WILDCATS COMPLETE PERFECT SEASON; CLAIM PROGRAM’S FIRST RED BANNER
SIOUX CITY, IA. – In a battle between the top two seeds in the NAIA, Indiana Wesleyan volleyball claimed the program’s first Red Banner on Tuesday night, defeating No. 1 Northwestern College 3-2 in the title game. The Wildcat’s overcame a 2-1 deficit in front of 2,300 fans, capping off a perfect 38-0 record. The sophomore connection of Abbigail Porter and Eva Joldersma connected for the final point as Porter set Joldersma for the final kill.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location:Â Sioux City, IAÂ | Tyson Event Center
- Records:Â IWU – 38-0, 18-0 CRLÂ | NWCÂ – 31-3, 14-2Â GPAC
- NAIA Top-25 Ranking: IWU – #2Â | NWCÂ – #1
MATCH VITALS
- Indiana Wesleyan opened the first set with a 5-2 run, but the momentum went to Northwestern as the Red Raiders put together an 8-2 run that gave them a three point advantage. From that point forward, NWC held the Wildcats at bay to take the opening set.
- Â IWU limited the NWC scoring runs to two and three points while the Wildcats were able to put together a couple of four point runs that would give them the advantage that allowed them to tie the match at a set apiece with a 25-20 set two win.
- The Red Raiders used an eight point run before the Wildcats got on the board in the third set. NWC continued its scoring run to 12-2 before Indiana Wesleyan found their footing. The Red Raiders, however, had enough space for a 25-13 set three win.
- Indiana Wesleyan answered Northwestern in set four, opening the set with a 9-4 run that they would extend to as many as eight points to tie the match up once again.
- The teams matched each other point for point in set five until a tie score of eight when IWU went on a four point run that gave the Wildcats the lead. Indiana Wesleyan allowed Northwestern only two points after their initial run en route to a 15-10 set five win and the program’s first national title.
KEY WILDCATS
- Eva Joldersma – 25 kills, .390 hit percentage, 9 digs
- Marissa Mullins – 15 kills, 4 blocks
- Marta Zambetti –  13 kills, .385 hitting percentage, 5 digs
- Abbigail Porter – 58 assists, 11 digs
- Cadee Notter – 18 digs
- Rebekah Sergent – 17 kills
Recap of the 2023 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Championship
Dec 06, 2023
The 2023 NAIA Women’s Volleyball battle for the red banner ended in a five set match that gave Indiana Wesleyan an undefeated season they will not forget.
Northwestern (Iowa) opened the season with a nine match win streak only to be stopped by the defending national champions, Jamestown (N.D.). From that point, College of Saint Mary (Neb.) was the only other team to deal the Red Raiders a loss. NWC rides a 17-match win streak into its first championship match appearance.
Indiana Wesleyan takes an unblemished record into its first championship match appearance. The Wildcats have dropped only 11 sets on the season and only one team, IU Kokomo (Ind.), pushed IWU to a fifth set during pool play during the national championship.
With so much success during the regular season and conference postseason play, it is not a wonder that these two teams qualified for the tournament with automatic bids as their respective conference regular-season and conference tournament champions.
Their success also showed in the Coaches’ Top 25 Ratings, where after the first regular season poll, neither team dropped outside of the Top 5. Toward the end of the regular season, Indiana Wesleyan earned its first No. 1 rank and Northwestern notched its third and fourth No. 1 rank in program history.
Northwestern maintained the No. 1 seed into tournament play and is the first No. 1 seed to advance to the championship match since Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) did so in 2017. Indiana Wesleyan enters the championship match as the No. 2 seed and it was just last year, in 2022, when a two seed claimed the title.
Set one opened with Indiana Wesleyan going on a 5-2 run, but the momentum swung in favor of Northwestern as the Red Raiders put together an 8-2 run that gave them a three point advantage. From that point forward, NWC held the Wildcats at bay to take the opening set with a double block by Zavyr Metzger and Savonne Sterk.
IWU limited the NWC scoring runs to two and three points in the second set, while the Wildcats put together a couple of four point runs that gave them the advantage and allowed them to tie the match at a set apiece.
The Red Raiders returned from the locker room and put up an eight point run before the Wildcats got on the board. NWC continued its scoring run to 12-2 before Indiana Wesleyan started to close the scoring gap. The Red Raiders, however, had enough space to take the lead in the match with the 25-13 set three win.
In true back-and-forth action, Indiana Wesleyan had an answer for Northwestern in set four. The Wildcats opened the set with a 9-4 run that they would extend to as many as eight points to take the fourth set and tie the match up once again.
Northwestern became one of two teams to force Indiana Wesleyan to a fifth set as the teams matched each other point for point until a tie score of eight when IWU landed a four point run for the lead. Indiana Wesleyan only allowed Northwestern two points after the Wildcats initial run en route to a 15-10 set five win that earned IWU its first title.
This was only the seventh championship match that has gone to five sets. Five out of the last six years the championship match has gone to five sets.
Jazlin De Haan of Northwestern and Eva Joldersma of Indiana Wesleyan led all scorers with 25 kills apiece.
Olivia Granstra of NWC had a huge night nearly matching her season high with 31 digs on the night.
With the win, Head Coach Candace Moats is now the 7th female head coach to win a national title. A female head coach has won an NAIA Women’s Volleyball title 13 times.
IWU became a member of a select number of teams to go undefeated in the tournament. The last time a team went undefeated was in 2017.
All-Tournament Team
Callie Bickmore, Vanguard (Calif.)
Jazlin De Haan, Northwestern (Iowa)
Alysen Dexter, Northwestern (Iowa)
Zavyr Metzger, Northwestern (Iowa)
Luisa Ferreira, Columbia (Mo.)
Ellie Holen, Jamestown (N.D.)
Martina McGrath, Viterbo (Wis.)
Kenzie Winker, Viterbo (Wis.)
Marissa Mullins, Indiana Wesleyan
Abbigail Porter, Indiana Wesleyan
Lauryn Samuelson, Midland (Neb.)
Rylee Troutman, Corban (Ore.)
Keira Vaughn, Eastern Oregon
Sade Williams, Eastern Oregon
Tournament Attacker of the Year: Eva Joldersma, Indiana Wesleyan
Tournament Setter of the Year: Abbigail Porter, Indiana Wesleyan
Tournament Defender of the Year: Ellie Holen, Jamestown (N.D.)
Tournament Most Valuable Player: Eva Joldersma, Indiana Wesleyan
Tournament Coach of the Year: Candace Moats, Indiana Wesleyan