OKWU UPDATE: SOCCER TEAMS ADVANCE; VOLLEYBALL HOSTS PLAYOFFS
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Nemanja Vukovic (7) moves the ball during last week’s postseason game in Bartlesville against York (Neb.). The Eagles won 2-1 and are ranked No. 1 in the NAIA.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
Nov. 11, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Following is an update on Oklahoma Wesleyan University fall sports team action.
OKWU MEN’S SOCCER
One has to go back before COVID to find the last time Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s men’s soccer team failed to win the postseason tournament of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.
By beating York (Neb.) University, 2-1, in last weekend’s semifinals, the Eagles — who are ranked No. 1 (NAIA) in the nation — are on the verge of their sixth consecutive conference postseason title.
They will battle Ottawa (Kan.) University Wednesday — at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kan. — for the 2025 conference title.
OKWU (17-0-3, 13-0-1) — which is coached by Jamie Peterson — also recorded its 13th-straight victory and remained unbeaten (15-0-1) against conference opponents.
During the regular season OKWU and Ottawa grappled to a 1-1 tie on September 24, at Ottawa.
In last Friday’s semifinal, York offered plenty of resistance to the OKWU triumph tear.\
Plenty of resistance.
The teams scrapped to a 0-0 tie through the first 66 minutes — and then scored three times in the last 24 minutes.
OKWU struck first on a goal by Adrian Mejia — his 12th of the season — with 23:38 left. Nemanja Vukovic made the assist.\
But less than seven minutes later, York knotted the score, 1-1.
It appeared like the game might be headed to overtime. But OKWU’s Biel Campo unleashed a net-bender with just 5:27 left — off another Vukovic assist — to elevate the Eagles to the 2-1 victory in regulation.
For the match, OKWU delivered a barrage of 19 shots — 10 of them on goal. Mateja Bozic fired four shots on goal to help wear down the York defense, followed by Campo with three SOG and Mejia with one.
Marko Rodic labored in goal for OKWU and made two saves.
The No. 1 Eagles already have clinched a spot in the national tournament later this month. The next order of business is to try to wrap up the conference postseason championship and hopefully improve their tourney seeding.
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OKWU VOLLEYBALL
Coming off a roller-coaster week the Lady Eagles (22-3, 11-2) are hoping to be on the upward trajectory as they head into the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference postseason tournament.
OKWU — which is coached by Tracie Gillette — will be home on Tuesday to host a quarterfinal game. Starting time is 6 p.m.
Ranked No. 9 in the nation (NAIA), OKWU enters the KCAC tourney as the regular season conference runner-up.
Following are details from OKWU’s matches last week.\
EVANGEL 3, OKWU 2 (16-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-21, 15-8): In a rare five-game match the Lady Eagles came up just shy despite boasting two 20-kill producers — Evelyn Rohrberg (23) and Maia Rubio (20).
Tijana Stojiljkovic added 10 kills while Maria Andrea Santa Cruz Cossich contributed nine.
OKWU setter extraordinaire Sydney Collins delivered 52 assists and piled up eight digs.
Maria Luisa Caycedo boosted the effort with 27 digs, followed by Jordan Isbell and Rubio with 15 apiece and Valeria Perez with 12.
Grace Bybee added five aces.
OKWU 3, STERLING 0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-13): OKWU swooped to an overwhelming victory in its final regular season match.
Rohrberg hammered 20 kills, followed by Cossich with 13 and Stojiljkovic with nine.
Collins amassed 35 assists and 14 digs.
Rubio racked up a team-high 15 digs and Rohrberg added eight.
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Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Linn Joelsson (10) plays in last week’s postseason game in Bartlesville last week. The Lady Eagles won two rounds in postsesaon play.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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OKWU WOMEN’S SOCCER
The Lady Eagles rolled through the first two rounds of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference postseason tourney.
Next up, they take on Friends (Kan.) University for the championship. The match is set for 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kan.
Ivan Ristic coaches the Lady Eagles, who won the regular season conference crown.\
Following are reports for their first two conference tourney games.
OKWU 4, OTTAWA 0: Linn Joelsson unleashed a hat-trick to fuel the Lady Eagles’ attack. Marilia Constantinou came off the bench to add the other goal.
Tessa Edwards, Constantinou and Kylie Reif each handed out an assist.
OKWU’s offensive barrage was stunning — 35 shots, 22 of them on goal. Eleven different Lady Eagles contributed to the shot on goal list, led by Gieseler with six and Joelsson with three.
Alessandra Martinez went the distance in goal for OKWU and didn’t have to make any saves.
OKWU 2, TABOR COLLEGE 0: Gieseler and Constantinou each scored a goal. Constantinou assisted on Gieseler’s score.
Joelsson recorded the other assist.
Martinez once again put together a clean sheet in goal without making any saves.