ST. PAUL, Minn. - In literal terms, it was another banner year for the Concordia University volleyball team in 2008. The Golden Bears went on a 37-1 whirlwind run through the NCAA Division II's best teams before emerging as NCAA National Champions for the second consecutive season. Among the dozens of awards and honors donned on the team this year were five AVCA All-Americans, a National Player of the Year, the Central Region Coach of the Year and another undefeated NSIC season. VIEW FINAL 2008 RELEASE
The Concordia volleyball team had one of the strongest seasons in not only CU history, but in the history of Division II campaigns. Their trek back as repeating national champions had bumps and challenges along the way, however. Starting the season ranked #1 in the AVCA preaseason poll, the Golden Bears suffered 0-3 sweeping loss to #4 Cal State San Bernardino on the road.
"The loss to Cal State (San Bernardino) helped get us focused," said senior outside hitter Whitney Meierotto. "It was our first time playing again and we knew we were going to have to work harder, that teams were going to be gunning for us this year."
The team quickly regained their composure following the season-opening loss and began to play much stronger and as a team. They downed three ranked squads in their next four matches and gave up only two sets in the following nine combined matches.
From early on, the 2008 Concordia team showed extreme strength in areas in which they normally had been just steady. Warping from a squad that used impenetrable defense to win matches, the current Golden Bears now had the ability to stifle teams with overwhelming offensive power. They used a barrage of weapons from all around the rotation to mark hitting percentages that were almost always .100 points or more higher than their opponent on any given night. The team finished the season leading the NCAA Division II in kills per game with a mark of 15.22. Sophomore middle hitter Emily Palkert led the squad with 454 kills, followed by Meierotto with 444.
Junior setter Maggie McNamara has been one of the most steady presences on the court since she arrived at Concordia. The 2006 and 2007 NCAA assists leader, McNamara once again topped all other setters in the nation with 1,730 assists, or 13.41 per set. Her nearest competitor had 12.17 assists per set. McNamara also pushed her team to victories on the defensive end, finshing the year with 298 digs. For her efforts, McNamara received the most prestigious award available to an individual in being named the 2008 AVCA Player of the Year. She was also named an All-American for the third time in her career, donned to the First Team.
In discussing how so many assists were racked up this season, McNamara gives the credit to the group of hitters that surrounded her. "They (CU hitters) can all terminate the ball. Who I set depends on the pass, the defense, the play, but it helps me that they are all go-to players. They give me a lot of options."
As the NSIC schedule opened, the first real test for the Golden Bears in their talent-laden conference was against Southwest Minnesota State, then ranked #8 in the nation and hosting Concordia on their home court. 1,462 of the Mustang faithful piled into the gym that night ready to watch a grueling match, but things ended up following a much different course. The Golden Bears toppled the Mustangs in a match that lasted just under an hour and 15 minutes and saw scores of 25-18, 25-10 and 25-21. CU hit at a season high .467 average with 50 kills and 41 digs, while SMSU hit .214 with 33 kills and 27 digs.
Concordia's demolition of conference competitors continued with 3-0 wins over the likes of Wayne State, #16-ranked Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State. It was another meeting with the Mustangs, this time at the Gangelhoff Center in mid-October with SMSU ranked #5 in the nation, that ended the team's nine-match streak of 3-0 wins. Out to a slow offensive start in the first set of the match, the Golden Bears gave up a 25-20 decision before picking their hitting average back up into the mid-.300's and not allowing SMSU more than 17 points in any of the following three sets.
Election night in 2008 proved to be a notable evening not only for the country, but for the Concordia volleyball program, as well. For the first time in the history of Concordia volleyball, the Golden Bears had a match televised live and during primetime television on Fox Sports North. The setting could not have been any better, with the top-ranked Golden Bears hosting their long-time rival in #17 Minnesota Duluth. The teams played very similar games that evening and a few stars emerged from the spotlight. Whitney Meierotto led the team with 18 kills and came up with an astounding 30 digs, a career high for the senior. For the Bulldogs, it was April Hansen who once again showed up on offense and collected 24 kills. The teams traded wins in the first two sets and used strong blocking to slow down the powerful offenses. Concordia took a firm win in the third set before the Bulldogs pushed the Golden Bears to extra points in the final. The set went back and forth, trading kills, aces and errors. Meierotto and Hansen each pushed their team for the win in the fourth set with eight kills each. Meierotto picked up 14 of her 30 digs in the fourth set and gave her team two of the final three winning points.
Concordia sailed into the Central Region tournament as the #1 seed, going 31-1 overall and marking their fourth undefeated conference record in five years (20-0). The regional semifinal match went down as one of the team's two most bitterly fought matches of the year. The Golden Bears had to fight back from a 2-1 deficit after a young and talented #9 Nebraska-Kearney team held Concordia to a .190 hitting average, their second-lowest average of the year behind only the .150 performance in their season-opening loss. The Lopers were also one of the strongest hitting teams that CU has seen this season.
"We focused on doubling up on the middles (blocking) and letting the outside swing," explained Starkey of the defensive game plan. "We took away a good area of the court and dug up a lot of balls. Our block got some good touches and slowed the ball down."
Concordia rebounded with wins in the final two sets to take the match. Meierotto led the team with 27 digs and made it a double-double with a team high 18 kills. Freshman Ellie Duffy came out in a huge way for the Golden Bears, racking up 17 kills and assisting on four blocks. It was the team's first five-set match of the year.
The win put the Golden Bears in the Regional Championship match against #17 Minnesota Duluth for the fifth consecutive season. This year's matchup proved to be less of a struggle for Concordia, however, as they took a 3-0 win. The Bulldogs won the defensive battle with 42 digs to CU's 40, but the Golden Bears overpowered UMD with 50 kills and a .364 hitting average. Senior Maria Steinhagen had a team high 13 kills with just one error all night and also had three blocks.
With their second regional championship in as many years and 34 consecutive wins, the NCAA selection committee gave Concordia University the honor of hosting the NCAA Championship Tournament, which was held at the Gangelhoff Center December 4-6.
The Golden Bears passed the University of New Haven 3-0 on their way to a meeting with #3 Grand Valley State in the NCAA semifinals. Concordia, who sailed through much of the season on the wings of their offense, saw an equally talented swinging team in GVSU and rose to the occasion to defend their turf.
"This year our offense has been so strong that it overshadowed our good defense," explained Starkey. "These matches show that our defense can get it done for us. We were forced to step up and play great defense."
The Lakers out-hit the Golden Bears in the second set to knot the match up 1-1. Concordia's defense, however, held GVSU to a match low .031 hitting average in a critical third set, allowing the Lakers only eight kills in the set. The momentum was temporary, however, as Grand Valley made a match of it in the fourth and final set. The teams jockeyed for control, powering down kills and making incredible defensive stands. Tied up 18-18, the Golden Bears took the final lead following a string of four straight Grand Valley errors.
Freshman Ellie Duffy looked nothing like a rookie as she led the team with 16 kills in the first semifinal match of her career. When asked about how it felt to be able to contribute on such a talented squad, Duffy replied, "When I step on the court, I know that I'm literally surrounded by All-Americans. I know that no matter what happens, they will pick me up."
In a storyline that could not have been formed any better, the 2008 Championship match featured #1 Concordia University and #2 Cal State San Bernardino. While the Golden Bears had 36 consecutive wins and the benefit of playing on their home court, the Coyotes were the only team to have defeated CU throughout the season.
Concordia dropped the match-opening set but rebounded with an incredible defensive showing to go up two games to one. The team out-dug the Coyotes and held them to hitting figures in the mid-.100 range in the second and third sets. CSUSB took a two-point win in the fourth set to send the game to a final set to 15 points.
The aggressive offenses played similarly throughout the evening and the fifth set went down to the wire. Down 11-13, the Golden Bears found a spark and rattled off the next three points, with CU seniors Whitney Meierotto and Maria Steinhagen each sending the crowd of 1,537 into an uproar with solo blocks. With match point at hand, Concordia's junior rightside hitter Sadie Kessler, who had been putting up outstanding figures all throughout the playoffs, put down the final kill in her second attempt to give the Golden Bears a back-to-back National Championship.
"It was an epic battle. It came down to a point here, a point there," said Starkey of the heated match. "I'm so proud of how this team fights. You can't train that."
All five of Concordia's hitters finished the match in double figures for kills. Kessler topped the list with 17, followed by Meierotto with 16 and Steinhagen, Emily Palkert and Ellie Duffy with 14 each. Maggie McNamara had a season high 70 assists. Keeping the team in the match defensively was junior Mary Slinger with 20 digs. The team had 12 blocks, including six from Palkert and five from Steinhagen and Meierotto.
The National Championship marked the first time in 13 years that a team went back-to-back with NCAA titles for volleyball (Northern Michigan, 1993 & 1994). Concordia led the NCAA in kills per set (15.22) and assists per set (14.60) and was third for hitting percentage (.304). Maggie McNamara was the 2008 AVCA Player of the Year. The team had five AVCA All-Americans (see list of accolades below) and took home the 2008 NSIC Offensive Player of the Year in Maggie McNamara, Defensive Player of the Year in Mary Slinger and Coach of the Year in Brady Starkey. The season marked the sixth straight 30+ win season for Starkey. The team advanced to their sixth straight NCAA Tournament, winning their fourth regional title.
Sophomore Emily Palkert led the CU offense for the second consecutive season with 454 kills (2nd NSIC) while hitting at a .344 average (4th NSIC) and racked up 97 blocks. She became the fastest player in CU history to 1,000 kills, reached on Dec. 4 against New Haven. Senior Whitney Meierotto came in second on the squad with 444 kills (3rd NSIC) and 447 digs. She marked 19 double-doubles this season.
Senior Maria Steinhagen had 358 kills and led the league with 136 blocks (1.05/s). Junior Sadie Kessler finished the year strong to lead the NSIC with a .351 hitting average. She had 312 kills, 93 assists and 235 digs. Ellie Duffy came up with 256 kills her rookie year, including a career high 18 against Augie on Oct. 31. Junior Maggie McNamara had an NCAA best 1,730 assists (13.41/s) and came in third on the team for digs with 298. Sophomore Rachel Knutsen was a steady presence on defense and collected 295 digs. She also led the team with 35 ace serves.
2008 CONCORDIA ACCOLADES
AVCA Division II Player of the Year
Maggie McNamara
NCAA All-Tournament Team
Maggie McNamara
Mary Slinger
Sadie Kessler
Maria Steinhagen
Ellie Duffy
Whitney Meierotto
AVCA All-America
Maggie McNamara (Player of the Year, 1st Team)
Emily Palkert (1st Team)
Maria Steinhagen (2nd Team)
Mary Slinger (2nd Team)
Whitney Meierotto (2nd Team)
Sadie Kessler (Honorable Mention)
AVCA All-Central Region
Maggie McNamara
Maria Steinhagen
Emily Palkert
Whitney Meierotto
Mary Slinger
Sadie Kessler (Honorable Mention)
AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year
Brady Starkey
Ron Lenz Daktronics National Player of the Year
Maggie McNamara
Daktronics All-Central Region
Maggie McNamara (Player of the Year, 1st Team)
Emily Palkert (1st Team)
Whitney Meierotto (1st Team)
Mary Slinger (2nd Team)
Central Region All-Tournament Team
Maggie McNamara
Maria Steinhagen
Ellie Duffy
Whitney Meierotto
CoSIDA Academic All-America
Maria Steinhagen (1st Team)
Mary Slinger (3rd Team)
CoSIDA academic All-District
Maria Steinhagen (1st Team)
Mary Slinger (1st Team)
Maggie McNamara (2nd Team)
Whitney Meierotto (2nd Team)
All-NSIC
Maria Steinhagen (1st Team)
Mary Slinger (1st Team)
Maggie McNamara (1st Team)
Whitney Meierotto (1st Team)
Sadie Kessler (1st Team)
Emily Palkert (1st Team)
NSIC Offensive Player of the Year
Maggie McNamara
NSIC Defensive Player of the Year
Mary Slinger
NSIC Coach of the Year
Brady Starkey
