CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa   The No. 2 Saint Xavier (Ill.) Cougars emerged victorious over the No. 6 Missouri Valley Vikings in the semifinal round of the 2025 NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Championship. SXU secured their spot in the championship final with a 3-1 victory, maintaining their perfect season record at 31-0.

The teams battled for control of the opening set until the Cougars put together the first three-point run of the set for a four-point advantage. SXU continued to hold the Vikings to one and two points at a time while compiling a 6-1 run to solidify their lead at 22-14. Saint Xavier maintained that lead and closed out the set 25-18 with a kill from Alessandro Gianotti.

Saint Xavier opened the second set with a five-point run that they would extend by as many as 13 points en route to a 25-13 set two win.

The Vikings reversed the script in set three and opened the set with a 12-3 run. MVC extended its lead by as many as 14 points, which set them up for a 25-11 win.

The teams remained within three points of each other through the front half of the fourth set. After nine tie scores at a score of 17 all, Saint Xavier went on the longest scoring run of the set, 8-3, to win the set 25-20.

Caydann Cox and Matt Pennala led the Cougars with 15 kills each. Cox posted a double-double, delivering 15 kills and 10 digs, as well as an impressive .458 attack percentage. Cameron Daniels was instrumental in directing the offense, providing 35 assists, while Andres Velez led the defense with 15 digs.

Missouri Valley was led by Andrey Bastos, who recorded 11 kills with a .474 hitting percentage. Samuel Essilfie also contributed double-digit kills for the Vikings at 10.

Saint Xavier advances to the championship for the first time. Friday’s victory sets the stage for an exciting championship final, where the Cougars will aim to cap off their undefeated season with a Red Banner. The Cougars will play the winner of The Master’s (Calif.) vs St. Thomas (Fla.) at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 3 in the Alliant Energy Powerhouse.