The Concordia Volleyball team again backed up its No. 2 national ranking while hitting .388 in a quick moving victory over visiting Doane on Wednesday (Sept. 13). The Bulldogs moved to 10-0 while getting contributions from all comers.
In spearheading the win over No. 9 Midland, Bree Burtwistle has been named GPAC Setter of the Week. The award is her second in a row and fifth of her career. Burtwistle totaled 40 assists in the victory.
The string of in-state foes to begin conference play will continue this week as the second-ranked Bulldogs look ahead to matchups with Doane and No. 12 College of Saint Mary. Concordia enters the week as one of eight remaining undefeated teams in the NAIA.
The focused second-ranked Bulldogs muzzled Midland on Wednesday (Sept. 6) in a battle between NAIA top-10 ranked combatants. Maddie Paulsen shined in the middle and Concordia turned away the Warriors with the help of .342 hitting.
For her work in five victories last week, All-American setter Bree Burtwistle has been named the GPAC and NAIA National Setter of the Week. On the season, Burtwistle ranks sixth nationally with an average of 10.93 assists per set.
The Concordia-Midland rivalry will highlight a lighter week for the second-ranked Bulldogs. Coach Ben Boldt's crew went 5-0 last week and moved to 8-0 overall. As part of the action, Camryn Opfer climbed to No. 3 on the program's all-time kills list.
A perfect 4-0 weekend came to fruition on Saturday as the Bulldogs defeated Kansas Wesleyan and No. 6 Park in North Sioux City. Ashley Keck posted a team high 26 kills on the day and Concordia held its opponents to a .112 hitting percentage.
The outsides brought the heat on Friday (Sept. 1) as the Bulldogs stayed unbeaten with wins over Rocky Mountain and Mayville State at the Labor Day weekend classic. Camryn Opfer moved to No. 4 on the program's all-time kills list.
Never before has the Concordia Volleyball program owned a higher national ranking than it does currently.The Bulldogs moved from No. 4 in the preseason to No. 2 in the NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll released on Aug. 30.
All-American Gabi Nordaker hit an incredible .722 and Sara Huss provided the spark the Bulldogs needed as they held off No. 24 Hastings in four sets. Concordia successfully passed its first road test of the 2023 and moved to 4-0.
By embracing the idea of 'being the woman,' Emmie Noyd's career has taken off and has helped lift Concordia volleyball to new heights. The first team All-GPAC performer now gets set for an appearance at nationals.
The 2019 Concordia volleyball team has made history as the first in program history to advance all the way to the final site of the NAIA National Championship. The announcement came on Monday (Nov. 18).
The process of seeing out a vision for Bulldog volleyball is ongoing for a program guided by head coach Ben Boldt. Concordia is working to embrace the motto 'this is us' and take ownership of everything good and bad.
Ben and Angie Boldt feel right at home on the volleyball courts of Nebraska. The husband-wife coaching duo got its start working as students for John Cook at Nebraska. The Nebraska foundation is their foundation.
The 2018 team's best run of volleyball came at the end of the season. That leap forward provided optimism that the program has truly embraced the #champsb4champs moniker. Concordia hopes to use it as a springboard.
Says head coach Ben Boldt of his team's early success, "I didn’t exactly know what the competition level was going to be like. We’re really just focused on ourselves right now and trying to be a better team."
It’s a fascinating new world for the Concordia University volleyball program, still working to identify itself in a new era. Head coach Ben Boldt is on the brink of making his debut as leader of the Bulldogs.
We wrap up the spring volleyball season with insights from head coach Ben Boldt on the changing dynamics within the program. The Bulldogs emphasized speed and urgency during the volleyball-filled spring.
Members of the Bulldog volleyball program say they're training like they've never trained before while embracing a new opportunity with head coach Ben Boldt. Said Tara Callahan, "Everyone’s a little fired up."
A native of Hickman, Neb., Ben Boldt is returning home to become head volleyball coach at Concordia. His wife Angie has also been named an assistant coach on the staff. Ben and Angie previously coached at Hendrix College.