OKWU ROUNDUP: SOCCER AND VOLLEYBALL TEAMS ARE IN NATIONAL PLAYOFFS

Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Valeria Perez (12) passes the ball during a recent home match. The Lady Eagles opened the NAIA tournament with a win over Nelson (Texas) last week.

BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports

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By Mike Tupa

Nov. 26, 2025

BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT

Four wins to the top of the mountain.

That’s the promising scenario in front of the Oklahoma Wesleyan University men’s and women’s soccer teams and volleyball squad as they each take aim on the NAIA national quarterfinals.

Following are more details for each team:

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OKWU VOLLEYBALL

After romping to the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference postseason championship, the Lady Eagles opened the NAIA national tournament by outlasting Nelson (Texas) University, 3-2, in Bartlesville.

The set scores, with OKWU’s listed first, were: 20-25, 25-11, 25-15, 21-25, 15-13.

Late in the fifth set the score was tied, 13-13.

OKWU — which is coached by Tracie Gillette — went ahead, 14-13, on a Nelson service error. OKWU then won it on an attack error, set up by a combined block by Evelyn Rohrberg and Iva Mrkaic.

For the match for OKWU, Rohrberg ripped 22 kills, followed by Maria Andrea Santa Cruz Cossich with 14 and Maia Rubio with 13.

Sydney Collins fed the offensive machine with 51 assists and also made eight digs.

Maria Luisa Caycedo amassed 19 digs, followed by Rubio with 14.

Rohrberg, Jordan Isbell and Rubio each launched two service aces.

Tijana Stoliljkovic put together an all-around strong contribution with five kills, two blocked shots and four block assists.

Mrkaic also recorded five kills to go with six block assists.

Next up, the Lady Eagles take on Bushnell University (Ore.) in Sioux City, Iowa.

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Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Owen Rubio (29) plays during a recent home game. The Eagles meet William Penn (Iowa) in NAIA round sixteen on Dec. 1 in Wichita, Kan.

BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports

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OKWU EAGLES SOCCER

The Eagles are set to collide Dec. 1 with William Penn (Iowa) University in the Round of 16, held in Wichita, Kan.

The winner will advance to the quarterfinals.

OKWU — which is coached by Jamie Peterson — has been here before. The Eagles have advanced numerous times to the quarterfinals, multiple times to the semifinals and have made one national championship match appearance in the 2020-21 season.

Could this be the season the Eagles break through and snatch the elusive national championship?

The unbeaten Eagles seem to be on a glide path of destiny.

They are riding the updraft of a 15-game winning streak — including last Saturday's thumping of Westcliff (Calif.) University, 3-0, in the NAIA national opener.

The Eagles — making their final home appearance — scored the winning goal — by Santiago Mejia —less than two minutes into the match.

Luis Vergara added two insurance goals in the final 12 minutes, one of them assisted by Alejandro Aleman Lopez.

OKWU made eight shots on goal — two each by Vergara and Adrian Mejia Mejia — compared to only three for Westcliff.

Making one shot on goal apiece for OKWU were Julian Tovar, Ryunsokue Masuzuja, Santiago Mejia and Juan Morenoh.

Marko Rodic went the distance in goal for OKWU, delivering three saves. 

OKWU’s season leaders include Biel Campo (20 goals, 14 assists), Adrian Mejia (13 goals, 7 assists), Tovar (13 goals, 4 assists), Mateja Bozic (8 goals, 2 assists) and Vergara (6 goals).

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Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Ana Chavez (24) plays during a recent home game. The Lady Eagles opened national play last Saturday by defeating Mid-America University.

BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports

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OKWU LADY EAGLES SOCCER

The OKWU women are on the same glide path as the men.

They also are just one win away from making it to the women’s quarterfinals.

OKWU (19-1-2) opened national play last Saturday by hammering Mid-America Christian University, 4-0, in Bartlesville.

Four different Lady Eagles tallied goals — Laura Gieseler, Ana Chavez (assisted by Tessa Edwards), Kristen Bruhns and Frederiekke Nielsen.

Owning a 2-0 lead at halftime, OKWU — which is coached by Ivan Ristic — cruised to the victory.

Gieseler provided a shooting masterpiece — six shots, four shots on goal and a goal.

Adding one shot on goal apiece were Bruhns, Wendy Jimenez, Nielsen, and Chavez.

Alessandra Martinez labored in goal the entire way and made three saves.

Next up, the Lady Eagles will play MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) on Dec. 2.