Three athletes with Clay County ties will hit the volleyball court and the football field this fall for Concordia University in Seward.
Kate Griess, the daughter of Jarod and Jolene Griess, of Sutton heads into her fourth season with the Bulldog volleyball team.
The 5-6 defensive specialist appeared in 30 of Concordia’s 31 matches as a freshman (106 sets) during the Bulldogs’ 27-4 campaign in 2024. She had 51 digs, 19 aces, and eight assists last season.
The Bulldogs opened their season this past week with four straight victories over York University, Columbia College, Mid America Nazarene University, and, in impressive fashion, Concordia, which was the preseason-ranked number four team in NAIA, knocked off the defending national champion, and top-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University in five sets this past Friday in Indiana. Concordia’s football team features two players with Clay County ties, including Sutton graduate Jesse Herndon and Sandy Creek graduate Karson Sherman.
Herndon, a 2022 graduate of Sutton High School, and the son of Scott and Annette Herndon of Saronville, is a running back for the Bulldogs. During his junior season in 2024 carried the ball 24 times for 101 yards on one touchdown, and his biggest game was a 49-yard, one-touchdown performance against Briar Cliff.
Sherman, the son of Kevin and Janice Sherman of rural Glenvil, is a linebacker on the 2025 Bulldog roster.
Griess
Herndon
Sherman
