Two familiar names again found their way onto this week’s list of GPAC weekly honorees. Sophomore Jocelyn Garcia has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week while junior Alayna Kavanaugh has been tabbed the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Volleyball Setter of the Week, as announced on Tuesday.
A different Bulldog squad emerged from the huddle following a rough first set. In a complete reversal of fortunes, the 20th-ranked Concordia University volleyball team jumped out to a 10-1 advantage in the second set and rode that wave of momentum to a 13-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-21 win over No. 17 Northwestern.
For the second-straight season, the Concordia University volleyball team will begin postseason play within the friendly confines of Walz Arena. The 20th-ranked and fourth-seeded Bulldogs will go head-to-head with 17th-ranked and fifth-seeded Northwestern at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
In a match crucial to its GPAC tournament seeding, the 20th-ranked Concordia University volleyball team unloaded an artillery set loose by junior setter Alayna Kavanaugh. Her perfectly-executed passes sparked the Bulldogs to a 25-13, 25-19, 25-20, win over Nebraska Wesleyan.
The No. 20 Concordia volleyball team will close out its regular season at Nebraska Wesleyan University on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Senior Claire White grabbed her 1,000th career kill in a gritted out battle with Dordt College Saturday, Oct. 31. The No. 8 Defenders edged the No. 16 Bulldogs, 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-23) on Senior Night inside Walz Arena.
The Bulldogs’ quest for their first GPAC title since 2000 took a blow on Wednesday night. Visiting Doane ensured its second meeting with the 16th-ranked Concordia University volleyball team would be different.
No strangers to weekly awards, Concordia sophomore Jocelyn Garcia and junior Alayna Kavanaugh have again earned recognition from the GPAC. On Tuesday Garcia earned GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports defensive player of the week while Kavanaugh received GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports setter of the week honors.
The No. 15 Concordia volleyball team, who is in a four way tie for first place in the GPAC, is set to host two conference competitors this week. On Wednesday, Oct. 28 the Bulldogs will take on (RV) Doane College at 7:30 in Walz Arena.
The No. 15 Concordia volleyball team defeated its fifth straight opponent on Saturday, Oct. 24. The Bulldogs made the Lancers their most recent victim, topping them 3-1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-17 and 25-20).
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.
Ranked seventh in the NAIA in the preseason, Concordia Volleyball is ready to follow up a national quarterfinal run this past spring. "GPAC championship level effort" is the expectation.
As disjointed and unique as it was, the 2020-21 season provided plenty of rewards for staff, players and supporters of the Concordia Volleyball, which finished ranked No. 8 in the NAIA.