Cedar Rapids, Iowa – The No. 2 ranked Saint Xavier University men’s volleyball team (31-1/12-0 CCAC) came up short in its quest to win the NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Championship Saturday evening, losing to No. 1 The Master’s University (Calif.) in four sets (26-28, 23-25, 25-18, 19-25) at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Cougars finished the season by tying the NAIA record for most consecutive wins at 31 with the 2019 Missouri Baptist University team, as well as tying the record for most wins in a season along with Missouri Baptist and the 2019 Aquinas College (Mich.) squad. After the match, junior libero Andres Velez was named to the All-Tournament Team, earning the honor for the second season in a row.

• Senior opposite hitter/setter Matt Pennala posted a match-high 20 kills, his fourth match with 20 or more kills in 2025. He breaks the SXU single-season record for kills, coming away with 395, topping the old mark of 387 set by former standout Shane Ooms (2021-22, 24) in 2022. Pennala added eight assists, eight digs, three blocks and two service aces. He also broke the program record for points in a season in the semifinals against Missouri Valley College, collecting 477.5 and besting the record of 448.5 set by former standout Sam Kull (2013-15), who had 448.5 points in 2015.
• Velez scooped up a match-best 17 digs, along with two assists and a kill. He broke his own school record for digs in season, finishing with 362, 10 more than he had last season (352), doing so in 11 fewer sets (116-105).
• Sophomore setter Cameron Daniels dished out a match-leading 43 assists with five digs, three kills and two blocks. He became just the third player in team history to record 1,000 or more assists in a season, totaling 1,020. Daniels joins former NAIA All-American Joe Lock (2022), who had 1,163 assists and former NAIA All-American Aaron Kummer (2017-21), who had 1,074 assists in 2019.
• Redshirt senior outside hitter Vejas Cuplinskas recorded 12 kills, two blocks, an assist and a dig.
• Sophomore outside hitter Caydann Cox registered his sixth double-double of the season, and third of the tournament, with 11 digs and 11 kills. He also had four assists and a block.
• Graduate student middle blocker Drew Ehlers was tough at the net, finishing with nine kills on a .750 attack percentage (9-0-12), a team-high five blocks, an ace and a dig.
• Junior opposite hitter Oskar Krzyzak tallied three blocks and three kills.
• Senior outside hitter Sean Carey had four digs and a pair of assists.
• Senior middle blocker Alessandro Gianotti chipped in four blocks and a kill.