ST. PAUL, Minn. – For the first time in 636 days, the second-ranked Concordia-St. Paul volleyball team will return to regular season action this weekend as they travel to Houghton, Mich. for the Keweenaw Volleyball Classic on Friday and Saturday.
 
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
The Golden Bears open up the season with four matches on the campus of Michigan Tech in the Keweenaw Volleyball Classic, with two matches on Friday and two on Saturday. Concordia kicks things off against Lake Superior State at 8:30 a.m. on Friday before taking on Northern Michigan at 1:30 p.m. They conclude play with an 11 a.m. matchup with Parkside and a 4 p.m. matchup with Michigan Tech on Saturday.
 
CSP has met three of the four programs in previous seasons as they have faced Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech three times and Lake Superior State twice, while Saturday's contest with Parkside will be the first ever meeting between the two schools.
 
Friday's meeting with LSSU marks the first meeting since a 3-1 win in 2002 as the Golden Bears and the Lakers split the first two meetings. The Golden Bears have met the Wildcats of Northern Michigan more recently as they have gone 3-0 with the last meeting coming back in 2011. Concordia dropped the previous three meetings with the Huskies of Michigan Tech as they meet for the first time since 2001.
 
Live stats will be available for all four matches while CSP's meeting with Michigan Tech will also be live streamed.
 
WATCH ONLINE – NSIC NETWORK
All Golden Bear NSIC volleyball matches will be available to watch online, free of charge, powered by the NSIC Network, supported by BlueFrame Technology. Visit nsicnetwork.com/cspbears on a laptop or desktop computer, download the NSIC Network app on your mobile device or watch on your supported OTT provider such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Search "NSIC Network" and download the app for the league's full sport and team lineups. NSIC NETWORK FAQ
 
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Fans can download the CSP Bears fan app, free of charge and available in the App Store or on Google Play. The app contains rosters, schedules, scores, stats, news, social media and more! Customize your options to get notifications to your favorite teams, as well. Search "CSP Bears" in the app store to stay up-to-date on Golden Bear athletics.
 
BUY TICKETS TO HOME GAMES ONLINE
New this year to Golden Bears is online ticketing. Buy tickets in advance and bring your QR code to the gates to skip the line! Friends and families who utilize the pass list will also be utilizing the online ticketing service while all students, faculty & staff will access their free CSP tickets through the service. Fans do not need to create a login, remember a username or password or download an app to purchase tickets, and tickets can still be purchased with cash at the gates. Find out more in the partnership announcement between CSP Athletics and HomeTown Ticketing.
 
BACK IN ACTION
With the long layoff since the last competitive match for the Golden Bears due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CSP heads into the season with nearly half of their roster (eight of 17 players) awaiting their collegiate debut. During that time, the team has made the best of their time and they look forward to being back on the court in a competitive setting.
 
Head coach Brady Starkey said of last season, "With it being such a tough year for everyone, it was a luxury to be able to do anything on the court. All in all, we had a really strong spring season being able to practice quite a bit and play against some other teams in our conference." He added about this fall, "There's some rust that needs to be worked off and we could use another month of practice, but things have been good having so many good athletes in the gym."
 
One thing the team has done this fall to help prepare for the return to competition is they faced off against some outside competition in exhibition play. "There's definitely a difference between competing against somebody else or competing in your own gym every day," said Starkey. He added, "We're still trying to fill some positions so to get be able to play against another team was both helpful and eye-opening."
 
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
CSP will be thrown right into the deep end from the start as they are once again geared up for a challenging slate of games with a schedule that features seven matches against nationally ranked opponents and an additional nine more against opponents receiving votes.
 
Following the season-opening trip to Michigan, the Golden Bears head west to Denver, Colo. for the Colorado Premier Challenge on Sept. 10-11. In a field filled with many of the top programs at the Division II level, the Golden Bears are set to face a pair of ranked opponents in #25 Rockhurst and #3 CSU San Bernardino on the first day before moving into to bracket play on day two.
 
"We are really excited to get out and play," said Starkey of the early season slate of games. "We don't have a ton of expectations so I'm hoping the girls go out there and remember how to compete and have fun. If they compete hard and play aggressive, we will be happy with that."
 
From there, Concordia returns home for the NSIC home opening weekend as Minot State and UMary coming to town on Sept. 17-18.
 
NSIC PREVIEW
Returning to conference competition for the first time since claiming the 2019 NSIC Tournament crown, the Golden Bears were picked to finish first in the Northern Sun for the 16th time in the past 17 seasons. Concordia wrapped up the 2019 season with their fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Central Region Championship and 17th appearance in 18 years. The team compiled a 27-8 record overall and a 16-4 in NSIC action.
 
The Golden Bears paced the league with 11 first place votes while tallying 217 points in the poll. Minnesota Duluth was picked second with 194 points while St. Cloud State was third with 192 points and three first place votes.  Northern State was fourth with 174 points and a first place vote while Winona State had the final first place vote as they tied for fifth with Wayne State at 169 points.  
 
CSP was one of five NSIC schools to earn a spot in the top-25 as Minnesota Duluth was picked seventh, Northern State was picked 15th, St. Cloud State was picked 16th and Wayne State was picked 24th. Winona State, Southwest Minnesota State, Augustana, Upper Iowa and Minnesota State also received votes in the poll.
 
When speaking of the level of competition in the league, Starkey said, "It's a badge of honor being in our conference. From top to bottom it's one of the toughest around, and it's fun to be able to compete in that environment."
 
The 2021 NSIC regular season champion will be determined by the 20-game conference schedule. The top eight teams will play in the single elimination NSIC Volleyball Tournament on November 18-20. All three rounds of the tournament will take place at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
 
MEET THE GOLDEN BEARS
Entering the season with one of their youngest rosters in recent memory, the 2021 Golden Bears are comprised of eight freshmen, six sophomores, two juniors and one senior.
 
Bringing experience and leadership to the group as the team's lone senior is libero Tori Hanson. The Delano native was recently named CoSIDA Academic All-District after twice being named All-NSIC First Team. Hanson set the single-season program record in digs in 2019 and currently ranks fourth in CSP history with 1,710 career digs. "Tori is one of the best liberos we have ever had here," said Starkey. He added, "She is a relentless defender, her serve receive is fundamentally sound, and she has a great float serve that scores a lot of points for us. She is the heart and soul of our team."
 
Joining Hanson in the mix at the libero position are sophomore Riley Decker, and freshmen Payton Stier and Ellianna Wiertsema.
 
Decker, an NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence selection, made 20 appearances in her freshman campaign back in 2019 as a defensive specialist, tallying 48 digs and seven service aces. "Riley gets after it defensively and she plays hard. If she shores up some technique stuff, she'll be a strong presence for us in the back row," said Starkey.
 
Stier and Wiertsema enter their second year on campus after successful prep careers at Lakeville South High School and New Life Academy, respectively. "Payton is a competitor and a tough hard-nosed kid that we hope be able to step in and compete for us at some point," said Starkey of Stier. About Wiertsema, he said, "She is a quality serve receiver and defender that is a technically sound player. As she gets more comfortable with the speed of the game, she'll do some good things for us."
 
In the middle, junior Kennedy Brady, sophomores Katie Mattson, Jamie Guptill and Evie Harrington, and freshmen Kora Kritzberger and Aryana Forsberg make up a deep group at the middle blocker position.
 
Brady, a two-time NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence pick and the most experienced player of the group, enters her fourth year on campus after making 57 appearances and 50 starts back in 2018 and 2019. The Lakeville native ranks 11^th in program history with 0.85 career blocks per set to go along with 2.08 kills per set and a .281 hitting percentage. Starkey said of the junior, "She is a smart player that understands the game well. We expect her to add some more offense while continuing to improve her blocking to solidify our defense."
 
Mattson, who earned NSIC All-Academic honors, opened her CSP career with 24 appearances back in 2019, collecting 101 kills (1.71 per set) to go along with 18 digs and 12 total blocks. In addition to her work in the middle, the St. Croix Falls, Wis. native will also mix in on the right side. "She is an explosive attacker who jumps well and can hit anywhere. We've been working her in more in the middle this year and think she could be a dominant player for us there in the future," said Starkey.
 
Guptill, an NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence pick, also made her debut back in 2019 as she appeared in 10 matches while collecting 11 kills and a .231 hitting percentage. "Coming off an injury, she looks really good as she works her way back," said Starkey. He added, "She's a really smart player who could be great for us."
 
Harrington joins the group of sophomores that got their feet wet in 2019 as she grabbed four kills on five attempts over four appearances. Starkey said, "Evie is a live arm for us that can give some offensive pop for us. If she continues to solidify her blocking she can make an impact for us."
 
Along with the four returners, Kora Kritzberger and Aryana Forsberg will fight for roles on the court as Kritzberger enters her second season after a stellar high school career at Ada-Borup while Forsberg joins from Shakopee High School. When speaking of Kritzberger, Starkey said, "She is a relentless worker and has made some great strides. She could have a breakout year for us." He added about Forsberg, "Ari is a possessed blocker. She's getting used to being an offensive player and once she gets that down she'll push for playing time."
 
On the right side, 2019 AVCA Division II Freshman of the Year Jasmine Mulvihill returns to play a key role for the Golden Bears. The Lakeville South High School grad led the nation with 569 kills (4.21 per set) while hitting .289 and chipping in 0.30 service aces per set. The sophomore grabbed double figures in kills in each of the final 31 matches in her first year on campus, reaching 20 or more nine times. "She is a kid that just wants to get out there and play. She plays high above the net, she has a whip of an arm and she can really blow it up," said Starkey. He added, "Overall, she's a pretty dominant player for us."
 
CSP's young stable of outside hitters includes sophomore Makenna Berger, redshirt freshman Emma Schmidt and freshman Sophia Andersen.
 
Berger, an NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence selection, is the lone member of the trio with experience at Concordia as she saw time in 32 matches as a freshman in 2019. The Eden Prairie native worked primarily as a defensive specialist, ranking third on the team with 2.40 digs per set while also chipping in 107 kills (0.87 per set) on the year. Starkey said of Berger, "She is a really explosive player that we're working on getting to explore different areas of the court offensively. Her back row skillset is strong and only getting stronger and she will compete for time as an all-around player for us."
 
Schmidt and Andersen are both entering their second year on campus as Schmidt joined after a redshirt season at Northern Iowa and Andersen joined after a strong prep career at New Prague High School. Speaking of Schmidt, Starkey said, "Emma is a great six-rotation player with a good offensive mind while her back row play is probably her strong suit." Starkey said of Andersen, "Sophia is a crafty, smart player that really knows how to score. We're just trying to get her up to speed blocking and in the back row as she will also be pushing for playing time."
 
At the setter position, junior Ellie Veldman is joined by the freshmen duo of Teagan Starkey and Halle Bemmels in a competition for playing time.
 
Veldman is a two-time NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence pick who split time at the setter position back in 2019. The transfer from the University of North Dakota tallied 332 assists (4.88 per set) and 31 total blocks (0.46 per set) over 19 matches in her first season on the court in navy and gold. Starkey said, "Ellie is an offensive threat in the front row and a really strong blocker. She's improved her setting and has a really good preseason this fall."
 
Starkey and Bemmels join from high school ranks as Starkey was a standout at Lakeville South High School and Bemmels starred at Le Sueur-Henderson High School. "Teagan is getting used to the speed of the game at this level, but she understands the game really well and her decision making is at a really high level," Starkey said of the Lakeville native. On Bemmels, Starkey said, "Halle is a two-sport athlete who also plays softball and she is a really competitive kid who has shown a strong ability to play defense."