No. 15 Volleyball Team Extinguish Flames
by Garrett Suchanek
A week after taking down undefeated No. 2 Midland, the No. 15 Concordia volleyball team didn’t lose a step as the Bulldogs swept College of Saint Mary 25-11, 25-20 and 25-15 on Pink Night on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
The Bulldogs improved to 21-5 overall and 9-2 in GPAC.
This was the first meeting between Concordia and College of Saint Mary as GPAC members since the Flames were part of the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) last year.
The Bulldogs had no problem with the Flames as Concordia got off to a quick start.
In the opening set, Concordia broke open a 6-5 lead with a 16-3 run to give the Bulldogs control of the set.
The Bulldogs used efficient offense in the opening set as they outhit the Flames .441 to .000.
In the second set, the Bulldogs kept their foot on the gas pedal as they accelerated to a 12-3 lead.
The Flames didn’t fold after the quick start, and Saint Mary’s battled back to grab a 17-15 lead.
However, the Bulldogs rallied with a 6-1 run of their own to claim a 21-18 lead.
The Bulldogs then went on to win four of the next six points to win the set and gain a 2-0 lead in the match.
In the third and final set of the match, the Bulldogs continued to use hot offense against the Flames.
The Flames came out swinging in the final set. Saint Mary took a 5-2 lead, but Concordia closed the gap quick and tied the set at 9 apiece.
After tying the set at 9, the Bulldogs turned their play up a notch and went on an 11-2 run to take a 20-11 lead.
Concordia polished off the set and match with a pair of kills by sophomore Annie Friesen and senior Claire White.
White led the Bulldogs with a match high 16 kills. Junior Taylor Workman pitched in nine kills while juniors Paige Getz and Tiegen Skains added eight kills apiece.
Junior Alayna Kavanaugh dished out 44 assists. Kavanaugh also had a pair of aces and one kill on the night.
Concordia will look to stay hot as the team travels to South Dakota to play Dakota Wesleyan at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23.
