Point Lookout, M.O. – Second-seeded Grace College became the first team to win three straight NCCAA DI Women’s Volleyball National Championships since 1991, winning the 2025 NCCAA DI Women’s Volleyball National Championship 3-0 over #1 Columbia International University on Saturday, December 6.
 
Highlights

• Columbia International opened the match on a 7-2 run, as a pair of blocks from Lydia Gustafson and two kills from Mary Norwood guided the Rams quick start. A wild play from CIU saw two diving digs from Carlee Groneveld and Macy Brooks set up Norwood for another kill, and a third block from Gustafson increased Columbia International’s lead to 12-6. Another strike from Norwood was answered with an Eevy Bellar ace, and CIU went ahead 18-11. Grace was able to respond, as a kill from Leah Henderson kicked off a 6-0 run for the Lancers, and a strike from Anna Elkin cut the Rams lead to just 18-17. Gustafson continued to roll, picking up another block to put CIU ahead 21-18, but a block from Molly Hofmann and Livia Tate kept Grace alive, and a kill from Hofmann tied the set at 23-23. The Lancers ended the set with back-to-back blocks, as a stop Levyn Snow and Callie Jo Celichowski gave Grace their first lead of the set since it was 2-0, while a block from Celichowski and Hofmann ended the set in favor of the Lancers, as Grace took the opening stanza 25-23.
• Set two was déjà vu for CIU, going up 7-2 thanks to a trio of Grace errors and a kill from Norwood. A kill from Zcearia James and another Gustafson block put Columbia International up 12-3, their largest lead of the set. Grace did not back down, as kills from Snow and Elkin cut the deficit in half, before a block from Livia Tate and Elkin made it 20-17 in favor of Columbia International. The Lancers went on a run, as a kill from Elkin made it a one point set, with an ace from Emma Blackford tying the set 21-21. Snow gave the lead to the Lancers with a big kill, and then ended the set on her terms with another strike, and Grace College rallied to take set two 25-22 and take a 2-0 advantage. 
• Grace College left no doubt in set three, jumping out to a 12-5 lead thanks to a block from Celichowski and Henderson, and an ace from Olivia Martinez. A kill from Groneveld got CIU back into the game, and a kill from Bellar cut Grace’s lead to 17-12. The Lancers got hot at the end of the set once again, scoring six straight points, starting off with kills from Snow and Elkin, and Celichowski ended the match with a pair of kills, as Grace College won the set 25-13 and completed the sweep for their third straight national championship.
• Celichowski paced the Lancers with 12 kills and just two errors on 19 attacks, hitting .526 for the match, adding three block assists and a dig.
• Grace College is the first NCCAA school to win three DI Women’s Volleyball National Championships in a row since Taylor University did so from 1989-1991.

Mary Norwood of Columbia International University was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. The entire All-Tournament Team for the 2025 NCCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball 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.