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SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - For the first time in the history of NCAA Division II women's volleyball, third-ranked Concordia University (34-2) captured a fifth consecutive NCAA Division II Championship by defeating top-ranked, previously unbeaten and tournament host California State University San Bernardino (32-1) in straight sets (25-20, 31-29, 25-18) on Saturday night at Coussoulis Arena. Concordia snapped CSUSB's 66-match home winning streak in the process.

The Golden Bears have now won 30 consecutive NCAA Tournament matches and have eliminated CSUSB in four consecutive years. This is the second time that the Golden Bears have defeated CSUSB on their home floor in the National Tournament, also doing so in the 2003 NCAA Division II Semifinals. It's also their second win over CSUSB in the National Championship match, defeating them in five sets at Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul in 2008, Concordia's second championship.

Concordia, who captured the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's first ever women's National Championship back in 2007, have now won five of the league's 11 total National Championships.

Leading CU on the night were their two seniors Taylor Fieldsted (Lakeville, Minn.) and Megan Carlson (Andover, Minn.) who led the team emotionally all night and going 60-61 in serve receive. Carlson added 13 kills and six digs and Fieldsted added 15 digs, leading the team.

Offensively All-Tournament Team member Kayla Koenecke (Delano, Minn.) led the way with 15 kills and Ashley Murtha (Apple Valley, Minn.) was right behind her with 13. Murtha added 10 digs, picking up the double-double and was also named All-Tournament. Amanda Konetchy (Victoria, Minn.) also had a double-double with 43 assists and 10 digs. Cassie Haag (Plymouth, Minn.) had seven kills and a team leading three blocks.

In the first set the two teams went back and forth before the Golden Bears got some breathing room at 10-7 and forced a CSUSB timeout. The Coyotes closed the gap following the timeout and got within one at 11-10. CU pushed right back extending the lead to 14-10 and 17-13 midway through. Cal State never got closer than two the rest of the way and CU won the set 25-20. Koenecke had seven kills alone in the first set.

If there was a better, more intense set than the second one in all of Division II this year it would be hard pressed to beat the one in the gym tonight. The Coyotes were on a roll midway through the set going up 14-9 early in a marathon set forcing a CU timeout. The first timeout did not do the trick as CSUSB kept a five point lead at 18-13 causing Brady Starkey to call his second timeout.

After the timeout Concordia started to claw their way back. CU scored two right away to get within three and then cut the gap to one at 20-19 forcing a Cal State timeout. Concordia kept rolling out of the timeout and took a 23-20 lead late in a set that was just starting to see some dramatics. Concordia had set point at 24-21 but could not put away a pesky Coyote bunch who tied it at 24 all. Following a CSUSB error CU had set point again at 25-24 but once again Cal State came through and got a kill to tie it up at 25. The Golden Bears had set point once again at 26-25 but couldn't convert.

It was then Cal State's turn to have set point at 27-26 but Haag converted tying the set back up. CSUSB had another set point at 28-27 bit again CU dug deep as Koenecke delivered this time. One last time Cal State had set point at 29-28 but Concordia forced an attack error from AVCA and Daktronics National Player of the Year Samantha Middleborn as Haag blocked her in the middle to give Concordia a 30-29 lead. Koenecke finished the set on the next rally giving Concordia the huge 31-29 lead.

Cal State San Bernardino did not give in after the second set pushing Concordia once again. Concordia led just 9-8 in the early going but then started to get on a a little roll going up 15-11 midway through forcing CSUSB to call a timeout. The Coyotes never seemed to recover from that moment never getting closer than three the whole way. The Golden Bears finished the set with a 25-18 win clinching the match and bringing the National Championship back to Saint Paul and Concordia University. 

All-Tournament Team
Clara Leutheuser, Hillsdale
Lauren K. Grover, Hillsdale
Julie Howlett, Tampa
Priscilla Collings, CSUSB
Samantha Middleborn, CSUSB
Camille Smith, CSUSB
Megan Johnson, CSUSB
Ashley Murtha, Concordia
Kate Habeck, Concordia
Megan Carlson, Concordia
Amanda Konetchy, Concordia
Kayla Koenecke, Concordia