Point Lookout, M.O. – Eight seed Sterling College pulled off a pair of upsets in five sets, defeating #4 Mid-America Christian University and #5 Bethel University 3-2 to advance to the semifinals, while the top three seeds, #1 Columbia International University, #2 Grace College, and #3 Ohio Christian University, also punched their ticket to the semifinals to wrap up Pool Play at the 2025 NCCAA DI Women’s Volleyball National Championship on Thursday, December 4.
 
#8 Sterling College 3, #4 Mid-America Christian University 2
 
In a rematch of the Central Region Championship match, #8 Sterling College flipped the script and upset #4 Mid-America Christian University 3-2 to open day two of Pool Play.

• Both teams traded service aces in set one, with Ryley Bowden and Grace Battershell picking up aces for their respective sides, before a block from Casady McKinney and Mia Benson put Mid-America Christian ahead 9-6. Kills from McKinney and Alicia Obusekova put the Evangels up 14-10, but a trio of MACU errors and a kill from Chole Schmidt capped a quick run from Sterling, and the Warriors went ahead 19-17. The two squads traded the lead late, but a pair of kills from Obusekova sparked a 5-0 run for Mid-America Christian, as a block from Benson and Madi Trayler ended the set in favor of the Evangels 25-20.
• Sterling opened the second set on a roll, as a pair of blocks from Aliya McClanahan along with a Keala Wilson kill put the Warriors up 8-3. Aces from Bowden and Sydney Martin cut the Sterling lead to one, but a kill and a solo block from Schmidt put the Warriors back ahead 18-15. Back-to-back errors from MACU got the Warriors to set point, and despite a block from Obusekova, Sterling ended the set with a kill from McClanahan, taking set two 25-22 and tying the match 1-1.
• Set three was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team able to breakaway early, as a kill from Benson was answered by another McClanahan kill to tie the set at 14 points apiece. Back-to-back kills from Marcela Nalin, along with an ace from Obusekova pushed Mid-America Christian ahead 21-18, and a block from Benson and Nalin ended the set for the Evangels on a 3-0 run, taking the set 25-20 and a 2-1 advantage.
• Sterling jumped out to a quick 9-5 lead following an ace from Brooklyn Kuster and a kill from Keala Wilson. MACU rallied thanks to a pair of errors by the Warriors, and another Obusekova killed tied the set at 14. After the two teams traded points and tied the set 23-23, Sterling was able to win the last two points of the set, as a kill from McClanahan and an error by the Evangels pushed the Warriors to the 25-23 win and sent the match to a fifth set.
• Neither side could take the lead in the last set, until a Benson kill and an ace from McKinney put Mid-America Christian on top 11-9. Another Benson kill put the Evangels up 13-11, but a MACU error sparked a Sterling run, and three straight kills from McClanahan ended the match, as the Warriors came all the way back to upset Mid-America Christian, winning the final set 15-13.
• McClanahan finished the match with 18 kills and just two errors on 32 attacks, hitting a whopping .500, and added four block assists and one solo block for Sterling College. Wilson flirted with a double-double for the Warriors, recording eight kills and 12 digs, along with five block assists. Despite the loss, Obusekova tallied a double-double with 19 kills, 10 digs, one ace, one block assist, and one solo block for the Evangels. 

#3 Ohio Christian University 3, #7 College of the Ozarks 1
 
Aliah Snider flirted with a triple-double, as #3 Ohio Christian University held off #7 College of the Ozarks for the 3-1 victory to pick up their second win of Pool Play.

• Ohio Christian came out swinging in the opening frame, as kills from Kynedi Davis and Kennedy Bowling put the Trailblazers up 6-1 early. College of the Ozarks answered with a spurt of their own after kills from Christa Duffel and Cora Roweton cut the OCU lead down to 10-8. After three straight errors by the Bobcats, two blocks from Davis swelled Ohio Christian to a 19-12 advantage. A pair of kills from Duffel cut the Trailblazer lead to just three late, but Hailey Sembach and Lydia Watson answered with kills of their own, and Ohio Christian took the first set 25-21.
• Early rallies from both teams kept set two close early, but a kill from Anna Brunner and an ace from Audrey Riley put College of the Ozarks ahead 10-7. A pair of Bobcat errors put Ohio Christian down just three, before kills from Bri Linehan and Roweton pushed CofO up 18-12. An ace from Gabby Bozzay swelled the College of the Ozarks lead to 21-13, and kills from Brunner and Kalli Noell closed out the set, with the Bobcats taking set two 25-16 and tying the contest 1-1.
• CofO took control of the third set early, as a pair of Brunner kills and an Emma Godwin ace put the Bobcats up 8-4. A kill from Roweton swelled the College of the Ozarks lead to 14-7, and after a duo of kills from Bowling, a strike from Duffel put the Cats up 16-11. Down 17-13 after another Duffel punch, Ohio Christian took advantage of five straight CofO errors, and a kill from Julia Orndorf gave the Trailblazers a 21-17 advantage following an 8-0 outburst. The Bobcats would not go down quietly, as back-to-back aces from Anna Howell made it 23-22 in favor of OCU, but a nifty behind the back tip over the net from Aliah Snider scored the final point and clinched the set 25-23 for Ohio Christian, and the Trailblazers went ahead 2-1.
• Ohio Christian used their momentum from the previous set in set four, as a kill from Emma Hannah and a block from Snider and Lydia Watson put the Trailblazers ahead 11-6. A Bowling kill extended the lead to 16-11, before a Sembach smash put OCU up 19-13. Kills from Riley and a block by Roweton and Brunner let College of the Ozarks hang around late, but a kill from Emily King and an ace by Snider clinched the set for the Trailblazers, as Ohio Christian won their second match of the week, taking set four 25-18 and the match 3-1.
• Snider was all over the court for Ohio Christian, racking up eight kills, 17 assists, and 10 digs, just two kills short of a triple-double. Despite the loss, Brunner was phenomenal for College of the Ozarks, recording 12 kills and had five block assists.

#1 Columbia International University 3, #4 Mid-America Christian University 0
 
Top seed Columbia International University became the first team to officially punch their ticket to Friday’s semifinal matches, as the Rams rolled to their third victory of the week, defeating #4 Mid-America Christian University 3-0 to round out Pool Play.

• The Rams from the Palmetto State were rolling early, as a pair of kills from Katelynn Mundy and a strike from Lydia Gustafson made it 10-4 in favor of Columbia International. Back-to-back aces from Kelcey Mangum swelled the CIU lead to 14-5, before kills from Zcearia James and Mary Norwood pushed the Rams ahead 20-7. A kill from Alicia Obusekova and an ace by Madison Lee got the Evangels within 10, but kills from Gustafson and Mundy kept MACU at bay, and Columbia International took set one, 25-14.
• Set two opened with both teams trading points, before kills from Carlee Groneveld and Macy Brooks put Columbia International up 8-6. An ace from Kaetlen Schier and a kill by Mia Benson put Mid-America Christian up 10-9, before a quick 5-0 run punctuated by a kill from Norwood and an ace from Bellamy Fennell put CIU on top 16-12. Another Norwood kill and a connection by James put the Rams ahead 19-14, but a kill from Casady McKinney closed the gap for the Evangels, lowering the deficit to 21-18. Kills from Mundy and Bellar halted the MACU comeback, and CIU took set two 25-20 and a commanding 2-0 lead.
• CIU continued to pour it on in set three, as kills from Gustafson and Norwood put the Rams ahead 8-4. A block from Benson and Marcela Nalin cut the Rams lead down to just 9-7, but a Mangum ace and a James killed kept Columbia International on top 16-10. McKinney and Seyi Atolagbe added kills for MACU to keep the Evangels in the match, but two kills from Gustafson and Norwood again clinched it for Columbia International, as the Rams took set three 25-22 and the match 3-0 to win Pool A and move on to the semifinals.
• Norwood paced CIU with 12 kills, adding three block assists. Maria Ferreira picked up a double-double for the Rams, recording 19 assists and 10 digs.
• As a team, CIU hit .426 with just three errors, as James recorded 10 kills on 17 attacks with no errors to finish the match with an incredible .588 hitting percentage.

#2 Grace College 3, #3 Ohio Christian University 1
 
The title defense run continued for #2 Grace College, as the Lancers knocked off #3 Ohio Christian University 3-1 to complete the week 3-0 and take first place in Pool B.

• After trading points early, an ace from Julia Orndorf and a kill from Lydia Watson put Ohio Christian ahead 10-8, before back-to-back kills from Levyn Snow put Grace College ahead 12-11. A kill from Leah Henderson sparked a run for the Lancers, as Callie Jo Celichowski picked up a kill and a block with her teammate Anna Elkin to put Grace up 23-15. Elkin ended the set with another kill, and Grace College took set one 25-18.
• Ohio Christian took advantage of some early Grace miscues in the second set, and a kill from Aliah Snider put the Trailblazers up 9-1. The two teams traded errors for a bit, before a block by Kynedi Davis and Hailey Sembach put OCU ahead 17-10. Another kill from Sembach put Ohio Christian up 20-13, and two more Lancer errors swelled the Trailblazer advantage to 23-14. A Snow kill kept Grace alive for the moment, but Watson ended the set with authority for OCU, and Ohio Christian tied up the match with a 25-16 set two victory.
• Set three saw a role reversal from the previous verse, as four errors by Ohio Christian and a kill by Snow put the Lancers up 7-1 early. A kill from Olivia Martinez and an ace by Liz Schmidt swelled the Grace advantage to 14-7, before back-to-back kills from Watson cut the Lancer lead to 17-11. Ohio Christian took advantage of four straight Grace College errors to cut the deficit down to 18-15, before Martinez put the team on her back, picking up a block with Livia Tate and adding two kills to push Grace ahead 21-15. The Trailblazers then committed two attack errors of their own, and another Schmidt ace gave the set to Grace College 25-18, and the Lancers took a 2-1 lead into set four.
• Neither side backed down in the fourth set, as the two teams traded the first eight points, before Grace College used a block from Tate and Henderson to spark a run, and a Henderson kill put the Lancers up 9-4. A kill from Elkin put Grace up 17-12, but a block from Watson and Orndorf helped OCU stay around, and three straight errors by Grace gave Ohio Christian a 19-18 lead. Martinez once again brought the momentum back for Grace College, picking up two kills and an ace from Carsyn Witt put the Lancers up 23-19. Orndorf picked up another kill for OCU, but a kill from Molly Hofmann and an ace from Martinez ended the contest, as Grace College took the set 25-20, the match 3-1, and completed the 3-0 week in Pool Play to win Pool B.
• Martinez and Snow led the Lancers with nine kills each, as Martinez recorded 13 digs, two aces and one block assist, while Snow added eight digs and one block assist. Schmidt tallied 31 digs and had three aces for Grace College.

#8 Sterling College 3, #5 Bethel University 2
 
For the second time in one day, #8 Sterling College forced five sets and completed a come-from-behind upset victory, defeating #5 Bethel University 3-2 to advance to the semifinals of the 2025 NCCAA DI Women’s Volleyball National Championship.

• Sterling College jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead after a pair of kills from Aliya McClanahan, but three kills from Ainsley Tacke helped Bethel tie the match at 6-6. Both teams traded points for a bit, with Liberty Pierson and Kaira Rodriguez trading kills to keep the set tied 14-14. An ace from Grace Battershell followed by a kill from Keala Wilson gave the Warriors the slight lead, before Bethel answered with an ace of their own from Lily Vester and a block from Taylor Delp to push the Pilots ahead 19-18. Back-to-back slams from Kodie Herd put Sterling back in front 21-19, but a block by Tacke and Delp, and an ace from Haley Johnson put Bethel back ahead 22-21. Two more Delp kills gave the Pilots set point, and an error by the Warriors gave set one to Bethel 25-22, as the Mishawakians took the 1-0 lead.
• Bethel looked to pull away early in set two, as kills from Tacke and Haley Bidenbach put the Pilots up 6-3, and a strike from Bosket pushed the advantage to 10-7. Another kill from Tacke put Bethel up 14-11, but two Pilot errors and kills for Herd and Wilson put the Warriors on top 18-16. After a Bosket kill cut the Sterling lead to one, Branson native Maddie Lundeen put on a show for her hometown crowd, picking up two kills to help Sterling pull away and go up 23-18, before one final Wilson kill gave the Warriors the set two victory, 25-20, tying the match 1-1.
• The Pilots sailed ahead early and often in set three, as another Vester ace and a kill from Tacke off a diving dig by Delp put Bethel ahead 9-3. Sophia Beeson added a kill of her own later in the set, sparking a Pilot run, as an ace from Bidenbach put Bethel up 15-7. Pierson and Tacke added two more kills to swell the Bethel advantage to 20-11, and another strike from Beeson increased the lead to 23-13. Abi Howard got a kill for Sterling late, but yet another kill from Beeson made it set point, and an ace by Bidenbach iced it for the Pilots 25-14, taking set three and a 2-1 lead.
• Bethel looked to end the match and force tiebreaker sets on Friday with a win in set four, going ahead 4-2 after kills from Pierson and Delp, but a McClanahan kill tied the contest back at five points apiece. The two foes traded points for a while, as Sterling pulled ahead 12-10 off a kill from Howard, but Bethel tied it back up at 14 with a Tacke spike. After an ace from Vester tied the set again at 19, two kills from Wilson put the Warriors ahead 23-21. A Chloe Schmidt kill made it set point for Sterling, and an error by Bethel helped Sterling stay alive and force a fifth set for the second time in one day with a 25-23 win.
• The final set opened with back-and-forth swings for both sides, before kills from Schmidt and Wilson put Sterling on top 8-5 and forced a Bethel timeout. An attack error by the Pilots helped the Warriors reach 10 points, and another Wilson kill made it match point for the eighth seeded Sterling College. Despite a kill from Tacke to get a point back for the Pilots, McClanahan ended the contest for the second time in one day, earning a kill and punching Sterling’s ticket to the semifinals, winning set five 15-10 and taking the 3-2 victory.
• Wilson recorded a triple-double for the Warriors, tallying 13 kills, 21 assists, and 14 digs in the win for Sterling. McClanahan added 14 kills of her own, along with two solo blocks and seven block assists, as Sterling College recorded 13 total blocks.
• The eighth-seeded Warriors are the lowest seed to advance to the NCCAA DI Women’s Volleyball Semifinals since McMurry University did so as the ten seed in 2012. McMurry went on to win the national championship that year.

#7 College of the Ozarks 3, #6 Clinton College 1
 
In the final match of Pool Play, #7 College of the Ozarks held on for 3-1 victory over #6 Clinton College.

• After a Monica Burns kill made it 7-6 in favor of College of the Ozarks, kills from Bri Linehan and Cora Roweton put the Bobcats up 10-7. The two squads traded points early, but two more Linehan kills and a kill from Anna Brunner put CofO ahead 22-16. Aubrey Evans earned a kill for Clinton late, but Christa Duffel ended the set with a kill of her own, and College of the Ozarks took the first frame 25-19.
• College of the Ozarks opened the second set with four straight points after kills from Roweton and Linehan, and a Kalli Noell kill put the Bobcats on top 6-3. Linehan and Roweton added two more kills, and a Kamryn Link connection pushed the CofO lead to 15-9. A kill from Alexia Cunningham followed by an ace from Sierra Smith made it just a four point deficit for Clinton, but back-to-back aces from Faith Klindworth pushed the Bobcats ahead 22-15. Linehan added a kill to make it set point for College of the Ozarks, and then teamed up with Brunner to end set two 25-17, as CofO took a 2-0 advantage.
• Clinton would not go away quietly, as a kill from Charla White put the Golden Bears up 5-4 early in the third set. Cunningham and Rodrigo added two more kills, and a Sierra Faulkner strike put Clinton on top 10-6. A kill from Brinley Watson got College of the Ozarks within two, but another kill from Rodrigo and a Sierra Smith kill put the Bears ahead 20-16. An ace by Burns made it 22-18, and back-to-back kills from Cunningham ended the set in favor of Clinton, as the Golden Bears forced set four with a 25-20 win.
• The two sides traded points in the fourth set, as kills from Cunningham and Roweton tied the contest 10-10. Clinton pulled ahead thanks to a pair of Burns kills to go up 13-10, but an ace from Kamryn Link and a kill from Linehan gave College of the Ozarks a 16-15 advantage. Two kills from Brunner increased the Bobcat lead, but a late charge from the Golden Bears made it 24-20 in favor of CofO. In a fitting end to the season, and of her collegiate career, the senior Linehan ended the match with the game-winning kill for the Bobcats, as College of the Ozarks took the set 25-22 and the match 3-1.
• Linehan led the way for CofO, hitting an impressive .531 with 18 kills and just one error on 32 attacks, adding two blocks and an assist. Brunner tallied 12 kills on just 14 total attacks with one error to hit .786, while also picking up three block assists.
• Despite the loss, Cunningham paced Clinton with 24 kills on 39 attacks and had just three errors, hitting .538 for the Golden Bears. She also added three total blocks and one dig in her final game in the black and gold.

Semifinals begin from Keeter Gymnasium on Friday, December 5, at 3:00 P.M. CT. Box scores, live stats, and live video from every game at the 2025 NCCAA DI Women’s Volleyball National Championship can be found here.
 
About the NCCAA
Established in 1968, the National Christian College Athletic Association uses intercollegiate athletics to further the Great Commission and is committed to equipping student-athletes and coaches to make a positive impact for Christ. The NCCAA currently holds 23 national championship events, along with one national invitational for 88 member schools across 28 states and two Canadian provinces. For more information on the NCCAA, visit our website, thenccaa.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram at @thenccaa.