No.1 Defeated by Two-Time Defending National Champions in Five

SIOUX CITY, Iowa [BOX SCORE | BRACKET | SCHEDULE] – In the 2025 NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Semifinal Round, the Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats emerged victorious over the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers with a hard-fought 3-2 battle (25-20, 23-25, 19-25, 25-15, 15-11).

The Wildcats started strong, taking the first set 25-20, but EOU quickly responded by winning the next two sets 25-23 and 25-19, respectively. IWU rallied to win the fourth set 25-15, forcing a decisive fifth set. In the final stretch, Indiana Wesleyan went on a 9-2 scoring run to clinch the victory with a 15-11 set win.

Indiana Wesleyan was led by freshman rightside hitter Shae Williams, who recorded 25 kills and an impressive hitting percentage of .477. Marissa Mullins also contributed significantly with 16 kills and a .536 hitting percentage, while Eva Joldersma added 22 kills. Setter, Abbigail Porter, dished out 61 assists at 12.2 per set, to go along with 17 digs. IWU’s backline was led by Dayessi Luis with 21 digs and Cadee Notter with 20.

The Mountaineers’ efforts were highlighted by Keira Vaughn, who delivered 20 kills and maintained a .236 hitting percentage. Brooke Womack contributed 13 kills, and Kiauna Mack added nine kills. Kate Stidham and Madison Vaughn led EOU’s offense with 26 and 21 assists, respectively. Defensively, Jaycee Villastrigo led the team with 23 digs, followed closely by Womack with 22.

With the loss, Eastern Oregon is eliminated from championship play.

IWU moves on to play in the championship match for the third year straight and third in program history.

Indiana Wesleyan is in a position to win a third Championship title in three years. The last time a team won three in a row was 2007-10 when former member, Fresno Pacific (Calif.), won four in a row. Only three teams in NAIA history have won three or more titles in as many years.

The Wildcats will return to action Tuesday, December 10, at 7 p.m. CT, taking on the winner of Concordia (Neb.) vs. Northwestern (Iowa) to decide who wins the Battle for the Red Banner.