Two-time First Team All-GPAC honoree Tara Callahan has earned the eighth GPAC Setter of the Week award of her career. Callahan helped lead the 19th-ranked Bulldogs to wins last week over Doane and Hastings.
Concordia Volleyball carries a four-match win streak into a week that will put the Bulldogs up against Mount Marty and No. 17 College of Saint Mary. Concordia has already played seven matches against top 25 opponents.
The 19th-ranked Bulldogs completed a 2-0 week while blistering Hastings in straight sets on the road on Saturday (Sept. 18). Concordia (8-5, 3-2 GPAC) hit .363 led by 11 kills from Camryn Opfer.
A native of Hickman, Neb., and graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Ben Boldt began his tenure with the Bulldogs in December 2017. Boldt finds the most reward in seeing student-athletes grow.
A tense first two-and-a-half sets gave way to Bulldog domination. No. 19 Concordia (7-5, 2-2 GPAC) got a big performance from Carly Rodaway and defeated Doane for a seventh-straight time.
The GPAC grind is back on as the Bulldogs look forward to taking on in-state conference rivals Doane and Hastings. Concordia went 2-2 last week while continuing a challenging slate.
Concordia wrapped up nonconference regular season play on Saturday at the Baker Invite with straight-sets wins over No. 18 Ottawa and Missouri Valley. Gabi Nordaker floored a combined 24 kills.
Camryn Opfer totaled a career high 23 kills while leading Concordia's efforts in a five-set defeat at the hands of Columbia College. Gabi Nordaker also added 17 kills for the Bulldogs.
In an anticipated matchup of instate rivals, blistering hot Midland emerged from Friedrich Arena with a straight sets win over the sixth-ranked Bulldogs. The Warriors hit .324 while remaining unbeaten.
Another week of big tests will greet the Bulldogs as they get ready to host No. 3 Midland on Wednesday. Concordia will then take part in the Baker Invitational and play three foes in Baldwin City, Kan.
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.