It was a fitting way to honor the seniors as Concordia remained red hot in a straight sets win over Morningside. The Bulldogs hit .426 and improved to 16-1 overall (7-1 GPAC) behind a team high 11 kills from Carly Rodaway.
Make if five GPAC wins in a row, all in straight sets, for the sixth-ranked Bulldogs. They hit .425 behind nine more kills from star middle Gabi Nordaker. Twelve different Concordia players recorded a kill in the win over Briar Cliff.
It's a transcendent class that has helped Concordia Volleyball reach heights it had never before seen. Collectively, the group has set a new standard while living out the program's values: love, hard work, sacrifice and trust.
As part of a weekend at home entertaining Briar Cliff and Morningside, the sixth-ranked Bulldogs will celebrate a class of six seniors. Concordia has won each of its last 12 sets in a dominant stretch of play within the GPAC.
For their starring performances in wins last week over Mount Marty and No. 14 Dordt, Bree Burtwistle and Gabi Nordaker have been honored with GPAC Player of the Week awards. Burtwistle was last week's NAIA Setter of the Week.
Concordia just keeps operating like a machine. The eighth-ranked Bulldogs hit .345 on Saturday (Sept. 24) while speeding past No. 14 Dordt in straight sets. Concordia has moved to 14-1 overall (5-1 GPAC).
Bree Burtwistle knew her time was coming. It just took some patience and persistence before she could burst onto the scene as one of the NAIA's best setters. A transfer in her third year as a Bulldog, Burt is soaking up a 2022 season of winning with her best friends.
The Bulldogs responded to a first-set push from Mount Marty and took control of the match, winning 25-23, 25-13, 25-16, in Yankton on Wednesday (Sept. 21). Gabi Nordaker floored 13 kills and hit .632 to pace No. 8 Concordia.
For the first time in her collegiate career, Bree Burtwistle has been named both the GPAC and NAIA National Setter of the Week. Burtwistle pulled in the award after leading an offensive attack that overwhelmed Doane and No. 13 College of Saint Mary.
The grind of the GPAC season is in full swing. After sweeping away Doane and No. 13 College of Saint Mary last week, the Bulldogs are focused on road trips to Mount Marty and Dordt. Concordia stands at 12-1 overall.
A veteran and battle-tested bunch of Bulldogs picked up where they left off in the fall and enjoyed a spring of continued development. The spring season, which included a matchup with a Big Ten foe, was about preparing to 'level up' in 2023.
Four seasons of college volleyball are in the books for Bree Burtwistle and Camryn Opfer, but they aren't ready to let go. The two All-Americans will return in 2023 in pursuit of a GPAC championship Concordia Volleyball covets.
It was another season of national prominence for Concordia Volleyball, which was led by a senior class that trusted the process throughout four years. The likes of Gabi Nordaker and Camryn Opfer helped lead the Bulldogs to a No. 4 national ranking.
It's a transcendent class that has helped Concordia Volleyball reach heights it had never before seen. Collectively, the group has set a new standard while living out the program's values: love, hard work, sacrifice and trust.
Bree Burtwistle knew her time was coming. It just took some patience and persistence before she could burst onto the scene as one of the NAIA's best setters. A transfer in her third year as a Bulldog, Burt is soaking up a 2022 season of winning with her best friends.
Three-straight NAIA top 15 finishes lead the Concordia Volleyball program into a 2022 campaign that comes with high hopes. The Bulldogs believe they are primed to take things a step farther after back-to-back national quarterfinal appearances.
Camryn Opfer has continued to make a name for herself within the community she has always called home. The Seward High School alum has a habit of playing big in big moments for a Concordia Volleyball program that has grabbed the national spotlight.
In terms of the approach and the goals of the Concordia Volleyball program, not much has changed since the 2021 season ended in the national quarterfinals. The Bulldogs grew in confidence this spring while 'leaning in' in anticipation of the 2022 campaign.
In a season that came with its share of challenges, the Bulldogs never gave up while advancing to the national quarterfinals for the second season in a row. The 2021 Bulldogs earned the program's best ever final national ranking.
Four years was just not enough for Tara Callahan, who returned to the Bulldogs in 2021 to provide steady leadership and consistently excellent play on the court. Her journey has included many mountaintop moments and unshakable bonds.