Volleyball falters late in non-conference play

Senior outside hitter Kya Scott spikes the ball over the net (photo from 2024 season)

By Aaron Spivey

Photo credit: Josiah Seabaugh

The Concordia volleyball team’s undefeated streak has come to an end after a 7-0 start to the season. Concordia continued their streak by beating Ottawa, Viterbo, and Bethel, Kansas on August 29 and 30, but fell to undefeated Eastern Oregon 3-0.

The Bulldogs got off to a hot start at their tournament in Omaha, Nebraska. The first game against Ottawa was a 3-1 win, highlighted by Addie Kirkegaard, who boasted a .571 kill percentage. The Bulldogs as a team hit a .324 kill percentage. Defensively, the Bulldogs held Ottawa to a .143 kill percentage.

Next game, the Bulldogs swept Virterbo 3-0; the highlight was the Bulldogs’ defense holding Virterbo’s kill percentage to .134 while having a .204 kill percentage to keep their streak going.

Then, the Bulldogs squared off against Bethel (Kansas) and continued their winning ways with a 3-1 result. Concordia showed balance on offense, spreading the ball around while still maintaining pressure at the net. The Bulldogs made it tough for Bethel to find rhythm, limiting their hitting percentage and winning long rallies to keep the match under control.

Finally, the streak was halted when Concordia was swept 3-0 by Eastern Oregon. The Bulldogs have finished their non-conference games with a record of 7-1. Their next game will be their first Conference game at Mount Marty on Saturday, September 6, at 3 p.m.