No.1 Concordia Bulldogs bite down defending national champions Jamestown Jimmies

Photo description: The volleyball celebrates with a team cheer after their victory against Jamestown

Photo credit: Esther Molina

Darien Semedo

Sower Staff

​The No.1 Concordia Bulldogs (16-0, 9-0) kept their undefeated streak alive with a signature win over the defending National Champion Jamestown Jimmies (15-6, 8-1) 3-1 with a reverse sweep Friday night in Friedrich Arena.

​Coming into the night, the Bulldogs had struggled to find success against the Jimmies, who have dominated the GPAC in the past few years. The Jimmies defeated the Bulldogs in the last two GPAC Tournament championships, leaving the Bulldogs with plenty of motivation into the night.

This year the Bulldogs have been the top team with the No.1 rank, while the Jimmies are ranked 14th. Both teams came into the night undefeated in the GPAC, making this game important for seeding and home field advantage.

Friedrich Arena was filled with blue for the Bulldogs’ big night against the defending champs, proving to be an electric environment. The crowd was as loud as ever, ensuring momentum stayed with the Bulldogs through the night.

The first set was rough for the Bulldogs as their offense struggled to find gaps behind Jamestown’s block. Jamestown is ranked 18th in blocks per set in the NAIA, which proved to be a factor for them in Friday’s game. The hitting percentage (.119) was low for the No. 1 Offense in the nation, but the Bulldogs made a late push that came up just short losing 25-23. Head Coach Ben Boldt came out of the set knowing some adjustments needed to be made.

“They have a really big block and early in our match we were hitting the ball hard but into the block,” Boldt explained. “We had to hit the ball higher, and still had to hit it hard because they were hitting the ball up, but we just couldn’t pull the ball down into their blocks.”

In the second set, the offensive adjustment pushed the team on the right track, as the team’s hitting percentage rose to .250. The set was the most entertaining, ending in a back-and-forth battle until the Bulldogs pulled away, winning 27-25. The set proved to be monumental for the team, reviving the crowd back into the game and building confidence in every player on the Bulldogs’ side.

​After that, the Bulldogs shut the door on both sides of the ball, behind Gabi Nordaker. On the night, Nordaker had 13 kills at a .345 clip, with an impressive 10 blocks on the defensive side. While the Bulldogs’ averages continued to go up, the Jimmies’ plummeted. Nordaker is in her fourth year and has been the center of the front line for the Bulldogs. Defeating Jamestown was something that has previously slipped through this team’s hands, and Nordaker was excited to finally complete the task playing Bulldog volleyball.

​“Coming off the past couple of years we haven’t beaten them, so coming into this game, we knew we just had to play our game. I think that is what meant the most – being true to ourselves.” Nordaker said.

​The Bulldogs closed the night in efficient fashion, riding the momentum with a .533 hitting percentage and only one error in the fourth. The Bulldog offense had three members over double-digit kills, led by Ashley Keck at 16, Camryn Opfer with 14 and 13 for Gabi Nordaker. Maddie Paulsen and Carly Rodaway added seven each as well. Bree Burtwistle set the offense up with 43 assists, libero Rebecca Gebhardt led the defense with 19 digs while Opfer showed off her versatility with 12 digs as well. Gebhardt shared the same excitement about finally taking down Jamestown.

​“This is a really special win for us just ’cause as long as Jamestown has been in the GPAC, we haven’t beaten them. So this is our first win against them. We just really wanted it, and we weren’t going home without a win,” Gebhardt said.

​As the Bulldogs pass the halfway mark of Conference play, this signature win prepares them to potentially claim their first GPAC regular season title and have homecourt through the GPAC Tournament. The Bulldogs’ celebration will be cut short, though, as they host Dakota Wesleyan (15-10, 5-4) Saturday afternoon in Seward.