When the Concordia (St. Paul) volleyball team lost in the NSIC tournament semifinals last week in Duluth, it marked the third consecutive year the Golden Bears have lost in the conference tournament.
After losses in 2012 and 2013, the Golden Bears regrouped to earn their sixth and seventh consecutive NCAA Division II national titles.
"I'll never say there is a good loss," Concordia coach Brady Starkey said. "But at this point in the season, maybe it's not a bad thing. It will help us refocus."
The Golden Bears, who have won 42 consecutive matches in NCAA tournament play, face a daunting road in their bid for an eighth consecutive national title.
The Golden Bears return to Duluth this week as the No. 2 seed in the eight-team Central Regional. NSIC champion Minnesota Duluth is the No. 1 seed.
Of the eight teams in the regional, five are ranked in the top six in the Division II poll — UMD (No. 2), Concordia (No. 3), Southwest Minnesota State and Nebraska-Kearney (tied for No. 4) and Wayne State (No. 6). Two other regional teams — Washburn (No. 14) and Central Missouri (No. 16) — are ranked in the Top 25.
The Golden Bears, who lost to UMD twice during the regular season, have only one senior on their roster. They will play Washburn in Thursday's quarterfinals.
"There have been a couple of hiccups along the way," Starkey said. "It's been a learning process and a growing process. But this team has kept getting better. Playing up there [in Duluth] last week was a great precursor. It showed our team what it's going to be like this week."
