ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Powered by career-topping performances from five different Golden Bears, the second-seeded, eighth-ranked Concordia-St. Paul volleyball team (23-5) secured a five-set win over third-seeded, 15^th-ranked Wayne State (23-7) in the NSIC Tournament semifinals on Saturday evening. 

The Wildcats outlasted the Golden Bears for a 26-24 win in the opening set, but CSP responded with a 25-15 win in set two to even the match. Concordia managed a 25-23 win in set three, but the Wildcats secured a 25-22 win in set four to send the match to a decisive fifth set. It took extra points to decide a winner, but Concordia emerged victorious with a 16-14 win to punch its ticket to the NSIC Tournament Championship for the third consecutive season.
The win improved Concordia's all-time record against Wayne State to 38-17 with CSP taking both meetings this season. The defending NSIC Tournament champions, the Golden Bears are now 12-3 in conference semifinal matches all time, and 33-8 in conference tournaments over the last 15 seasons.

Setter Teagan Starkey was spectacular on a night in which she was named the NSIC Outstanding Senior of the Year for volleyball in a pre-match ceremony, smashing her previous career high of 71 assists with a 75-assist, 11-dig double-double while adding a kill and a service ace. Her 75 assists are tied for second most in school history, trailing only a 77-assist effort by Amanda Konetchy also against Wayne State in 2013.

Senior Emma Schmidt registered her fifth consecutive double-double in the win, tallying a career-high 24 kills to go along with 14 digs and two service aces. Her 72 attack attempts rank as the fourth most in any match in school history.

Sophomore Mehlayna Straub had the finest night of her young career, surpassing her previous record of 16 kills with a 24-kill effort on a .370 hitting percentage.

Libero Cassie Sieling also had a career night, logging a new career-high 33 digs to go along with three set assists and a service ace. Her sister Ellie Sieling joined her in the career-topping performance club, finishing with a career-best 31 digs and a set assist. Natalee Rolbiecki joined them in double figures on defense with 13 digs.

Sophia Andersen and Makenna Nold finished with 11 kills and seven digs each for Concordia, while Claudia Stahlke added 10 kills, five blocks, and two digs.

Neither offense was particularly efficient, but the Golden Bears managed to outhit the Wildcats .190 to .179 with a dominant 81-56 edge in kills. CSP also held advantages in aces (7-3), assists (79-50), and digs (119-97).

Concordia led 21-15 late in the opening set, but the Wildcats clawed back with 11 of the final 14 points to win the set and take a 1-0 match advantage.

The Golden Bears led for a large majority of set two, outhitting the Wildcats .326 to .098 to claim a dominant 25-15 win that evened the match.

Neither team led by more than three at any point during a back-and-forth third set featuring 10 ties and three lead changes, but CSP claimed three of the final four points to secure a 25-23 win.

After Wayne State took an 11-4 lead early in the fourth set, the Golden Bears began to chip away and eventually managed to tie the set at 17-17.  The Wildcats won the following two points and held a narrow edge for the remainder of the set on the way to a 25-22 win.

The fifth set was as competitive as they come, featuring nine ties and four lead changes. The Wildcats looked poised to advance as they held a 13-10 lead late in the set, but Concordia put together one final rally with six of the final seven points to win the set 16-14 and take the match 3-2.

Concordia will advance to the NSIC Tournament Championship at 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, taking on one-seeded and second-ranked tournament host St. Cloud State for the third time this season. The Huskies claimed both meetings during the regular season, winning in straight sets on their home court and claiming a four-set win at the Gangelhoff Center.