Indiana Wesleyan University Wildcats Claim Second Straight NAIA Volleyball National Championship
MARION, IND. (Dec. 11, 2024) — The Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) women’s volleyball team beat the Bellevue University Bruins Tuesday night to secure their second straight NAIA volleyball national championship win, concluding another successful season.
The Wildcats won the first and fourth sets in the championship game, with Bellevue winning the second and third. As the decisive fifth and final set began to play out, Bellevue soon jumped to a 14-8 lead against IWU, only for the Wildcats to quickly counter with an eight-point run to win the game and the championship.
Under the leadership of coach Candace Moats, IWU’s volleyball team has continued to dominate the NAIA’s Crossroads League on their way to securing this year’s national championship.
“The Lord's favor showed up in a big way in this 2024 national tournament run,” said Coats. “I love this team—their character, their talent, and their incredible hearts for the Lord! This season was another incredible accomplishment by these girls who work tirelessly in practices, matches, and the classroom. I’m grateful that they were given this blessing as back-to-back national champions. It was an honor to represent IWU and the Lord in this way, and I want to thank everyone for the prayers and encouragement given throughout the season.”
Deane Webb, IWU’s athletics director, praised the team for their resilience and faith throughout the season.
“This championship is yet another example of how God is blessing our students, our department, and IWU,” said Webb. “It was a great national tournament run, capped off by an almost miraculous comeback in the fifth set of the national championship match. We’re all proud of our team and how they continue to live out both pursuing excellence competitively as well as seeking to influence others for Christ. What an absolutely incredible journey our volleyball team has been on these last two years! Back-to-back national championships and winning 75 of their last 77 matches is hard to comprehend and will likely take some time for us to fully appreciate. For now, we thank God, and we celebrate. Congratulations to Coach Moats, her staff, and our outstanding student-athletes.”
