OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY’S SOCCER AND VOLLEYBALL TEAMS END SEASON WITH LOSSES AT NATIONALS
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Evelyn Rohrberg (1) reacts during an earlier season game. After winning their national opener, the Lady Eagles ended their season with back-to-back losses. The Lady Eagles went 26-5 on the season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
Dec. 9, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s women’s soccer team finished oh-so-close to playing for a national title.
Last weekend, the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) eliminated the Lady Eagles, 1-0, in the NAIA women’s national semifinals.
Meanwhile, a few days earlier the OKWU Eagles suffered their first loss of the season to make a disappointing early exit from the men’s national tournament.
The OKWU volleyball team also saw its season end in national NAIA competition.
Following are more details.
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Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Frederiekke Nielsen (9) moves the ball during an earlier season game. The Lady Eagles lost in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament in Pensacola, Fla. They finished 21-2-2 on the season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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LADY EAGLES SOCCER
OKWU powered past MidAmerica Nazarene University, 1-0, in the round of 16 to punch its ticket to the round of eight.
An own goal, favoring OKWU, at the 45:59 mark would be the lone score. An own goal occurs when a defending team accidentally hits the ball into its own net.
OKWU’s Laura Gieseler kept heavy pressure on the MidAmerica net with five shots, two of them on goal.
Marilla Constantinou recorded OKWU’s other shot on goal.
Goalie Alessandra Martinez played in goal all game for OKWU and made three saves to finish with a clean sheet.
The teams met in the finals' site at Pensacola, Fla.
OKWU next knocked off Marian (Ind.) in the quarterfinals, 1-0.
Isabelle Simoneau scored the game’s lone goal — with only 8:46 remaining in regulation of the 90-minute match. Ana Chavez assisted on the score.
OKWU goalie Martinez turned in a yeoman’s effort, making seven saves to preserve the shutout.
The win against Marian propelled OKWU into the round of four against Cumberlands.
Cumberlands scored in the first half and held on for nearly 60 minutes to nail down the win.
Martinez again was under heavy pressure in defending nine shots on goal. Only one of them slipped through.
The Lady Eagle offense, meanwhile, produced six shots on goal — led by Linn Joelsson with two — but didn’t find the back of the net.
The Lady Eagles — who are coached by Ivan Ristic — finished 21-2-2 on the season.
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Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s goalie Stefan Schenk (13) reacts during an earlier season game. The Eagles lost out in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament in Orange Beach, Ala. The Eagles went 19-1-3 on the season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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EAGLES SOCCER
Perhaps no adversity might have been more costly to the Oklahoma Wesleyan University men’s soccer team than no adversity at all.
The Eagles had to sit around — or practice around — for 10 days between action in the NAIA national tournament.
However — or if — that extended time off took an edge off the Eagles’ game can never be measured quantitatively
The bottom line is the Eagles suffered an earlier-than-usual exit from the tourney with a 2-0 loss earlier this week to William Penn (Iowa) University.
The Round of 16 loss to William Penn snapped a 15-game winning streak — dating back to September 27 — and ended OKWU’s season at 19-1-3.
The teams battled to a 0-0 halftime tie. William Penn scored nearly 60 minutes into the match and added an insurance goal in the final two minutes.
OKWU launched four shots on goal, led by Adrian Mejia with two.
Eagle goalie Marko Rodic played the distance in goal and made two saves to try to keep the door open for his team.
The teams met in Orange Beach, Ala., the site of the finals.
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Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Alejandro Aleman Lopez (14) controls the ball during an earlier season game. The Eagles lost out in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament in Orange Beach, Ala. The Eagles went 19-1-3 on the season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Tijana Stojiljkovic (11) sends one over the net during an earlier season game. After winning their national opener, the Lady Eagles ended their season with back-to-back losses. The Lady Eagles went 26-5 on the season.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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LADY EAGLES VOLLEYBALL
After winning their national opener, the Lady Eagles (26-5) suffered back-to-back setbacks to see their magnificent campaign end.
Head coach Tracie Gillette bids good-bye to some big talent but also is set to return some high-voltage players.
BUSHNELL 3, OKWU 0 — In their first national pool game, the Lady Eagles kept it tight every set but couldn’t get over the top.
The spike-centric OKWU team managed just 34 kills, led by Evelyn Rohrberg (14), Maria Andrea Santa Cruz Cossich (9) and Maia Rubio (8).
Setter Sydney Collins handed out 31 assists and contributed three service aces.
Maria Luisa Caycedo delivered 18 digs.
BELLEVUE 3, OKWU 2 — A three-point loss in the fifth set ended the Lady Eagles’ odyssey.
Rubio rose to the occasion with 19 kills, followed by Rohrberg with 18.
Collins elevated her play to the fantastic level — 44 assists and 21 digs.
Caycedo amassed 24 digs, while Rohrberg added 11 and Jordan Isbell and Rubio came through with 10 digs each.