SEWARD, Neb. – Down goes No. 1!

The College of Saint Mary volleyball team pulled off a huge upset Saturday by defeating the No. 1-ranked team in the country. CSM – ranked No. 9 in the NAIA – defeated Concordia University 3-1 by scores of 25-22, 25-23, 21-25 and 25-21.

The match also had huge Great Plains Athletic Conference implications as the Bulldogs were sitting on top of the conference standings.

"What a great win on the road," CSM Coach Rick Pruett said. "We had a great game plan and the ladies executed. We stayed poised even after losing the third set. I'm so proud of the mental toughness we showed and the competitiveness that we have been striving for."

Azaria Green was dominant in the match for the Flames. The freshman had 18 kills, a .516 hitting percentage and three blocks assists. Grace Werner tallied 12 kills, Lexie Langley belted 11 and Alex Radcliffe finished with eight. Setter Miranda Ring led CSM with 30 assists, while teammate Lauren Anderson added 26.

Defensively, Kamryn Willman and Mackenzie Vitosh both tallied six block assists. Libero Rachel Cushing had a match-high 19 digs, Ring added 11 and Anderson had 10.

The Flames hit .222 on the day, while Concordia hit .210. CSM outblocked the Bulldogs 20-9.

"Obviously Azaria and Grace were beasts for us," Pruett said. "Azaria with 18 kills and a .516 hitting percentage and Grace with 12 kills. Defensively we were great with 20 blocks and then great defense behind the block not letting balls hit the floor. Our setters were so good today connecting with their hits.

"A great team win. I am very proud of this team."

The Flames are now 9-4 in the GPAC and 21-5 overall. Concordia drops to 11-2, 18-2.

CSM returns to action Wednesday at home against Midland. It will be the final regular season home match for the Flames. Junior varsity plays at 6 p.m. and varsity starts at 7:30 p.m.

*In JV play Saturday, Concordia defeated the Flames 2-0 by scores of 25-14, 27-25.