SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Southern Oregon ran into a different, unforgiving animal on Monday night in the NAIA Volleyball Championship semifinals.
Defending champion Indiana Wesleyan swept the Raiders by scores of 27-25, 25-20 and 25-18, terminating the deepest run in SOU team history at the Tyson Events Center. The No. 2-seeded Wildcats (36-2 overall) will bring a 33-match winning streak into Tuesday's championship match, where they'll be a heavy favorite against No. 5 seed Bellevue (Neb.).
The Raiders (32-4), whose 10-person rotation included eight decorated seniors appearing in uniform for the last time, concluded the program's 55th season with their highest-ever win percentage.
They fell despite keeping in check outside hitter Eva Joldersma, the reigning NAIA Player of the Year. She needed 40 attempts to reach 10 kills and committed eight errors, but All-American setter Abbigail Porter successfully explored alternate avenues with Martina Demarchi and Julia Price, who combined for 25 kills and three errors on 48 swings.
The Raiders had some high-level responses to create a few openings, none bigger than when they climbed out of a five-point hole to take a 24-22 lead in the first set. Back-to-back Demarchi kills extended the frame, and she gave it to the Wildcats with two more.
SOU trailed by six points in the second before trimming the lead to 17-16 when three straight attacking errors put IWU back in control. The Raiders went down by five early in the third, tied it at 14-14, then watched as a serve into the net and consecutive blocks launched a 7-0 Wildcats run.
IWU's defense repeatedly deflated comeback hopes, sinking the Raiders to a .116 attack, their lowest in 52 matches dating back to last season. Cadee Notter collected 18 digs, Camaya Murry had 14, and Price was a formidable presence at the net with five blocks.
SOU outside hitter
Mylena Testoni matched IWU's defense with a career-high 24 digs.
Megan Perry led the team with eight kills and
Marin Mackey had seven with eight digs.
Sadie Byrd – who in Saturday's five-set quarterfinal win against Eastern Oregon broke the team record for career blocks – brought her final total to 535 by assisting four more. She also totaled six kills on 14 attacks.
The Raiders came into the night with an 11-match win streak, during which they'd dropped four total sets.
The season was their most successful to date, but the appearance at Sioux City was their fifth in six years. The team's core was intact since the start of 2023, stringing together a combined record of 60-11.
