Indiana Wesleyan Defends Title in Five Set Thriller

Wildcats down 14-8 in fifth set, rally to score the final 8-points to win crown

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Battle for the Red Banner concluded inside the Tyson Events Center on Tuesday evening, where the No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats outlasted the No. 5 Bellevue (Neb.) Bruins in a five set (25-22, 16-25, 13-25, 25-18, 16-14) thriller.

After going undefeated in 2023-24, the Wildcats opened the 2024-25 season with a win over Midland (Neb.). IWU was handed its first loss against IU Kokomo (Ind.) in the team’s second match of the season and suffered their second loss three matches later versus Concordia (Neb.). From then on, Indiana Wesleyan carried a win streak from August 24 through the remainder of the regular season and into the postseason, where they won the Crossroads League title and advanced to play in the NAIA Championship field as an automatic qualifier.

Bellevue opened the season very similarly with a win over Corban (Ore.) to kick the season off and was handed its first loss against Southern Oregon later that day. The team only suffered two other losses on the season against Oklahoma Wesleyan and Jamestown (N.D.). The Bruins would go on to win the North Star Athletic Association Tournament to be an automatic qualifier for the NAIA Championship field.

Once in NAIA Championship play, the Wildcats lost only one set to Montana Tech in pool play, while all other matches were won in straight sets.

Bellevue had a different route to the championship match, where they lost to Providence (Mont.) in pool play and won against Marian (Ind.), which forced a tiebreak scenario in which the Bruins beat both teams to advance to the quarterfinals. Only two of the five matches that the Bruis competed in the championship field leading up to the championship match were won by BU in three sets.

The last time a team advanced to the championship after advancing out of pool play in a tiebreak scenario was in 2022 when Midland (Neb.) advanced out of pool play on a tiebreak and finished as the runner-up.

The teams battled through their side of the bracket and met for the first time this season in the Tyson Events Center on Tuesday night in the final Battle for the Red Banner.

In the opening set, Indiana Wesleyan did not allow Bellevue to score more than three points at a time. IWU held an initial 5-2 lead that the Wildcats maintained until Bellevue tied things up at 21. BU scored the following point, but after a four-point run by the Wildcats, IWU closed out the set 25-22 with a kill off the head of Julia Price.

The Bruins flipped the script in set two as the teams battled through eight scoring ties before Bellevue went on a 13-1 scoring run that tied the score at 14 and advanced BU to set point. Marrisa Mullins snuck in a kill for IWU before the Bruins tied the match at one set apiece with a kill from Eve Fountain to take the second set 25-16.

Bellevue continued to capitalize on its momentum in the set two win and gained an early 5-1 lead. The Bruins did not allow the Wildcats to score more than two points at a time in the set. BU had its largest run of the match that was sparked by a kill off the hand of Ali Butler for a 7-2 run to win the set 25-13 and captured the lead in the match at 2-1.

IWU turned the tables as the team opened the fourth set with a 7-3 run that gave them a lead they would not surrender to even the match score at two sets apiece after a 25-18 set four win.

For the eighth time in NAIA Championship history and fifth consecutive year, the championship match advanced to a fifth set.

Indiana Wesleyan scored the set’s first three points, but Bellevue answered with a five-point run en route to match point. However, at 14-8, the Wildcats upended the narrative and kepts freshman Autumn Colehour at the service line while the team went on an eight-point run to defend their title and win back-to-back NAIA National Championships with a 16-14 fifth set win.

The last time a team won back-to-back championships was when Missouri Baptist won in 2020 and 2021. Indiana Wesleyan became the seventh team in championship history to win a title in consecutive years.

Eva Joldersma led Indiana Wesleyan with 17 kills. Her teammate Martina Demarchi added a double-double with 17 kills and 15 digs in the match. Cadee Notter also notched double-digit digs with 12. Abigail Porter posted a double-double as she directed the offense with 40 assists and contributed on defense with 10 digs. Julia Price led all blockers with four assisted blocks and two solo blocks in the match. Marissa Mullins also contributed four assisted blocks.

On the other side of the net, Eve Fountain of Bellevue had an impressive performance where she recorded a double-double with 23 kills and 16 digs. Fountain also recorded an outstanding attack percentage of .413, with only four errors on 47 swings. The Bruins’ defense was led by Lia Aiwohi, who tallied 20 digs. Taylan Keefer followed with double-digit at 15. Savanna Berger was a force at the net for the Bruins with four assisted blocks and one solo block.

All-Tournament Team

Savanna Berger, Bellevue (Neb.)

Eve Fountain, Bellevue (Neb.)

Ashley Keck, Concordia (Neb.)

Makayla Roginski, Corban (Ore.)

Marissa Uehara, Corban (Ore.)

Kiauna Mack, Eastern Oregon

Martina Demarchi, Indiana Wesleyan

Eva Joldersma, Indiana Wesleyan

Abbigail Perter, Indiana Wesleyan

Jazi Smith, Montana Western

Megan Perry, Southern Oregon

Hannah Stadstad, Southern Oregon

Tayla Barnes, St. Thomas (Fla.)

Suelen Lima, William Carey (Miss.)

Attacker of the Tournament: Eva Joldersma, Indiana Wesleyan

Setter of the Tournament: Abbigail Porter, Indiana Wesleyan

Defender of the Tournament: Marissa Uehara, Corban (Ore.)

Tournament MVP: Eva Joldersma, Indiana Wesleyan

Coach of the Tournament: Candace Moats, Indiana Wesleyan