Bulldogs volleyball bounces back after first loss with sweep of Doane
Photo description: Junior defensive specialist Cassidy Knust makes a pass to the setter
Photo credit: Josiah Seabaugh
Darien Semedo
Sower Staff
The No. 1 Concordia Bulldogs (18-1, 11-1 GPAC) got back in the win column on the road against the Doane Tigers (6-17, 4-9) Wednesday night 3-0 after the team suffered its first loss to No. 3 Northwestern.
The Bulldogs handled business quickly against the Tigers with a combination of great defense and taking advantage of the Tigers’ errors. Doane ended the night with a .033 attacking percentage, including two sets with .000, and 28 total kills on the night. To add to that, the Tigers had 24 errors and struggled all night to get over the Bulldogs’ block.
The Bulldogs’ block was on time and connected, and the team finished with 22 assisted blocks and one solo block. Gabi Nordaker and Maddie Paulsen led with 3.0 total blocks each, with seven other Bulldogs added to the block party. As the season continues, Head Coach Ben Boldt places importance on the team having a strong united block to supplement their impressive offensive performances, and it was a key contributor to their success Wednesday night.
No. 3 Northwestern has relied on its block to be a top team in the NAIA, and on Wednesday, the Bulldogs seemed to have learned from their game against Northwestern last week. When the attack managed to get through, Camryn Opfer (15), Rebecca Gebhardt (12), and Ashely Keck hit double-digit digs (10).
On offense, the Bulldogs’ attack is still sluggish, hitting .231 on the night. Nordaker led the way with 12 kills on an efficient .409%. Opfer and Carly Rodaway added nine kills apiece on the night, with the Bulldogs finishing with 45 kills total. The offense seemed to run into some error issues, as they ended with 21 total errors on the night. The errors were a mix of miscommunication and misplaced attacks, but as the game continued the Bulldogs trended the right way, with only three in the last set. Boldt will have to right the ship and clean up some of the missed opportunities by the Bulldogs.
Concordia will now face the No. 9-ranked College of Saint Mary (19-5, 8-4) for a rematch in Friedrich Arena in Seward. Concordia won the first matchup in four sets, but the Flames have impressive wins over No. 3 Northwestern and No. 5 Viterbo. The Flames are another defensive minded team, so it will be important for Concordia to be ready to hit aggressively early on. With a win against the Flames, the Bulldogs can help cement their positioning for in-season champs, as well as home field advantage in the GPAC tournament.
