Concordia stunned in four-set loss to Dakota Wesleyan in GPAC Quarterfinals 

Bulldogs come out of a timeout against Dakota Wesleyan.

Photo: Cristian Myers

By Christian Myers

No. 2 seed Concordia was overwhelmed in four sets against No. 7 seed Dakota Wesleyan to begin the Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament on Saturday. The Bulldogs started strong in set one, winning by a score of 25-14, but dropped the next three 25-15, 25-15, and 25-21. Out of sync and out of rhythm, Concordia was outmatched by the energy of Dakota Wesleyan’s offensive performance.  

It was a confusing night for Concordia. While they were certainly outplayed, they also didn’t help themselves in any way either. The Bulldogs were plagued with 31 attack errors and nine service errors. Their hitting percentage sat at an abysmal .067 on the day. Sets two and three were especially unkind to Concordia, with both ending in sizeable 10-point losses. 

“They [Dakota Wesleyan] executed better than we did. Number 11, she hit over .300, and they kept feeding her, so hats off to them,” coach Ben Boldt said.  

It gets even more apparent that Concordia got in their own way as their 41 total kills sat only three behind Dakota Wesleyan’s 44. They also recorded more blocks than the Tigers with the help of sophomore Makenna Starkey’s 10-block performance. The momentum held by Dakota Wesleyan could’ve shifted at any moment, but the Bulldogs flow never found a consistent pattern. 

“I think we’re figuring out who we are as a team and what we need to do. Especially with the energy and emotion side of things,” junior Shandy Fa’ali’i said. 

A small glimmer of hope was found in set number four as an offensive mixture of freshman Samantha Kimbell and Fa’ali’i brought the score even at 20-20. However, Dakota Wesleyan rapidly went on a 5-1 run, ending Concordia’s GPAC aspirations and fully opening the beginning of a painful wound. 

This is the first time in five years that Concordia will not be playing in the GPAC championship match. Each of those years ended in second-place finishes, so 2026 feels a bit more disheartening. Though, the lesson from this quarterfinal loss is already lighting a fire within Concordia players for next year’s GPAC tournament and this season’s national tournament.   

“We don’t take a loss as a loss; it’s a learning lesson. There’s a side of Dogs that you’ll see come out in the tournament,” Fa’ali’i said.  

Regardless of the loss, Concordia’s season was nothing to be disappointed in. They’ve recorded 1,274 kills, 1,174 assists, 251 blocks (second in GPAC) and 225 service aces (first in GPAC). Fa’ali’i dominated with 348 kills and averaged 3.52 kills per set. Nobody was better than Starkey at the net, who racked up 106 total blocks along with 198 kills of her own. Freshman Myla Emery and sophomore Ella Brueggemann were consistent as a setter duo. The two combined for 1,026 assists and 5.21 assists per set. 

With Concordia’s 23-5 overall record, the team remains a near shoo-in for an “at-large” spot in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Tournament. While a GPAC title eludes them another year, a chance to compete nationally could put 2026 back on track.  

The National Tournament is set to begin on Nov. 21st, with the NAIA volleyball selection show scheduled for Nov. 16th at 4 p.m.