ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Concordia University volleyball team is set to open up their 2014 campaign this Friday and Saturday in the Radisson Hotel Roseville Volleyball Classic at the Gangelhoff Center.
 
FULL RADISSON HOTEL ROSEVILLE VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, September 5^th:
9:30 a.m. – Missouri S&T vs. #17 Wheeling Jesuit
12:00 p.m. - #1 Concordia vs. Ashland
2:30 p.m. - #7 Southwest Minnesota State vs. #17 Wheeling Jesuit
5:00 p.m. – Ashland vs. Missouri S&T
7:30 p.m. - #1 Concordia vs. #7 Southwest Minnesota State
 
Saturday, September 6^th:
9:30 a.m. – Ashland vs. #7 Southwest Minnesota State
12:00 p.m. - #1 Concordia vs. #17 Wheeling Jesuit
2:30 p.m. – Missouri S&T vs. #7 Southwest Minnesota State
5:00 p.m. – Ashland vs. #17 Wheeling Jesuit
7:30 p.m. - #1 Concordia vs. Missouri S&T
 
The Golden Bears are coming off a Division II-record seventh consecutive National Championship and will feature a new look lineup after graduating some key performers.
 
"We're excited about the potential of this team right now. Physically, we do have some talent in the gym and we have some kids that could potentially fill some of the holes left from last year's graduating class. We're not incredibly smooth yet, but come a little later in the season it will be interesting how much we've progressed," head coach Brady Starkey said about this year's squad.
 
Concordia's early season schedule should prove to be a good test to see where the team is at with four matches against top-20 opponents in the first two weekend tournaments. Starkey said, "We want to get some tough competition early on, which is why we schedule the way that we do. It allows us to see where we match up against some of the best teams in the country."
 
Things don't get much easier once the NSIC season begins with the top five teams in the conference, including CU, ranked in the top-25. The Golden Bears were selected to finish first in the league for the 11^th consecutive year. They were followed by fellow ranked teams in #3 Minnesota Duluth, #7 Southwest Minnesota State, #21 Northern State and #20 Wayne State to round out the top-5.
 
With the graduations of several starters from last season, the door is open for some new faces to step up and grab a spot. Starkey has been tasked with replacing decorated players before and this year will be no different. "It's difficult to replace kids like that but the team always seems to find a way," Starkey said.
 
Sophomore Kasey Williams is poised to fill the role of setter for CU following the departure of four-time All-American Amanda Konetchy. Williams saw action in six matches last season, including five starts, and excelled with 13.05 assists per game and 2.79 blocks per game. She set a career high with 47 assists in her collegiate debut against Colorado School of Mines on September 6^th.
"Kasey will bring a different style of play to the lineup. She is a great decision-maker, a strong defender and a hard worker and has some different attributes in her game. It will be interesting to see how the style of play for the team looks with a different setter in there," Starkey said of his new setter.
 
Another position that the Golden Bears will need to replace a four-time All-American is on the right side following the graduation of Kayla Koenecke. Sophomore Emma Lange appears to be set to receive the first look there after spending most of last season backing up as a middle blocker. Lange appeared in 15 matches and collected a .395 hitting percentage with 20 kills to go along with nine total blocks.
 
Starkey said about Lange, "On the right side, Emma is a different style of player that is a big, blocking kid. She plays well above the net as a kid who can really jump. As she keeps progressing, the level she in which she can play at increases."
 
On the outside, Concordia returns All-America honorable mention performer Emily McDonough. She will most likely be joined by junior Anna Schlaak in the lineup.
 
McDonough had a breakout year last season to rank second on the team with 389 kills for an average of 3.06 per set. She also ranked second on the team in digs with 431 (3.39 per game). Her 14 double-doubles, including the team's only 20-kill/20-dig match, led the squad.
 
"McDonough has really stepped up and taken the reins as a vocal leader on this team this year as a junior. She will once again be counted on to play all the way around for us," said Starkey of the junior.
 
Schlaak received her first action in a Golden Bear uniform last year a redshirt freshman and appeared in 10 matches. She picked up her first kill against Truman State and finished the season with four kills in 10 attempts.
 
Starkey added about Schlaak, "Anna stepped up in the spring and could possibly be playing all the way around which could give us an option swinging out of the back row as well."
 
One position that won't see much turnover is in the middle. The Golden Bears return All-American Second Team Heather Schiller and All-NSIC Second Team Riley Hanson.
 
Schiller, a junior, burst onto the scene last year to start 37 of the Golden Bears 38 matches and rank 16^th in the nation in hitting percentage at .361. She ranked fifth on the team with 324 kills and led the squad with 0.94 blocks per game.
 
Hanson similarly stepped up last year as a freshman to start all 38 matches while she ranked ninth in the country with a .373 hitting percentage. Her 338 kills ranked fourth on the team while her 0.90 blocks ranked second behind Schiller.
 
"Schiller and Hanson have continued to develop their games from last year including in the block. I felt like we were a pretty decent blocking team last but I think we can be even stronger in that area this year. We've always been a middle-driven, right side team and I don't think that will change this year," Starkey pointed out about his two returning middles' impact on the team.
 
Another familiar face in the Concordia lineup will be Taylor Dordan at the libero spot. Dordan has led the team in digs the past two seasons, including an average of 3.91 per set last year. She had 15+ digs in 16 matches while eclipsing 20 in six matches.
 
Starkey said, "Taylor has solidified herself in the libero position as she's helped us to two titles in that role. She does a great job with ball control and is pretty relentless on defense. I'm excited to see how good of a season she can have this year in her third year."
 
The lone senior on the roster, Lisa Atkinson, is set to see an increase in playing time this season. She appeared in 15 matches last season, mostly as a serving specialist, and collected five service aces and eight digs.
 
"Lisa has really taken ownership of the right back position. She is a great on-court leader who a really vocal, high-energy kid which will help us a lot on the court and in practice," said Starkey.
 
Along with the returners, the Golden Bears are adding three freshmen to the mix in libero Alex Duxbury and outside hitters Brooklyn Lewis and Mariya Sampson.
 
On Duxbury, Starkey said, "Alex has been here since the spring so she has seen a little bit what it's all about here which has helped her make the transition. She is another kid who we can put in there that will solidify our ball control as she keeps working to catch up to the speed of the game at this level."
 
"Brooklyn is a raw kid in terms of how much volleyball she's played but is a phenomenal athlete that can really play above the net. She has a very high end as she continues to grow as a player," Starkey said about Lewis.
 
Starkey added about Sampson, "Mariya is a big physical kid who has a lot of high level experience. She doesn't seem like a normal freshman, which shows in her game. She can terminate the ball from all three positions and could be someone we could throw in the mix to play."
 
Concordia opens up play this Friday, September 5^th, with a match against Ashland (Ohio) at noon and a match against #7 Southwest Minnesota State 7:30 p.m. They complete the Radisson Hotel Roseville Volleyball Classic on Saturday with a noon match against #17 Wheeling Jesuit (W.Va.) and a 7:30 match with Missouri S&T.
 
The Golden Bears then head out to Denver for the Colorado Premier Challenge before opening up conference play on September 16^th at Minnesota State. The NSIC home opener is set for September 19^th as CU plays host to #21 Northern State.