Fort Worth, Texas – For the first time since 2022, Nelson claimed the 2025 Sooner Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament Championship by rallying from a set down to defeat Texas Wesleyan 3-2 on Saturday evening at the Sid Richardson Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
The opening set went back and forth, with 13 ties and 11 lead changes, until the Lions pulled away, scoring nine of the final 13 points to win the first set 25-20. The Rams held a 12-8 advantage in kills but were outhit by the Lions .176 - .079 in the set.
The second set was marked by scoring runs for both teams, with the Rams securing the final four points to take the set 25-21. Texas Wesleyan opened the set with a 6-1 run, but the Lions rallied for a 6-3 run of their own to make the score 9-7. The set went back and forth from that point as the teams tied three times until Texas Wesleyan broke a 21-21 tie with the final points of the set. The Rams held a 17-12 advantage in kills in the set.
Set three was once again tightly contested throughout until the Rams outscored Nelson 15-11 to take the set 25-21. Texas Wesleyan held a 17-11 advantage in kills while having a .310 hitting percentage in the set.
With Texas Wesleyan leading the match 2-1, Nelson needed to rally in the fourth set, and they did. After trailing the Rams 19-14, Nelson ended the set on an 11-2 run to win the fourth frame 25-21 as the Lions evened the match at 2-2. Nelson held a 13-12 edge in kills while hitting for a .323 percentage.
The fifth set was an instant classic as both teams traded scoring runs until the Lions tied the match at 16-16 with a kill by Alexandra Bonnett. Taylor Cavazos had a service ace to make the score 17-16, and Carolie Boone gave Nelson the title with a kill to win the set 18-16.
Nelson finished the match with 53 kills on 171 total attacks with 21 errors for a hitting percentage of .187. Bonnett paced the Lions attack with 15 kills, while Cassidy Hargesheimer added 25 assists, with Chloe Munoz having 19 digs as the Lions finished the season with an overall record of 25-9.
Texas Wesleyan had 68 kills on 193 total attacks with 34 errors for a .176 hitting percentage, as Migdaly Bernal and Sydney Alaxander led the Nelson offence with 13 kills, while Ruby Rumohr handed out 33 helpers, with Emily Lewis having 23 digs as the Rams fell to 25-7.
Both teams will wait to hear their names called during the 2025 NAIA Volleyball National Tournament Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 17, at 4 p.m.
2025 SAC All-Tournament Team:
Tournament Most Valuable Player – Alexandria Bonnett - Nelson
Elena Kagiali – Panhandle State
Grace Smallwood – Oklahoma City
Hanna Rubis – Texas Wesleyan
Sydney Alexander – Texas Wesleyan
Taylor Cavazos - Nelson