Bulldogs dominate at the net with ninth straight win
Clara Evert serves against Midland (photo from previous game)
Photo: Kai Olbrich
By Evelyn Rouland
The No. 2 Concordia women’s volleyball team swept the No. 12 Dakota Wesleyan Tigers 3-0 on Saturday afternoon to extend its winning streak to nine through a dominant display at the net on offense and defense.
The Bulldogs had a total of 43 kills as a team, a stark contrast to the Tigers’ 30 kills. They also stiffled the Tigers with one solo and 22 block assists. Concordia held control of the court throughout the game, only letting the Tigers get above 20 points in the first set.
The Bulldogs got off to a slow start in the first set, falling behind by several points, but refused to give up and eventually found a lead that they maintained until the final score of 25-22. Set two had the Bulldogs trading points back and forth with the Tigers until they found their groove and won 25-17. The final set was Concordia’s most dominant; Dakota Wesleyan only held a lead for one point before the Bulldogs racked up point after point, the set ending with a score of 25-18 and a win for the Bulldogs.
Junior Shandy Fa’ali’i led both teams in kills and tied for most digs of the matchup, with a total of 11 kills and 16 digs. Senior Bella Hedke followed close behind with 9 kills, four of which were in the final set. Hedke also added five blocks to her stat sheet and was joined in her stout defending by sophomore Makenna Starkey, who contributed to six blocks.
The women’s volleyball team continues to impress, and they hope to keep the winning streak going as they play at home on Oct. 2 against Briar Cliff University.
