Once Rachel Miller experienced it, she held on and never let go. The former All-American volleyball star and past Bulldog head coach remains deeply rooted within the Concordia and Seward and communities.
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.
It will be another highly anticipated Concordia Volleyball season. The 2023 schedule was announced on Friday (April 28). The regular season is slated to feature 24 matches, including 12 at home.
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.
Plenty of movement took place on the all-time record books during the 2022 campaign. Concordia reached its highest ever position in the national poll while Camryn Opfer climbed into the top five all-time in kills and digs.
A group of six Bulldogs from Concordia Volleyball were recognized as 2022 NAIA/NCAA D-III All-Midlands Team selections by the Omaha World-Herald. Camryn Opfer and Gabi Nordaker were named to the primary eight-person team.
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.
Three Bulldogs garnered 2022 All-America status, as announced by the NAIA on Friday (Dec. 9). Both Gabi Nordaker and Camryn Opfer landed on the second team while Bree Burtwistle was named honorable mention.
As announced by the AVCA on Friday (Dec. 2), Angie Boldt has been named the NAIA West Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year while Gabi Nordaker, Camryn Opfer and Bree Burtwistle garnered all-region player accolades.
The fourth-ranked Bulldogs came up one win shy of advancing beyond national tournament pool play for the fourth year in a row. Concordia was held to .070 hitting by No. 13 Park and fell in four sets on Friday (Dec. 2).
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.