Bulldogs advance to GPAC championship with win over Midland
The volleyball team completes a play during the GPAC semifinals.
Photo credit: Kai Olbrich
By Kai Olbrich
Sports Editor
The Concordia volleyball team showed resilience as it came back to defeat Midland University 3-1 on Wednesday and advance to the Great Plains Athletic Conference Championship match.
After losing the first set 25-22, the Bulldogs won three straight, 25-18, 26-24 and 25-20 to claim victory. In Concordia’s previous two meetings with the Warriors this season, they also lost the first set but came back to win 3-1 and 3-2.
The energy was palpable throughout the match, with both teams trading points and the lead, and with neither team shy about taking big swings.
Coach Ben Boldt believes that being ready for each point, no matter what, can help keep from getting discouraged after losing a point or a set.
“We talk about being ready to go for each point,” Boldt said. “And, you know, whether or not you win the last point, you’ve got to get to a point on the next ball where you’re in a competitive mindset. And so, I think the results over the course of time are a reflection of being ready for the next ball.”
Both teams hit well throughout the match, with Midland finishing at .199 and the Bulldogs edging it out with .281.
Senior Ashley Keck led the scoring for Concordia with 22 kills on 50 attacks. Keck also led the team with 23 digs. Close behind Keck on the hitting side was junior Ella Waters, who notched 17 kills on 39 attacks.
With the win, the Bulldogs advance to face Northwestern in the GPAC Championship match. Boldt is excited for the opportunity to play in a good and important game.
“You know, we talk about GPAC championships, we talk about national championships, expectations for our goals, and, you know, in order to win those, you have to put yourself in the position to do it,” Boldt said. “So, we’ve really, really earned that. And, you know, if we want to win national championships, we’ve got to be in games like this and see what we’re made of.”
The game will be a rematch from Oct. 10 when Northwestern came out victorious 3-1 over the Bulldogs, who will look to repay the favor on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in Orange City, Iowa.
