BEMIDJI, Minn. – The #8 Concordia-St. Paul volleyball team (21-5, 16-2 NSIC) finished up the 2024 regular season on Saturday afternoon, defeating Bemidji State (8-18, 3-15 NSIC) in straight sets at BSU Gymnasium.
Concordia opened the match with a 25-20 win and carried that momentum with a 25-17 win in set two and a 25-16 decision in set three to complete the sweep. The win improved CSP's all-time record vs. Bemidji State to 39-2, with the Golden Bears winning the last 37 matchups in a streak that dates back to 2001.
The Golden Bears finished the match with 45 kills on .292 hitting as a unit while Bemidji had just 25 kills on .089 hitting. Concordia dominated nearly every statistical category, holding a 6-3 edge in aces, a 7-4 edge in blocks, and a 49-37 advantage in digs.
Sophia Andersen led the offense with 11 kills on .222 hitting, also adding four digs and a pair of block assists.
Emma Schmidt logged her third straight double-double with a 12-dig, 10-kill effort on a .381 hitting percentage.
Mehlayna Straub neared double figures with nine kills on .316 hitting while
Makenna Nold finished with seven kills on .333 hitting.
Claudia Stahlke led all players in the match with four total blocks, also adding six kills on .333 hitting.
The Sieling sisters anchored the CSP defense, with
Ellie Sieling collecting 12 digs and
Cassie Sieling adding 10.
Teagan Starkey finished the match with 37 set assists, three digs, and a block.
Holding a 21-20 advantage late in the opening set the Golden Bears claimed four straight points to win the set 25-20 and go up 2-1in the match. Concordia tallied 15 kills on .314 hitting in the frame while Bemidji State hit .091 with 10 kills.
Leading by two at 13-11 in the second set, the Golden Bears won five of the next seven points to create significant breathing room on the way to a 25-17 set win.
Concordia dominated the third and final set, opening a 14-7 lead on the way to a 25-16 win to complete the sweep. The Golden Bears hit .367 with 16 kills in the third set while holding the Beavers to .138 hitting with just seven kills.
Securing the No. 2 seed in the upcoming NSIC Tournament, the Golden Bears will host the No. 7-seed Minnesota State Mavericks at the Gangelhoff Center in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, November 19 at 6 p.m.
