After the Concordia (St. Paul) volleyball team rallied to defeat St. Cloud State in five sets in the Division II Central Regional championship match Saturday, Golden Bears coach Brady Starkey said his team keeps finding ways to win.
“I’m proud of them,” Starkey said. “They just battled and battled. You think they’re out. You think they’re done. And they find a way to come back, and they do it with a smile. It’s a huge deal if you want to go far this time of the year, if you can keep it light. This is a fun group to be around.”
The Golden Bears (29-5) will take on Gannon (27-7) in the quarterfinals of the Division II tournament Thursday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Golden Bears, who were swept by St. Cloud State at home in the NSIC tournament championship match Nov. 22, are making their first appearance in the quarterfinals since 2022.
The Golden Bears, who are the tournament’s No. 2 seed, will be vying for their Division II-record 10th national championship. The Golden Bears won nine titles — including seven in a row — between 2007 and 2017.
“From year to year, every group is different,” said Starkey, who is in his 22nd season as the Golden Bears coach and has a 688-96 career record. “This group is scrappy.”
The Golden Bears are led by outside hitter Makenna Nold, the NSIC Player of the Year and the AVCA Central Region Player of the Year. The sophomore from Jamestown, N.D., who had 26 kills in the regional victory over St. Cloud State, has 495 kills on the season.
Mehlayna Straub, a junior middle blocker from Southwest Christian High School, has 332 kills. Ellie Seiling, a senior outside hitter from Lakeville South, has 303 kills.
Gannon, the Atlantic Regional champion, is the No. 7 seed. The Golden Knights are led by junior hitter Sydney Wake, who has 347 kills.
