Bulldogs close out 2-1 Power Quad finish
Shandy Fa’ali’i serves the ball for the final point against Indiana Wesleyan
Photo: Trey Boychuck
By Trey Boychuck
The Concordia Bulldog volleyball team finished its 2026 Power Quad schedule with a 3-1 win over Columbia College and a 3-2 loss to Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday.
The hitters were the star of the show in the match against Columbia. Junior Danica Martin put down 11 kills with a .304 hitting percentage, and junior Shandy Fa’ali’i put together a game-high 19 kills with a .125 hitting percentage. Freshman setter Myla Emery is starting off her season strong, racking up an impressive 31 assists. The Bulldogs started off winning the first two sets, 25-21 then 25-23. Struggles came in the third set when the Bulldogs dropped the set 19-25, partially due to a -.025 hitting percentage; however, they turned it around in the fourth set, winning 25-18, to round out the match.
In the Bulldogs’ second game of the day, they faced the Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats, the reigning NAIA national champions who have won the title the last three years in a row. The last time these two matched up was last season, when Concordia came away with the 3-2 win. The Wildcats flipped the script this time around as the Bulldogs lost this year’s match 3-2.
Indiana Wesleyan’s fast-paced offense prevailed in the first set, beating the Bulldogs 23-25. Concordia fought back with a 25-23 win of their own in the second set. Concordia kept their momentum alive in set three, taking the win 25-21. The Bulldogs dropped the fourth set 24-26. The momentum from sets two and three wasn’t enough to carry them to a win as the Bulldogs lost the final set 15-17.
The team showed great effort and resilience all throughout the game. Fa’ali’i was back at the top of the box score with 19 kills. Sophomore dual-sport athlete Makenna Starkey was second on the team with 11 kills.
The games concluded the 2026 Power Quad, which featured historically dominant programs Concordia University, MidAmerica Nazarene, Indiana Wesleyan and Columbia College. The Bulldogs bested MidAmerica Nazarene on Friday before going 1-1 on day two.
Coach Ben Boldt was proud of the team’s effort but knows there is work to be done.
“It’s a marathon; it is definitely something that is going to test you mentally. Staying in the moment and staying one point at a time is where we have to be. We’re going to have to execute a little bit better in crunch time,” Boldt said.
The Dawgs will be back in action September 4th, as they head to Omaha for the CSM Labor Day Classic. They will start by taking on Lindsey Wilson University.
