Hold your breath: Concordia volleyball defeats Hastings in five sets
Concordia volleyball breaks after a timeout against the Hastings Broncos.
Photo: Christian Myers
By Christian Myers
No. 2 Concordia Volleyball went the distance against the Hastings Broncos on Saturday, winning in five stress-inducing sets. A match that was defined by both close and lopsided scores ultimately ended in Concordia’s favor as they dropped sets three and four, but held on to win set five 15-10.
Both teams started off strong in set one, which ended with a Bulldog win 26-24. Hastings quickly took a 6-2 lead, but a 5-0 run by Concordia helped to keep the score balanced throughout the rest of the set. Eventually, the scoreboard showed both teams tied at 24. That was until a huge block by freshman Samantha Kimbell put the Bulldogs out in front. Team kill leader, junior Shandy Fa’ali’i, delivered the final kill to wrap up set one.
Set number two was no contest for Concordia. Fa’ali’i added another 6 kills to her day, while freshman setter Myla Emery produced 7 assists. Three late set blocks by sophomore Makenna Starkey, Shandy Fa’ali’i, and junior Maddie Paulsen closed out set two with a score of 25-12. It looked as if there was no doubt that Concordia would continue their winning streak against the growing competition in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.
“We’re getting to the point here in the GPAC where teams are starting to sort each other out, and I think they’re really starting to have some urgency and so, you got to be ready to go every night,” said Coach Ben Boldt on the intensity of the GPAC conference.
It was evident in set number three that Concordia didn’t have its usual commanding grip. Hastings took hold of a demanding lead when an attack by Starkey was blocked to make the score 22-12. The Bulldog faithful held on to hope, but Concordia fell 25-19. The struggles continued in set four, where a mixture of receiving and service errors left the Bulldogs in a major rut. The final score was 25-14, Hastings on top.
“The biggest thing was our serve receive. Hastings has a really good serving team, and so we were out of system. I think that we got to continue to have great angles with our platforms when we pass, and we got to stay tough,” Boldt said.
Fortunately for the Bulldogs, the score reset to zeros in the pivotal set number five, giving Concordia another go at putting away Hastings. The Bulldogs looked angry from the get-go. Kills by Fa’ali’i and senior Bella Hedke put Concordia up 6-1. However, once again, the Broncos fought their way back to within one by taking advantage of attack errors and landing a couple service aces. The score sat at 10-9 Concordia. Friedrich Arena was filled with loud chants and thunderous stomps from Concordia’s anxious fanbase.
After a Bulldog timeout, Kimbell blasted a kill, which would then be followed by a clutch block from sophomore Laynee Baker. The Bulldogs would only allow Hastings one more point in the match before a set by Myla Emery was attacked and killed by Kimbell to win it. The bell was wrung, and smiles spread throughout the crowd.
The Bulldogs altogether combined for 51 kills, 13 blocks and 10 Aces. Fa’ali’i led the team with 18 total kills, followed by Kimbell’s 13. Starkey had a strong game at the net as she posted 4 solo blocks and 4 kills. Emery led Concordia with 27 assists, increasing her season total to 333. Emery’s first year of collegiate volleyball has so far been very successful. She ranks eighth in the GPAC in total assists and sixth in assists per set.
“It’s so much fun; the girls here are truly amazing. They make me a better person, not just a volleyball player, and the coaches, they have all the faith in me on and off the court. It’s more than just volleyball here,” Emery said.
Concordia maintains a perfect record in the GPAC at 4-0, staying in second place behind Northwestern. They move to 13-2 overall. The Bulldogs will face Doane University on Sept. 23 in Crete, Nebraska
