 60 digs during the 2019 national tournament run. It’s a small sample, but the program’s all-time national tournament leader in kills and blocks is 2020 graduate Emmie Noyd (57 kills and 16 blocks at the 2019 tournament).
· Concordia owns a record of 5-3 against fellow 2020 national qualifiers. The Bulldogs defeated qualifiers in Dordt, Grand View University (Iowa), Midland (twice) and Ottawa University (Kan.). The three losses came at the hands of Jamestown and Northwestern (twice). The GPAC led all conferences with five qualifiers.
· Through 19 matches this season, statistical leaders for the Bulldogs include Camryn Opfer and Kara Stark in kills (179), Tara Callahan in assists (703), Tristin Mason in aces (28), Marissa Hoerman in digs (300) and Gabi Nordaker in blocks (78) and hitting percentage (.291). On the NAIA national leaderboard, Concordia ranks 10th in kills per set (13.55), 25th in hitting percentage (.219), 30th in blocks per set (2.17) and 37th in aces per set (1.83).
· Xavier is making an appearance at nationals for the 10th time in program history. The Gold Nuggets advanced to the final site in 2019 after defeating William Carey University (Miss.) in the opening round. In its final season in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, Xavier swept GCAC regular season and postseason titles for the 10th year in a row.
The opponent
Head Coach Pat Kendrick (fourth season) guides a program that is well-accustomed to appearing on the national stage. Xavier made its first trip to nationals in 2011 and has gotten back there every year since then. The Gold Nuggets broke through in 2019 with the program’s first-ever national championships victory. The current team went a perfect 12-0 in conference play and then defeated both Edward Waters and Dillard in straight sets in GCAC postseason play while taking the tournament title. Nationally, Xavier ranks third in aces per set (2.46), eighth in hitting percentage (.245) and 33rd in blocks per set (2.13). Kayla Black has been the team’s most prolific attacker with 143 kills (3.0 per set).
NAIA final site
All opening round winners will earn spots at the final site of the NAIA Volleyball National Championship: the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Sioux City has been the final destination for the NAIA volleyball championship since 2008. Pool play will begin on April 27 with bracket play to open up on April 29. Only eight teams will advance to bracket play, which begins with the national quarterfinals (instead of the round of 16). For more information on the championship, click HERE.
Bulldogs fend off push from Xavier, advance to NAIA tournament final site
April 17, 2021
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Host Xavier University of New Orleans made the 10th-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team sweat it out a bit, but the Bulldogs sealed the deal in four sets with a rocket from Kara Stark for match point. For the second year in a row, Concordia is headed to the final site of the NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship. The Bulldogs defeated Xavier, 25-13, 25-14, 23-25, 25-20, as part of the NAIA Opening Round on Saturday (April 17).
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad traveled down to New Orleans for the first leg of the national tournament journey. After smooth sailing in the first two sets, Concordia (16-4) found itself in a battle.
“I was happy with how we came out. I thought we were doing really well in the serve and pass game and getting them out of their system,” Boldt said. “In the third set, they started passing the ball a whole lot better, which made them tougher to defend. It opened up some holes in our block and allowed their pins to whale a way on some swings. They created some momentum for themselves. It was nice to see us battle through that and respond.”
The Gold Nuggets (18-5) of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference are accustomed to this stage having made appearances in the opening round in 10 straight seasons. Over the first two sets on Saturday, the Bulldogs were in their comfort zone. Camryn Opfer continued a sparkling spring with 13 of her match high 18 kills coming in the first two sets. Concordia held Xavier to a negative hitting percentage in the opening set and outhit the opponent, .223 to .089, for the match.
Finally, Xavier found traction in the third set when it got in a rhythm. Kennedy Wade, Kayla Black and Bria Mayes struck for five, four and four kills, respectively, in that set. The Bulldogs came back to tie the third, 23-23, before Wade and Black ended it with back-to-back kills. Black and Wade shared the team high with 12 kills apiece.
The fourth set was knotted, 11-11, before the Bulldogs began to exert their will. In the middle, Gabi Nordaker (10 kills, five blocks) put together a fine afternoon and came through with four kills in the fourth. Concordia managed to stamp out the upset bid when Stark’s attack landed for match point. The Gold Nuggets pushed the Bulldogs in that set with 12 kills of their own.
“The margins are slim when it comes to the national tournament,” Boldt said. “If we let up at all a little bit – these are good teams and they can come back on you at any point … we’re excited about (going to Sioux City). I was focused on this match and the here and now. I have to thank our administration for putting the trip together for us. The support has been awesome. It’s a team effort.”
Stark racked up 10 kills while joining Opfer and Nordaker in double figures. Opfer added 16 kills and an ace to her stat line. Meanwhile, Tara Callahan produced 45 assists and 13 digs. In the back row, Marissa Hoerman led the way with a match high 23 digs (to go along with two aces). Concordia held advantages in blocks, 8-6, and aces, 6-4.
The NAIA Opening Round featured a total of 48 national qualifiers. The 24-team national championship final site pool play matchups will be announced on Sunday (April 18) via NAIA.org. Pool play will take place at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, on April 27-28 with bracket play to follow on April 29. A season ago, the Bulldogs reached the NAIA national round of 16, a feat that had never been achieved in program history.
NAIA Volleyball Championship pools announced
April 18, 2021
Pool Play Matches
April 27 – vs. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), 7 p.m. CT (Court 1)
April 28 – vs. Marian (Ind.), 3:30 p.m. CT (Court 2)
SEWARD, Neb. – One of 24 teams remaining in the national championship field, the Concordia University Volleyball team learned of its NAIA pool play assignment on Sunday (April 18). The Bulldogs have been grouped with seventh-ranked Marian University (Ind.) and Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) as part of Pool G in the 2020 NAIA Volleyball National Championship. For the second season in a row, Head Coach Ben Boldt will lead the program to the final site of the tournament.
The number of teams at the final site has shrunk from 32 in 2019 to 24 this April. Those 24 squads have been separated into eight groupings for pool play that will take place April 27-28 at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The Tyson has served as the host for the NAIA Volleyball National Championship since 2008. In a typical season, the event is held in December.
Concordia (16-4) earned an at-large berth into this year’s national qualifying field while being ranked 10th in the NAIA coaches’ poll. The Bulldogs then clinched a trip to Sioux City with Saturday’s four-set win at Xavier University of New Orleans. Camryn Opfer led the way by collecting 18 kills and 16 digs. Concordia outhit the Gold Nuggets, .223 to .089.
The victory was the third all-time for the program at the national tournament. The 2019 Bulldogs became the first team in program history to win a national tournament match when it defeated both 19th-ranked Montana Tech and the University of Saint Mary (Kan.). Concordia’s three national tournament berths have come in 2015, 2019 and 2020. Officially, this is still considered the 2020 season.
Marian (17-4) earned an automatic bid to the national tournament via a Crossroads League tournament runner up claim. The Knights defeated Bryan (Tenn.) in straight sets in the opening round. Meanwhile, Lindsey Wilson (22-3) captured Mid-South Conference regular season and postseason championships. The Blue Raiders won at Cornerstone (Mich.) in straight sets in the opening round.
No. 10 Bulldogs outlast Lindsey Wilson in national tourney heart thumper
April 27, 2021
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – There wasn’t a single moment that the 10th-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team could really feel comfortable. In pool play action at the NAIA National Championship, the Bulldogs went wire-to-wire in all five sets before outlasting Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.), 23-25, 26-24, 28-26, 25-27, 15-10, inside the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, on Tuesday (April 27). There were a combined 466 attacks on a night when every point had to be earned.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad has a chance to advance to the NAIA national quarterfinals if it can win a second pool play match on Wednesday. Concordia (17-4) showed poise in stressful situations on Tuesday. The Bulldogs could have easily gone down 2-0 after struggling to begin the second set.
“I saw a lot of fight,” Boldt said. “I called two early timeouts in that set – we were just out of sync. Volleyball works that way sometimes and all it takes is someone making a big play. I saw Shelby Stark, a freshman, take a big swing. We talk about taking fearless swings, and that’s contagious. There was a lot of fight, a lot of adjustments that happened tonight. It was good to see our team live in that world of competition.”
It was an active night for the back rows of both sides. Concordia’s Marissa Hoerman dug 11 balls in the first set and finished with a match high 35 digs. In the deciding fifth set, the Bulldogs managed to limit the Blue Raiders (22-4) to a grand total of four kills. In continuing her big night, Gabi Nordaker floored five kills of her own (including kills for four of the first seven Concordia points of the set) in the fifth. A dink of a kill by Camryn Opfer provided match point.
While playing the role of the favorite, the Bulldogs got all they could handle in a team that showed a much different look than what they are used to seeing in the GPAC. Strategic changes were made on the fly to help contain a Lindsey Wilson squad quarterbacked by star setter Camryn Rich.
Said Boldt, “Just before we started the (fifth) set we made a couple of adjustments with where our diggers were. We wanted to make sure our blockers knew where their attackers were coming from. They play a different style of offense than we’re used to seeing in the GPAC. That’s what you’re going to get at national tournaments. The resiliency that our team and the communication and attitude we had the whole time was something I was really happy with.”
On the flip side, Concordia threw out its arsenal of hitters that included right side Shelby Stark (11 kills), who is taking on an increased role at the national tournament. Nordaker led the way with 25 kills and six blocks. Another three Bulldogs reached double figures in kills: Kara Stark (15), Opfer (14) and Kalee Wiltfong (12). Three teammates also joined Hoerman with at least 20 digs: Opfer (29), Tristin Mason (23) and Tara Callahan (20). Callahan racked up 71 assists as Concordia slightly outhit Lindsey Wilson, .172 to .167.
An 8-0 deficit to begin the second set made things appear ominous, but the Bulldogs did not waver. Said Nordaker, “We really just stayed in the moment. Our whole mantra is to stay fearless going after very swing, no matter what – hitting off those high hands and going after every ball. Hustle plays were really on tonight.”
The Blue Raiders have been eliminated from the tournament after also having lost in straight sets to No. 7 Marian University (Ind.) earlier in the day. Lindsey Wilson got a match high 16 kills from Madison Bidwell.
Pool G now comes down to Concordia and Marian. The two top-10 ranked teams will go head-to-head on Wednesday with first serve set for 3:30 p.m. CT. The Knights hit a scorching .375 in their victory over the Blue Raiders.
National quarterfinal bound for first time ever!
April 28, 2021
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Concordia University Volleyball is NAIA National Quarterfinal bound for the first time in program history. The Bulldogs played a cleaner match on Wednesday (April 28) as opposed to Tuesday and have emerged as the champions of Pool G at the national tournament. A day after narrowly getting past Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) in five sets, Concordia toppled seventh-ranked Marian University (Ind.), 25-19, 22-25, 25-19, 25-22, inside the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
The defending national champion Knights entered the day leading the nation in kills per set, but Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad was up to the task at the net. The Bulldogs (18-4) have again reached new heights after having advanced to the national round of 16 a season ago.
“We played better than we did yesterday,” Boldt said. “I really liked our focus in warmups. We missed our first two serves – which is a sign that you’re not very focused – but I don’t think that phased us at all. We kept it one point at a time and here’s where we ended up. That’s about how it happened for me.”
The attack for Concordia looked smoother on Wednesday. Camryn Opfer bombed away for 19 kills from the outside in a special national tournament performance that also included 10 digs. Not only that, Kara Stark hit .314 and produced 14 kills. Setter Tara Callahan racked up 49 assists while facilitating an offense that beat Marian at its own game.
That’s not to say this was easy. The Knights took the second set and weren’t far off from forcing a fifth. The Bulldogs were able to contain star Skyler Van Note (14 kills) to some degree, but they had few answers for Jai-Lyn Norwood in the middle. She collected 19 kills while hitting .486. Marian fell behind 18-13 in the fourth set before rallying to get within 23-22. An attack error and a kill by Gabi Nordaker put the finishing touches on the Bulldog victory.
The celebration was on for Concordia and a large contingent of fans wearing Bulldog blue. The accomplishment is still sinking in for Kara Stark. Said the native of Frisco, Texas, “That was one of my favorite moments ever. I can’t even process it right now. That was so fun. We knew we could do it and had it in us, so it wasn’t a surprise, but getting there is really cool after a hard-fought game yesterday. I just want to hug them all forever.”
The Bulldogs took the 2-1 set advantage after going off for 19 kills and a .386 hitting percentage in the third. Opfer (seven) and Kara Stark (six) combined to put away 13 kills in that set. After a monster performance on Tuesday, Nordaker added nine kills and seven blocks in the latest victory. Double digit dig totals were turned in by Marissa Hoerman (19), Callahan (16) and Opfer. In again making the most of increased playing time, Shelby Stark (younger sister of Kara) chipped in with seven kills and six blocks.
As a team, Concordia held statistical advantages in hitting percentage (.253 to .172), kills (59-56), blocks (12-7) and aces (2-1). Callahan and Erin Johnson notched an ace apiece.
Due to scheduling oddities caused by COVID-19, the Bulldogs played a rather light nonconference slate. However, it’s clear that the GPAC prepared them for success at the national tournament. Five GPAC squads have advanced to play in the national quarterfinals on Thursday.
Said Boldt, “We talk about that stuff as a staff how the GPAC prepares you for the national tournament. They expect the results once we get to the national tournament. That expectation has shown up. It’s nice to see that competition and level of volleyball. If you want to play volleyball at a high level, come to the GPAC. It’s great, competitive volleyball.”
A spot in the semifinals will be at stake when Concordia and conference foe Dordt go to battle at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday from the Tyson. The two sides met once during the regular season with the Bulldogs winning in straight sets way back on Oct. 2. The eight-team bracket can be viewed HERE.
Historic season ends in national quarterfinals
April 29, 2021
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – While advancing to the NAIA national quarterfinals, the 2020-21 Concordia University Volleyball team broke new ground for the program. Dreams of contending for a national title ended on Thursday (April 29) evening as the 10th-ranked Bulldogs were bounced from the tournament by GPAC foe and 16th-ranked Dordt, 25-23, 25-18, 25-21. The lengthy front row of the Defenders made the difference in the clash of conference combatants.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad had advanced past national tournament pool play with wins the previous two days over Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) and No. 7 Marian University (Ind.). Concordia finished the season at 18-5 overall and will almost certainly be ranked in the top 10 of the final coaches’ poll. This just wasn’t its night.
“They served and passed really well. It was tough to get them out of system,” Boldt said. “They were able to take advantage of their middle attack pretty often. For us that was kind of the tough spot. Their outsides took really good swings. No. 25 (Alli) Timmermans played a lot better than when we played them in the fall. She’s a different player right now. The margins are slim when it gets to this point.”
The tide turned on Thursday after the Bulldogs built a 23-18 advantage in the first set. Concordia appeared on the verge of nailing down the first set when Camryn Opfer hammered a kill for point No. 23. However, Dordt (18-6) regrouped with a stunning 7-0 flurry spurred by the likes of Timmermans and Brenna Krommendyk. At times it felt like the 6-foot-1 Krommendyk was an impenetrable force. She posted three solo blocks (five assisted blocks) and was in on eight of the team’s 11 blocks.
Both sides featured balanced attacks. The Bulldogs put away more kills (42-40), but also made more mistakes (23 attack errors and eight service errors). In her final collegiate match, Kara Stark paced Concordia with 11 kills. It was also the swan song for four-year libero Marissa Hoerman, who was again all over the place. She registered a match high 21 digs and finished with 1,437 digs for her career. Another senior in setter Tara Callahan racked up 37 assists on Thursday (3,659 for career).
Those veterans will reserve a spot in program lore as contributors to something special. Concordia proceeded to the national round of 16 in 2019 and then to the quarterfinals in an awkward two-part 2020-21 season that was constantly threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic. By all measures and circumstances, this was a unique, but rewarding journey.
“Each journey is different,” Boldt said. “I told them that the journey we went on all season is what we get to take with us moving forward. I thank our seniors that had their last go-round. They set a great example and a great foundation moving forward. For the returners, there’s no greater motivator than losing in a tight set. I think they’re going to feel that and learn from it."
In the quarterfinal defeat, five Bulldogs chipped in six or more kills: Kara Stark (11), Opfer (eight), Gabi Nordaker (seven), Kalee Wiltfong (seven) and Shelby Stark (six). The younger Stark appears to have a bright future after jumping into the lineup this week at the national tournament. Also noteworthy, Hoerman produced two aces and Callahan (13) and Tristin Mason (10) notched double figures in digs.
Concordia had won at Dordt in straight sets way back on Oct. 2. The Defenders have amped up their game at the national tournament. They outhit the Bulldogs on Thursday, .274 to .157. Concordia and Dordt were two of the five GPAC squads that reached the national quarterfinals.
Considering the momentum built up within the program, the Bulldogs aren’t going anywhere. There’s plenty of reason for optimism looking ahead to the fall. Said Boldt, “Our players work hard and they do it the right way. They don’t complain. This is one of the best teams that we’ve ever had. We throw something at them and they’re like, ‘Bring it on, Coach.’ To say where we’re at as a program, it’s a nationally relevant program. It’s a result of all the hard work that our team has put in … This is what you sign up for when you sign up for Bulldog Volleyball.”
Callahan, Nordaker selected to NAIA All-Region team by AVCA
May 2, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – Instrumental in the Concordia University Volleyball team’s run to the NAIA national quarterfinals, senior Tara Callahan and freshman Gabi Nordaker have both been honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). As announced on Thursday (April 29), Callahan garnered a spot on the AVCA’s NAIA West Central Region Team while Nordaker was an honorable mention selection.
Callahan (Brady, Neb.) is a repeat all-region choice having also collected the same award in 2019. The two-time first team All-GPAC honoree ranked fourth among all NAIA players this 2020-21 season with an average of 11.31 assists per set. She directed an offensive attack that ranked No. 8 nationally in kills per set (13.8). The 2019 NAIA honorable mention All-American has piled up collegiate career totals of 3,659 assists, 653 digs, 301 kills and 209 blocks over 386 sets played. Callahan has played a major role in leading the Bulldogs to the national round of 16 in 2019 and the national quarterfinals this spring.
Nordaker (Omaha, Neb.) burst onto the scene back in September when she was named the NAIA National Attacker of the Week. The Millard West High School alum was tabbed a second team All-GPAC award winner. Nordaker paced Concordia this season in blocks per set (1.2) and hitting percentage (.299) from her spot in the middle. She also totaled 218 kills (2.73/set). In the five-set national tournament pool play win over Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.), Nordaker notched a career high 25 kills to go along with six blocks.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad concluded the 2020-21 season at 18-5 overall and are likely to be ranked in the top 10 of the NAIA postseason coaches’ poll.
Opfer lands on NAIA Championship All-Tournament Team
May 2, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – After helping push the Concordia University Volleyball team to the NAIA national quarterfinals, sophomore Camryn Opfer has been named to the NAIA Championship All-Tournament Team. The all-tournament selections were announced late on Saturday (May 1) following the national championship match. The team of honorees includes 15 players.
In four matches at the national tournament, Opfer collected 18 kills and 16 digs at Xavier (La.), 14 kills and 29 digs versus Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), 19 kills and 10 digs versus No. 7 Marian (Ind.) and eight kills and five digs versus No. 16 Dordt. Those performances amounted to totals 59 kills and 60 digs for the entirety of the national tournament run. The Seward High School alum also added four blocks and three aces.
Opfer also earned second team All-GPAC accolades this season. As a first-year Bulldog in 2019, she garnered GPAC Freshman of the Year and American Volleyball Coaches Association West Central Region Freshman of the Year honors. Opfer completed the 2020-21 season with 238 kills and 236 digs in 80 sets played.
2020 NAIA Volleyball National Championship All-Tournament Team
Camryn Opfer, Concordia (Neb.)
Allison Timmermans, Dordt (Iowa)
Kiley McMurtey, Eastern Oregon
Jenna Wagemester, Grand View (Iowa)
Kalli Hegerle, Jamestown (N.D.)
Anna Holen, Jamestown (N.D.)
Taliya Flores, Midland (Neb.)
Hope Limbach, Midland (Neb.)
Maggie Hiatt, Midland (Neb.)
Ariana Macies, Missouri Baptist
Giovanna Tapigliani, Missouri Baptist
AJ Kacmarynski, Northwestern (Iowa)
Anna Wedel, Northwestern (Iowa)
Noura Meawad, Park (Mo.)
Lexi Malone, Westmont (Calif.)
Tournament Defender of the Year: Brenna Krommendyk, Dordt (Iowa)
Tournament Most Valuable Player: Manuela Vargas, Missouri Baptist
Tournament Coach of the Year: Chris Nichols, Missouri Baptist
Callahan named honorable mention All-American for second straight season
May 4, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – Recently named an All-Region selection by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, senior setter Tara Callahan has picked up another postseason award. Callahan has been named an NAIA honorable mention All-American for the second straight season, as announced by the NAIA on Tuesday (May 4). Callahan helped lead the top-10 ranked Concordia University Volleyball team to the NAIA national quarterfinals.
Callahan (Brady, Neb.), both a two-time AVCA All-Region and first team All-GPAC honoree, ranked fourth among all NAIA players this 2020-21 season with an average of 11.31 assists per set and directed an offensive attack that ranked No. 8 nationally in kills per set (13.8). As one of the top setters in program history, Callahan has piled up collegiate career totals of 3,659 assists, 653 digs, 301 kills and 209 blocks over 386 sets played. Callahan played a major role in leading the Bulldogs to the national round of 16 in 2019 and the national quarterfinals this spring. Callahan did some of her best work at the national tournament, posting 71 assists in the five-set win over Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) and 49 assists in the four-set victory over No. 7 Marian University (Ind.).
Other postseason honors that have been handed out to Bulldogs this spring have included AVCA All-Region honorable mention recognition for freshman Gabi Nordaker and NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team selection for sophomore Camryn Opfer. Concordia concluded the season at 18-5 overall.
Following the 2019 season, Callahan was joined with All-America accolades by teammate Emmie Noyd (third team All-American). The 2015 national tournament team landed both Jocelyn Garcia and Alayna Kavanaugh on the honorable mention All-America list.
Bulldogs break new ground with No. 8 final NAIA ranking
May 9, 2021
2020-21 NAIA Postseason Volleyball Poll
SEWARD, Neb. – In the NAIA volleyball postseason coaches’ poll released on May 6, the Concordia University Volleyball team landed at No. 8. That ranking followed the Bulldogs’ run to the NAIA national quarterfinals in late April. The No. 8 ranking marks the highest final ranking and highest overall ranking in the history of the program.
Under the direction of coaches Ben and Angie Boldt, Concordia Volleyball has quickly risen to national relevance. The Bulldogs took things a step further this spring by reaching the national quarterfinals, one season after advancing to the national round of 16. Prior to 2019, the Bulldogs had never appeared at the final site (Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa) of the national tournament. While slotting in at No. 8 in the NAIA, the 2020-21 Concordia edition leapt up six spots from its 2019 postseason ranking of 14th (which had been the program’s best ever end-of-season ranking).
Due to the unique nature of the 2020-21 season, the NAIA did not release a national poll until early February. In each of the five polls from February through the middle of April, the Bulldogs checked in at No. 10 in the NAIA. Dating back to the 2019 season, Concordia has appeared inside the top 25 of 11 national polls in a row. As a show of the strength of the GPAC, five conference teams were ranked in this season’s final NAIA top 10.
Recently, postseason awards have come in for the following Bulldogs: Tara Callahan (NAIA Honorable Mention All-American; AVCA All-Region), Gabi Nordaker (AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region) and Camryn Opfer (NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team).
2021 NAIA National Rankings
Feb. 3 – 10th
March 10 – 10th
March 24 – 10th
April 7 – 10th
April 12 – 10th
May 6 – 8th
Season-In-Review: 2020-21 Concordia Volleyball
June 1, 2021
As disjointed and unique as it was, the 2020-21 season provided plenty of rewards for staff, players and supporters of the Concordia University Volleyball program. COVID-19 related schedule complications pushed the conference and national tournaments into the spring, making for an unprecedented two-part season. Despite regular breaks in the action, the Bulldogs never seemed to miss a beat and pressed forward into new territory for the program.
The arrow has continued to point skyward under the direction of Head Coach Ben Boldt and top assistant Angie Boldt, who have completed their third seasons as Bulldogs. They did a masterful job of leading this team through obvious awkward circumstances this past season.
“Through the grind of the GPAC it was a regular conference year,” Ben Boldt said. “Basically we had two seasons with the same team. We were able to look back and reflect on what changes we needed to make from the fall, and we made some adjustments with our team in that break in between. We talked through those conversations and what we needed to do. We definitely got better. We won’t necessarily have that opportunity again to go through a season and make adjustments with the same team.”
Concordia waited until Sept. 9 to begin the campaign and then made a postseason run that rolled into late April. For the first in program history, the Bulldogs reached the quarterfinals of the NAIA national tournament and closed the season ranked No. 8 (best ranking in school history). In addition, Concordia went 18-5 overall (12-3 GPAC), placed third in the conference regular season standings and claimed seven wins over squads that were ranked in the final top 25. Also noteworthy, the Bulldogs took both meetings from Midland (in seven combined sets) and went 7-0 against in-state opponents.
After playing a regionalized schedule all season, the team earned the reward of a trip to New Orleans for the opening round of the national tournament in mid-April. Concordia locked up a spot at the tournament’s final site (Sioux City, Iowa) with a four-set victory over Xavier University of Louisiana. In pool play at the national tournament, the Bulldogs held off Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) in five sets before taking down defending national champion Marian University (Ind.) in four sets. The season ultimately concluded with a loss to Dordt in the quarterfinals.
Concordia’s sudden rise under the leadership of the Boldts has not been due to the presence of one or two dominant players, but has been a result of quality players at all spots on the floor. Back in the fall, five Bulldogs were recognized as All-GPAC performers: Tara Callahan (first team), Gabi Nordaker (second team), Camryn Opfer (second team), Arleigh Costello (honorable mention) and Marissa Hoerman (honorable mention).
There were many others who contributed, including additional seniors in Maggie Durbin, Tristin Mason and Kara Stark. Collectively, the senior class remained committed to finishing what it started. Said Boldt, “The first thought I have is thankful. This senior class has laid a foundation from the start, really bought in and helped us take this program to a different level. We’re excited about where we’re at, but we’re not satisfied.”
The balance of this team was reflected in the statistics. Five Bulldogs notched at least 160 kills: Opfer (238), Stark (229), Nordaker (218), Kalee Wiltfong (175) and Costello (162). Five Concordia players also recorded at least 135 digs: Hoerman (398), Opfer (236), Mason (213), Callahan (185) and Erin Johnson (135). Opfer put forth an incredible spring portion of the season and was named to the NAIA National Championship All-Tournament team. In the middle, Nordaker became an immediate force while transitioning from Millard West High School. At setter, Callahan (3,659 career assists) has been a rock all four years and picked up another NAIA honorable mention All-America award.
Said Boldt of Opfer, “Cam does everything for us – short of setting the ball. She passes, she digs, she attacks, she serves. She’s a good volleyball player. It’s nice to see her get into a mentality where she can really just be herself. It’s great to see her take ownership of her role on the team.”
Continued Boldt, “Tara does a great job of keeping everything balanced for us, which is why we’re hard to defend. For Gabi, she’s grown up. It seems like she’s been here forever because it feels like it’s been such a long season. She earned that starting spot from day one and she’s gone through some mentality things on how to manage games.”
What has been proven the past two years (with advancements to the national round of 16 and national quarterfinals) is that the program has no ceiling to contain it. In the aforementioned NAIA quarterfinal loss to Dordt, the Bulldogs let a 23-18 lead in the first set slip away. Had they held on in that set, there’s no telling where the journey would have taken them.
But that defeat does not define this particular team, which put everything it had into following its big dreams. There was a special togetherness achieved by the 2020-21 Concordia Volleyball squad. Members of the team believed in each other while using monikers like “little things” and “show yourself” as reminders of its priorities. In the classroom, the Bulldogs achieved a team GPA of 3.76 for the school year.
The memories will be long lasting. Said Boldt, “I’ll remember the national tournament from going to New Orleans to play Xavier and the experience we had up in Sioux City. It was awesome to beat the defending national champion in Marian and play a really clean game. Once you get to bracket play, the margins get super small. The relationships are the lasting thing that we’ll have.”
When the Boldts came on board prior to the 2018 season, accomplished University of Nebraska Head Coach John Cook predicted the Boldts would develop top 25 teams at Concordia. The program has become that and so much more. In other words, expectations will remain high as preseason camp approaches in August.
“We’re planning like it’s going to be normal,” Boldt said. “We’ll come back in the preseason for two-a-days. It will be a fun puzzle to put together. We return a lot and there will be people who step up. We’re excited about what we’re going to have coming back. We’ll take time to reflect and continue to get better. We’ll make some adjustments in the summer and see where we go in the fall.”
Schedule Release: 2021 Concordia Volleyball
June 3, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – Not long after making a run to the NAIA national quarterfinals, the Concordia University Volleyball program has announced the release of its 2021 varsity and junior varsity schedules (unveiled on June 3). The varsity slate features a total of 21 regular season game days, including five that involve nonconference tournaments or classics. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad will open up the new campaign at home with a battle against conference foe Mount Marty on Aug. 25.
The Bulldogs are coming off a season that saw them go 18-5 overall and land at No. 8 in the NAIA postseason coaches’ poll. Concordia also placed third in the GPAC (12-3 conference mark) and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament. Five Bulldogs were recognized as All-GPAC performers: Tara Callahan (first team), Camryn Opfer (second team), Gabi Nordaker (second team), Arleigh Costello (honorable mention) and Marissa Hoerman (honorable mention).
After a rare two-part 2020-21 season, things should be back to normal this fall. Concordia will remain at home in late August while hosting the Bulldog Bash on Aug. 28. The event will feature Bulldog matchups with Baker University (Kan.) and Bellevue University. In return, Concordia will also take part in weekend events at Bellevue (Sept. 3-4) and at Baker (Sept. 10-11).
Conference play alone provides plenty of challenges. The GPAC staked its claim as the top volleyball league in the NAIA this past season by putting five teams in the national quarterfinals. An anticipated match will take place early in the season when the Bulldogs host Midland (2020 national runner up) on Sept. 8. In addition, Concordia will get defending GPAC champion Jamestown at home on Oct. 22.
The conference tournament dates are set for Nov. 6 for the quarterfinals, Nov. 10 for the semifinals and Nov. 13 for the championship match. The NAIA National Championship Opening Round is slated for Nov. 20 with action at the final site (Sioux City, Iowa) set to run from Nov. 30 – Dec. 4.
Volleyball program extends national best streak of Team Academic Awards
July 20, 2021
2021 USMC/AVCA Team Academic Awards
SEWARD, Neb. – The longest streak of Team Academic Awards in the NAIA has grown to 23. As announced on Monday (July 19), the Concordia University Volleyball program earned yet another Team Academic Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (and sponsored by the United States Marine Corps). The active streak owned by the Bulldogs is tied with Indiana State University for the largest among all college volleyball programs, across all divisions.
The AVCA team award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale or 4.10 on a 5.0 scale. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s 2020-21 team produced GPA’s of 3.74 for the fall semester and 3.76 for the spring semester. The program’s streak of consecutive AVCA Team Academic Awards dates back to 1999. The next longest streak in the NAIA is 18.
On the court, Concordia went 18-5 overall and finished this past season ranked eighth in the NAIA coaches’ poll. The Bulldogs advanced to the national quarterfinals for the first time in program history behind the likes of all-conference performers such as Tara Callahan, Gabi Nordaker and Camryn Opfer. Concordia is set to open up the 2021 season by hosting Mount Marty on Aug. 25.
Boldt selected as finalist for Midlands Women's Coach of the Year
July 21, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – While naming its 2021 Midlands Women’s Coach of the Year on Monday (July 19), the Omaha World-Herald recognized Concordia University Volleyball Head Coach Ben Boldt as one of three finalists for the honor. Boldt was also listed as a finalist for the same award a year ago. Over three seasons leading the Bulldogs, Boldt has put together an overall record of 58-25.
With Ben and assistant Angie Boldt leading the way, the program has reached new heights. In the fall of 2019, Concordia reached the final site of the NAIA national tournament for the first time ever and landed at No. 14 in the NAIA postseason coaches’ poll. This past season, the Bulldogs took it a step farther and advanced to the quarterfinals of the national tournament and achieved a final national ranking of No. 8. Major individual awards were earned by Tara Callahan (NAIA honorable mention All-American) and Camryn Opfer (NAIA National Championship all-tournament team).
The 2021 Midlands Women’s Coach of the Year award went to Carrie Eighmey, women’s basketball coach at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Other finalists were Mike Heard (Midland softball) and Chad Miller (Northeast Community College soccer). The honor is handed out annually by the World-Herald to a standout head coach from a Nebraska college/university outside of NCAA Division I.
The first serve of the 2021 Concordia Volleyball season is coming up on Aug. 25 when the Bulldogs will welcome Mount Marty to Friedrich Arena for an early GPAC matchup. To view the entire schedule, click HERE.
Get to know you Q&A: Angie Boldt
July 30, 2021
Angie Boldt joined the athletic department as Assistant Volleyball Coach late in 2017 and has helped lift the Bulldogs to new heights, along with her husband and Head Coach, Ben Boldt. Angie is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and a native of St. Paul, Neb. Her coaching career includes 12 years of experience at the NCAA Division I level. The Concordia Volleyball program is coming off a season that saw it reach the NAIA national quarterfinals.
Q&A with Coach Boldt
Which athlete(s) did you idolize growing up?
Michael Jordan.
What is the most memorable sporting event you have attended as a spectator?
2015 Husker Volleyball National Championship Match.
Which person/people were most influential in your career choice?
John Cook, Craig Skinner & Sharon Dingman.
What is one book you would recommend to others in your profession?
“Sum it Up” by Pat Summit.
What’s the best coaching advice you’ve received?
“People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care”; and “What you don’t confront, you accept.”
What do you find most rewarding about coaching?
Seeing the growth of a student-athlete from their freshman year to their senior year.
Beyond athletic talent and ability, what is the No. 1 trait you’re looking for in a prospective recruit?
It’s a tie: hard worker and good teammate.
Name something your own student-athletes have taught you in your time as a coach.
To find joy in all of it.
How are you most likely spending your free time away from work?
With our two kids (Brady and Addison).
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
Some type of cheesy pasta and garlic bread.
What’s your favorite Lincoln (or Lincoln area) restaurant?
Chipotle.
Which social medium (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.) do you use the most?
Facebook.
What was the first car you drove?
Chevy Corsica.
What is the No. 1 thing that makes Concordia a special place?
The community feel.
What is it that keeps you excited about your job as you look ahead to the 2021-22 academic year?
This team!