​ARIZONA 3, BOWLING GREEN 2 (27-29, 25-23, 18-25, 25-17, 15-9)
 
TUCSON, AZ – Fifth-year senior Jaelyn Hodge simply exploded at the start of the fifth set for Arizona, spurring the Wildcats to a lead they would maintain to the end and then secure the eventual victory over Bowling Green on Tuesday in the championship game of the 2024 NIVC.
 
In front of a crowd of 2,676 fans, Arizona (24-9) posted its 11th consecutive victory to wrap up the season and give a signature win to coach Charita Stubbs in her second year, one season after the Wildcats finished 8-23. This was the first NIVC title match to go five sets, and it’s the first time a home team walked off victorious since Iowa State in 2018.
 
To kick off the final set, Hodge wrapped two block assists around two kills, then added two more kills and an ace as the Wildcats burst to an 8-2 lead.
 
Arizona got off to a fine start in Set 1, pounding in 11 kills before its first error and pulling ahead, 18-12. Bowling Green amped up the defense and fought all the way back, going ahead 21-20 on a Wildcats hitting error. The set remained tight even past the 25-25 mark, with the Falcons claiming the set on a kill from Mia Tyler and an ace from Amanda Otten.
 
Back-to-back aces by Avery Scoggins staked Arizona to a 17-9 lead in Set 2; Bowling Green again fought back and tied the match at 22-all on a kill from Tyler. The Wildcats responded quickly, claiming the set on a kill from Journey Tucker and a BGSU error. Set 3 saw Arizona cut into an early deficit with back-to-back aces from Carlie Cisneros, but the Falcons regained their edge and pulled ahead 19-12. The set was capped by BGSU on kills from Tyler and Hovey.
 
In Set 4, a 3-0 run for Arizona gave it an 18-14 lead, and the Wildcats were in control the rest of the way, closing the set with an ace from Cisneros.
 
Hodge wrapped up her Arizona career with 25 kills and seven digs; Jordan Wilson added 18 kills and eight digs, Scoggins dished out 54 assists and Cisneros closed with 19 digs. Haven Wray came through with 14 digs.
 
The Falcons (25-10) saw Tyler close with 18 kills, and Hovey had a big night with 17 kills and 19 digs. Otten came through with 43 assists and eight digs, Lindsey LaPinta had 15 digs and Sydnie Hernandez added 11 digs.
 
After the match, NIVC officials announced the 2024 All-Tournament team:
 
Jaelyn Hodge – Arizona (MVP)
Jordan Wilson – Arizona
Avery Scoggins – Arizona
Lauryn Hovey – Bowling Green
Mia Tyler – Bowling Green
Syd Cole – Northern Colorado
Erin Jones – St. John’s

​BOWLING GREEN 3, ST. JOHN’S 2 (19-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-17, 16-14)
 
NEW YORK – In a stress-packed five-setter worthy of the moment for deciding a 2024 NIVC finalist, Bowling Green dug out of a 2-0 hole on the road and got past St. John’s to survive the Fab Four and earn a date in the championship match.
 
The Falcons (25-9) will travel to Tucson, AZ and play Arizona (23-9) for the NIVC title; that match is set for 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 17.
 
St. John’s pocketed the first set with a strong start, going ahead by a 12-4 margin and staying on control the rest of the way, hitting 385. overall and getting three aces from Magda Stambrowska. Set 2 was tighter, as Bowling Green tied it at 15-all after a 3-0 run. The Red Storm had a late lead cut to 21-19 on an ace from BGSU’s Sydnie Hernandez, but their own 3-0 run right after helped secure the set.
 
In Set 3, a kill from St. John’s Lucrezia Lodi tied it up at 22-all, but Bowling Green had just enough to finish, capped on a kill from Lauryn Hovey. The Falcons continued to flip the momentum with an impressive fourth set, going up 17-8 and registering nine kills before their first error. Bowling Green hit .375 and had five aces in the set, tying the match at 2-all.
 
St. John’s used a quick 4-0 run to take a 5-2 lead in Set 5, but the margins stayed tight after that until the score stood at 14-14. Then, Bowling Green got a kill by Jessica Andrews and a shared block from Andrews and Mia Tyler to finish off the evening as the Falcons hit .444 in the final set.
 
Hovey had 17 kills and had a hand in nine blocks for Bowling Green. Andrews and Jordan Newblatt each had 10 kills, Amanda Otten dished out 39 assists and Lindsey LaPinta had 24 digs. Avery Anders closed with 11 digs.
 
The Red Storm (24-13) saw Erin Jones finish with 20 kills and 14 digs, and Giorgia Walther had 13 kills. Wiktoria Kowalczyk ended with 44 assists and Rashan Solano Smith had 16 digs.

​ST. JOHN’S 3, UCONN 1 (25-20, 25-23, 27-29, 26-24)
 
NEW YORK – St. John’s lost two matches earlier this season to Big East Conference foe UConn, but the Red Storm made up for it with a flourish Thursday, moving past the Huskies to earn a berth in the Fab Four round of the 2024 NIVC.  
 
St. John’s (24-12) will host Bowling Green (24-9) in the next round; that match is set for 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 14.
 
St. John’s led early in Set 1, pulling ahead 14-7 on a kill from Erin Jones, but UConn came back and tied it at 17-all on a kill from Emma Werkmeister. Lucrezia Lodi then answered the call for the Red Storm with four straight kills, and St. John’s wrapped up the set with a kill by Jones.
 
Set 2 saw UConn take a 16-11 lead, but St. John’s responded in impressive fashion and had it tied up at 21-all before one last push – the final kill came from Lodi as the Red Storm took a commanding 2-0 lead. The Huskies stayed in the fight with a win in Set 3, going up 18-14 and then working through the pressure of multiple ties in the late going. The set was secured with a kill from Doga Kutlu and an error by St. John’s.
 
The Red Storm closed out the match with a strong early effort in Set 4, taking a 16-9 lead. Aqain, UConn made it tough at the finish in coming back from a 24-19 hold to tie it at 24-all, but St. John’s was able to shut the door.
 
UConn beat St. John’s 3-2 on Oct. 19 and then won in a sweep on Nov. 22.
 
The Red Storm got 15 kills and 17 digs from Jones; Giorgia Walther had 13 kills, Magda Stambrowska closed with 12 kills and Lodi finished with 10 kills and 11 digs. Wiktoria Kowalczyk had 49 assists and 17 digs and Rashan Solano Smith added 16 digs.
 
For the Huskies (26-8), Hanna Tylska had 14 kills, Taylor Pannell added 13 kills and Loren Winn closed with 11 kills. Kutlu had 45 assists and nine digs, and McKenna Brand finished with 23 digs.

ARIZONA 3, NORTHERN COLORADO 1 (25-20, 27-25,13-25, 25-18)
 
TUCSON, AZ – Arizona finally dropped a set in the 2024 NIVC, but the Wildcats flexed their depth and sustained their momentum, working past Northern Colorado to claim a spot in the championship game.
 
Set 1 saw Arizona pull ahead early and then fend off a UNC rally, with the set capped from kills by Jaelyn Hodge and Jordan Wilson. Set 2 was hotly contested and tied up at 21-all on a kill from Wilson, and things were tied up again at 25-25 before Arizona secured the set with an ace from Carlie Cisneros and a kill from Journey Tucker.
 
UNC took Set 3 in unusually comfortable fashion, hitting .571 and handing the Wildcats a loss in a set for the first time in the event.
 
The Wildcats (23-9) saw Wilson close with 15 kills; Hodge had 13 kills and Tucker added 12 kills. Avery Scoggins finished with 42 assists and nine digs, Cisneros closed with 19 digs and Haven Wray added 10 digs.
 
The Bears (28-8) got 16 kills from Gabi Placide; Alayna Tessena had 14 kills and Annette Baker finished with 11 kills and 10 digs. Syd Cole had 46 assists and 14 digs, and Sam Steele added 17 digs.

​ARIZONA 3, WYOMING 0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-17)
 
TUCSON, AZ – Arizona had three players reach double figures in kills in a three-set sweep Wednesday, with the Wildcats holding Wyoming to just .106 hitting overall as they advanced out of the Great 8 round of the 2024 NIVC.
 
Arizona (22-9) will host Northern Colorado on Thursday; that match is set to start at 8 p.m. ET.
 
In Set 1, Arizona took a 13-6 lead before Wyoming caught fire and closed within 18-17 on a block from Kayla Mazzocca. The Wildcats tidied up the set as Alayna Johnson came through with two kills and a solo block. Set 2 looked familiar in that respect – Arizona led 12-5, watched as Wyoming cut into the lead 15-14 on a kill from Paige Lauterwasser, then cruised to the finish, aided by two kills from Jordan Wilson to seal the set.
 
Set 3 saw Arizona take a 17-11 lead on a kill from Wilson, and the Wildcats stayed in control the rest of the way.
 
Wilson closed with 13 kills and 11 digs; Jaelyn Hodge and Carlie Cisneros each had 10 kills. Avery Scoggins finished with 32 assists and Haven Wray added 10 digs.
 
The Cowgirls (17-13) got nine kills each from Lauterwasser and Kayla Mazzocca. Kasia Partyka added 26 assists.

​NORTHERN COLORADO 3, ARKANSAS STATE 2 (20-25, 17-25, 25-16, 25-20, 15-13)
 
TUCSON, AZ – Northern Colorado fought out of a 0-2 hole against Arkansas State to tie the match, then prevailed in a stress-packed fifth set to push the Bears through the Great 8 round of the 2024 NIVC on Wednesday.
 
UNC (28-7) will play Arizona or Wyoming in the Fab 4 round.
 
Northern Colorado used an 8-0 run to take an 8-2 lead in the fifth set, but Arkansas State responded and had the set tied at 12-all. Alayna Tessena had two essential kills for the Bears in the final stretch, including the match winner off a set from Syd Cole.
 
Tessena had 12 kills in the match, Annette Baker had 12 kills and 10 digs for UNC, and Isabel Bennett closed with 10 kills. Cole had 42 assists and 12 digs while Sam Steele finished with 13 digs.
 
Set 1 saw a couple of service errors by UNC help the Red Wolves preserve a lead, and the set was decided on a hitting error by the Bears. In the second set, Northern Colorado started off fine with a 7-4 lead, but Arkansas State replied with a 9-2 run, capped by a kill from Kaitlin Whitlock. Devyn Lewis sealed the set with back-to-back kills for the Red Wolves.
 
In Set 3, Northern Colorado jumped ahead 6-1, then 11-3 after two kills in a row from Baker. The Bears hit .312 in winning the set – they kept up the rallying spirit in Set 4, taking a 16-9 lead by posting nine kills before making their first hitting error. Arkansas State closed within 23-20 before UNC won the set and tied the match, 2-2.
 
The Red Wolves (28-6) saw Whitlock come through with nine kills and eight digs, and Grace Wiley had eight kills. Erin Madigan finished with 17 assists, Valeria Ortiz had 16 assists and Sarah Martinez added 17 digs.

​BOWLING GREEN 3, DEPAUL 1 (25-14, 25-19, 17-25, 25-18)
 
CHICAGO, IL – Lauryn Hovey had 17 kills, Mia Tyler came through with 14 kills and Bowling Green hit .339 overall in beating DePaul on Monday in the Great 8 round of the 2024 NIVC.
 
The Falcons (24-9) will face St. John’s or UConn in the Fab 4 round.
 
BGSU was dialed in at the start of Set 1, going up 18-11 and notching 11 kills before making its first hitting error. The Falcons finished off the set with kills from Hovey and Tyler. In Set 2, the score was tied at 18-all before a 5-0 burst by the Falcons tipped the scales in their favor.
 
In Set 3, DePaul went ahead from 13-11 to 21-14, wrapping up the set with a block by Meghan Scholz and Yagmur Yavuz. Set 4 saw Bowling Green move ahead, 15-11, prompting a DePaul timeout. The score tightened to 17-15, but the Falcons grabbed control after a kill from Hovey and an ace from Alexis Mettille pushed the lead to 21-15.
 
Bowling Green, which beat DePaul earlier this season 3-1, saw Edyta Waclawczyk register nine kills. Amanda Otten had 42 assists and six digs and Lindsey LaPinta added 12 digs.
 
The Blue Demons (21-14) got 15 kills from Jill Pressly; Meghan Scholz had 10 kills. Amanda Saeger closed with 32 assists and Rachel Krasowski added 13 digs.

ST. JOHN’S 3, VIRGINIA 1 (25-21, 27-25, 25-23, 25-20)
 
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia Cavaliers (21-12) began its postseason journey with a bye, but matched up against a red hot St. John’s (23-12) squad in the 2024 NIVC Super 16 on Sunday, the first time the two schools ever faced off in program history.
 
The Cavaliers, making their third postseason appearance in program history and led by head coach Shannon Wells is in her fourth season at the helm, improved their 2023 record by 10 wins.
 
St. John’s, coming off a straight-set sweep of North Carolina A&T, 3-0, on Saturday made their third-consecutive appearance in the NIVC Super 16, set the tone early.
 
The Red Storm came out firing and fended off a Virginia comeback effort, taking the opening set 25-21.
 
The second set was nail-biter start to finish. In what appeared to be UVA evening the match early, St. John’s kept it close in crunch time, going up 2-0 in the match, with a 27-25 win.
 
The Cavaliers, up against elimination, took the third set 25-23, bringing the match to 2-1.
 
The Red Storm bounced back in the fourth and final set to secure their spot in the NIVC Great 8, with a 25-20 on the opposing team’s home floor.
 
St. John’s Giorgia Walther was the standout player of the match with 21 kills, 41 attacks, and 22 points. Wiktoria led the way for the Red Storm with 31 assists.
 
Abby Tadder and Kate Dean both tallied 6 blocks for Virginia.
 
St. John’s moves onto the 2024 NIVC Great 8 and will face off against UConn out of the Big East for a chance to move onto the NIVC Fab 4.

​ARIZONA 3, PACIFIC 0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-17)
 
TUCSON, AZ – Arizona held Pacific to a .104 hitting percentage on Saturday in a sweep of the Tigers in the Super 16 round of the 2024 NIVC.
 
Going forward, the Wildcats will host two Great 8 matches on Dec. 11 – Northern Colorado will play Arkansas State at 5 p.m. ET, with Arizona playing Wyoming at 8 p.m. ET. Winners of those matches will play in a Fab 4 match on Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. ET, also in Tucson.
 
Arizona worked overtime to claim Set 1 on Saturday; with the score tied at 24-all, Journey Tucker notched a kill and the final point came off a hitting error by the Tigers. Set 2 was tied at 14-all before Arizona went to work, running off five straight points to build a lead it would nor surrender.
 
In Set 3, Arizona used a 6-1 run to go ahead 7-2 and stayed in control the rest of the way.
 
The Wildcats (21-9) saw Jordan Wilson close with 11 kills, and Avery Scoggins 27 assists and 11 digs. Haven Wray also had 11 digs; Carlie Cisneros and Jaelyn Hodge each had 10 digs.
 
The Tigers (19-13) got eight kills apiece from Margherita Giani and Darina Kumanova. Jenna Heller had 14 assists and 14 digs, and Megan Nishimura added 14 digs.

​ST. JOHN’S 3, NORTH CAROLINA A&T 0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-21)
 
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Erin Jones had her 10th triple-double of the year for St. John’s, closing with 13 kills, 16 assists and 13 digs as the Red Storm won three highly competitive sets Saturday in a sweep of North Carolina A&T.
 
The victory puts St. John’s (22-12) into the Super 16 of the 2024 NIVC; they play host Virginia on Sunday.
  
St. John’s won a tight first set, which was at 22-all before kills from Magda Stambrowska and Lucrezia Lodi. Wiktoria Kowalczyk finished it off with an ace. Set 2 was also a close one, with the Aggies’ hopes for a rally dashed in the end by a solo block from Giorgia Walther.
 
In Set 3, North Carolina A&T took a 10-3 lead, but St. John’s responded with a 12-3 run and claimed a 15-13 lead on a kill from Walther. The Red Storm moved ahead 22-20; the Aggies called timeout but Jones came through with three more kills to end the match.
 
Ana Franca Benjamin had 10 kills for St. John’s. Kowalczyk had 17 assists and Rashanny Solano Smith added 24 digs.
 
The Aggies (17-11) saw Hannah Howell close with 14 kills; Tyne Ross had 13 kills, Leonor Polezzi finished with 31 assists and Anahi Alvarado had 16 digs.