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.
All-American Gabi Nordaker has been honored as the GPAC Attacker of the Week for the fourth time in her career. Nordaker hit .615 in wins over Langston and No. 11 MidAmerica Nazarene at the Bulldog Bash.
In terms of sheer number of matches, this will be the busiest week of the entire 2023 regular season for the Concordia Volleyball. The Bulldogs will be at Hastings for their GPAC opener before heading to North Sioux City for the weekend.
The 2017 Concordia volleyball team will look very different than the 2016 version. The Bulldogs spent this spring adjusting to life without an accomplished senior class. Head coach Scott Mattera discussed the status of the program.
The Concordia volleyball program entered this fall with high hopes. The team's 15-19 overall record was not what anyone associated with the program had in mind, but the outlook is positive for 2017 and beyond.
The odds said Concordia volleyball had almost no chance of winning when it trailed 24-19 in the third set versus Morningside on Sept. 17. The Bulldogs then rallied for perhaps the greatest comeback in program history.
The Concordia volleyball program hopes to continue its upward trajectory with a big 2016 season. Scott Mattera's squad is loaded with key returners from its 2015 national tournament qualifier.
A talented, fun-loving group of seniors helped Concordia volleyball to new heights in 2015. Now they look forward to even bigger goals in 2016.
Yes, baseball pitching drills were part of the spring secret to gaining more explosiveness at the net. Head coach Scott Mattera also believes his team made strides this spring in regards to its passing.
In 2015, the Concordia volleyball team set new records and achieved goals that had never been reached in the history of the program. After a 10-21 season in Scott Mattera’s first year in 2012, the head coach developed a team that improved to 26-9 in the most recent season.
The current class of Concordia volleyball seniors knows exactly what it’s like to watch a program rise from near the bottom of the conference to the heights of a national tournament berth.
The making of a national tournament volleyball team at Concordia did not happen overnight. The core of the first Bulldog squad ever to break through and reach the national tournament all arrived in the last two to four years.
A fifth-straight appearance in the Tachikara - NAIA Volleyball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll yielded the first top-15 ranking for the Concordia University volleyball program since October of 2000.