Tournament time has arrived across the NAIA volleyball landscape. As the No. 2 seed in the GPAC, the Bulldogs will welcome seventh-seeded Dakota Wesleyan to Friedrich Arena for the conference quarterfinals on Saturday.
There were hugs all-around at night's end as the fourth-ranked Bulldogs celebrated a share of the GPAC regular season title. Coach Boldt and company accomplished that feat thanks to a four-set victory at No. 18 Midland.
The stakes will be high on Tuesday in Fremont as the fourth-ranked Bulldogs attempt to claim at least a share of the GPAC regular season title. Concordia stands at 13-2 in league play after wins last week over Mount Marty and Hastings.
Thanks to a senior day win over Hastings and a favorable result elsewhere in the GPAC, Concordia has pulled into a three-way tie for first place in the league standings. The Bulldogs used a gritty defensive effort to get it done on Saturday (Oct. 28).
Eight Bulldogs contributed multiple kills as fourth-ranked Concordia cruised to a 25-17, 25-11, 25-18, win at Mount Marty on Wednesday (Oct. 25). The win pushed the Bulldogs to 19-2 (12-2 GPAC) and kept them in the GPAC title hunt.
Only three matches remain in the regular season for Concordia Volleyball. This week's challenges include a trip to Mount Marty and a home matchup with Hastings. The Bulldogs will honor their eight seniors on Saturday.
The GPAC regular season title chances have been complicated for No. 1 Concordia after it fell at home in four sets to No. 9 CSM on Saturday (Oct. 21). The Bulldogs were defeated despite 20 kills from Camryn Opfer.
The top-ranked Concordia University Volleyball team got better as the match went on while finding a flow and taking care of Doane, 25-18, 25-19, 25-13, on Wednesday (Oct. 18). Gabi Nordaker paced the Bulldogs with 12 kills and five blocks.
Rematches are on the way this week as the top-ranked Bulldogs will travel to Doane on Wednesday and then host No. 9 College of Saint Mary on Saturday. Concordia enters the week tied atop the GPAC standings at 10-1.
In a matchup between the Nos. 1 and 3 teams in the NAIA, the Bulldogs saw their unbeaten ride come to an end. The Red Raiders won a tight first set and then rode its blocking advantage to victory in Orange City.
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.