ST. PAUL, Minn. – The #4 Concordia Golden Bears volleyball team (14-3, 8-0 NSIC) kicked off Homecoming weekend on a high note as they swept (25-9, 25-15, 25-16) Bemidji State (0-16, 0-8 NSIC) on Friday night at Gangelhoff Center.
CSP extended their streak to 34 straight wins over the Beavers as they improved to 36-8-1 in the all-time series and 20-3 on their home court.
Concordia's defense made life tough for BSU as they held the Beavers to .105 or lower hitting in each of the three sets and -.030 for the match with 19 kills and 22 errors on 99 attempts. The Golden Bears, on the other side, managed to collect 39 kills and 15 errors on 93 attempts for a .258 hitting percentage. CSP also held an 8.0-3.0 advantage in blocks, a 49-36 advantage in digs and an 8-1 advantage in aces.
Tori Hanson and
Emma Schmidt each reached double figures in digs as Hanson led all players with 19 to move within 31 digs of 2,000 in her career while also adding two aces and three assists. Schmidt chipped in 10 digs and nine kills along with two aces to fall a kill short of a double-double.
Sophia Andersen and
Jasmine Mulvihill matched Schmidt for the team lead with nine kills while
Teagan Starkey finished with 24 assists, three aces and three digs in the win.
Emily Wade collected a double-double for Bemidji State with 14 assists and 12 digs in the loss.
The Golden Bears got off to a flying start with seven of the first nine points en route to a comfortable first set win. Concordia rattled off a late 11-2 run to balloon the lead to 16 as CSP took the set 25-9.
The early portions of the second set proved to be a bit closer as Concordia held a slim 9-7 lead, but a 6-0 run extended it to eight at 15-7 to put it out of reach. The lead eventually grew to double figures as the Golden Bears took the set 25-15.
Concordia utilized a pair of 5-0 runs in the third set to pull away as they turned a 7-7 tie into a 12-7 lead and turned a 14-11 lead into a 19-11 lead. The lead would not shrink below seven the rest of the way as CSP closed out the sweep with a 25-16 set win in the third.
Tomorrow's volleyball match between CSP and UMC marks Concordia's homecoming with a 5 p.m. start following the noon football game against Bemidji State at Sea Foam Stadium. Fans who have purchased a Homecoming wristband receive free admission to football and volleyball on Saturday, Comet's Carnival which is open from 2-5 p.m. on Saturday on the Sea Foam Stadium plaza, and soccer on Sunday. Perks for the wristband include unlimited rides and food! Prices are $30 for adults (13+), $15 for children (4-12) with children three and younger free. CSP students (with ID) will receive free admission. Those who have already purchased tickets to the game can proceed to the registration tent to purchase a wristband for $15 for adults (13+) and $10 for children (4-12) with children three and under free.
