Thresher volleyball finishes their season in KCAC semifinals
Bethel finishes their season with a 23-9 record, five all conference selections, and honoring seven seniors
The Bethel College volleyball team closed out their season in the KCAC tournament, sweeping fifth seeded Ottawa, before losing to first seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan (no. 9 nationally-ranked) in the semifinals. The Threshers finished the year with a 23-9 record.
“I thought that we were in control the whole time,” said Head Coach Adriana Leake on the Ottawa sweep. “Last time (a five set win for the Threshers), it felt like we gave away big points at key moments, where today we made those plays at key moments, and I think that made the biggest difference.”
The Threshers held the Braves to a .099 hitting percentage on the match, while hitting .303 themselves. Cameron Offerle led the team with 16 kills, and Darla Crow and Laci Ownbey added ten and nine kills respectively. Crow also added four blocks to her kills, tying her for the team lead with setter Mia Roman.
“Everyone, all of our hitters, were just doing amazing,” said Roman, from Kansas City on the Ottawa sweep. “Our defense was getting everything that they were hitting. And I feel like our energy was just really good. Today, everyone was just kind of on.”
This sweep, led by Roman’s 40 assists, was the Threshers’ first sweep against Ottawa since 2010.
Between the two tournament matches, KCAC All-Conference selections were announced, with the Threshers garnering five All-Conference nods, and an individual Champion of Character award.
Sophomores Offerle and Crow were both First Team KCAC players. Seniors Ownbey and Roman joined the Second Team, and senior Kylah Carter was selected to Third Team, rounding out the Threshers’ selections. Senior Maddie Chupp was named a KCAC Champion of Character for her embodiment of the five core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.
The Threshers’ season came to a close in Bartlesville, as they found themselves losing to the eventual KCAC tournament champion, Oklahoma Wesleyan.
The Threshers’ First Teamers led the way for the Threshers’ attack: Offerle with nine kills and Crow with eight. Roman assisted 25 times for Bethel, and freshman Abby Koontz led with 16 digs.
Despite the loss, the Threshers have made a lasting impact on Bethel this season.
“This is the first Bethel team in a long time to be nationally recognized and nationally competitive,” said Coach Leake. “I think they created a ton of excitement around volleyball again for the Bethel community just by how fun they were to watch play. The talent was evident, but the joy and love they have for volleyball and for each other stands out and made so many new Bethel Volleyball fans. Their lasting impact is something that most probably won't see. The way they lead really set an example for the younger girls in the program on how to be not only great leaders but also what it looks like to be a great, selfless teammate.”
The Threshers were not chosen to compete in the NAIA National Playoffs, despite their 23 wins on the season, which was more than or equal to 12 of the 14 teams that received an At-Large bid for the playoffs. Coach Leake reflects on how this group has been special during her time at Bethel:
“With the exception of Laci [Ownbey] and Amaya [Malhas], this group of seniors (Mia Roman, Maddie Chupp, Brooke Russell, Jordan Boone, Kylah Carter) all committed to a losing program with the belief that they could play a role in making it great. They were able to do that & it attracted great players like [Ownbey, Crow, and Offerle] who really rounded out the group. It was a special season and I'm sad to see it come to an end, but I'm glad these seniors can step away knowing they did something special in their time here!”
The volleyball class of 2025 ended their careers with 74 wins over their four seasons of play, and leads Bethel volleyball into a brighter future in the upcoming years.