SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia women’s basketball team is coming off another national appearance season. The squad, ranked 19th in the final national poll, has announced its 2016-17 season in hopes of returning to the tournament again. The season will begin on Oct. 28-29 with a trip west to Denver, Colo. Concordia will face No. 24 Dickinson State University and Johnson & Wales University.
Head coach Drew Olson said, “I am looking forward to the 2016-17 season. We have a good mix of veterans and young talent that should be prepared for the tough schedule. Any GPAC schedule is a tough schedule, but we also have some good non-conference opponents. We have some good trips planned that take us near home towns of Shelby Quinn in Bellevue and Erin Vieselmeyer in Colorado. The Hawaii trip and hosting CIT will be something the kids will never forget.”
The slate will feature 14 home games over the year. The home schedule kicks off with the Cattle Classic on Nov. 4-5.
Concordia will be hosting two tournaments over the season. The first is the Cattle Classic. The ‘Dogs will face Friends University and Oklahoma Wesleyan. Later in the season on Jan. 27-28, Concordia will host the Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT). Three other Concordia institutions will travel to Seward to battle for the CIT title. The Bulldogs won the tournament last season and will look keep the travel trophy in Seward.
A Christmas break trip to Honolulu, Hawaii will take place Dec. 19-20. While a warm destination in the middle of a Nebraska winter may seem relaxing, the Bulldogs will still have to stay on top of their game to face eighth-ranked College of the Ozarks and Grace College (Ind.).
The Bulldogs will face six teams that ended the 2015-16 year ranked in the nation’s top-25 and two more receiving votes in the poll, all making an appearance in the NAIA Tournament.
The GPAC schedule will get underway On Nov. 9 as Concordia travels to Northwestern College. Four conference foes join the 19th-ranked Bulldogs in the national poll while one more was receiving votes. The first ranked GPAC opponent of the season is No. 5 Mount Marty College. The tilt will take place in Seward on Nov. 19.
Concordia will be returning six Bulldogs who started more than 10 games apiece, including Quinn Wragge who was named to the All-GPAC First Team and the Omaha World Herald All-Nebraska First Team. Mary Janovich will be returning after suffering a season-ending injury. Janovich received All-GPAC and Omaha World Herald All-Nebraska Second-Team honors. Another All-GPAC selection, Shelby Quinn, will return next season.