11/21/20: Bethel erases 2-set deficit, wins NCCAA title

NCCAA DI Final
#2 Bethel (Ind.) 3, #1 Northwestern (Minn.) 2 BU’s North: 20 kills, 11 blocks.

UNW NCCAA DI Championship All-Tournament Team
Junior setter Sydney Schwitters
Senior outside Kalley Schwitters

-Ricky Nelson

11/20/20: UNW advances to title match, MBU falls in semis

NCCAA DI Pool Play
#1 Northwestern (Minn.) 3, #4 Columbia International 0 UNW’s Schroyer: 23 digs.
NCCAA DI Semifinal
#1 Northwestern (Minn.) 3, #6 Grace (Ind.) 1 UNW’s K. Schwitters hit 20-1-44 with 16 digs.

NCCAA DII Semifinal
#2 Bob Jones 3, #1 Maranatha Baptist 1 BJU’s Beaver: 19 kills, 17 digs.
MBU appeared in previous 5 title matches (3 championships); BJU went on to win 3rd straight title

-Ricky Nelson

11/19/20: UNW begins NCCAA nationals with late-night sweep

NCCAA DI Pool Play
#1 Northwestern (Minn.) 3, #8 Erskine 0 [forfeit; EC withdrew]
#1 Northwestern (Minn.) 3, #5 Dallas Baptist 0 UNW’s S. Schwitters: 41 assists.

NCCAA DII Pool Play
#4 Randall 3, #1 Maranatha Baptist 2 RU:70 kills.

-Ricky Nelson

11/18/20: MBU cruises in NCCAA opener

NCCAA DII Pool Play
#1 Maranatha Baptist 3, #7 Pensacola Christian 0 MBU outhit PCC, .462 to -.098.

-Ricky Nelson

Former Capital Athletic Conference rebrands as C2C

With its recent influx of six new members (five with women’s volleyball teams) spanning from California to New York, the previously named Capital Athletic Conference will now be named the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference (branded as C2C).

The former Capital Athletic Conference, which included five total institutions from Maryland and Virginia, merged with the far-flung American Collegiate Athletic Association in mid-June to form the C2C.

New C2C website

-Ricky Nelson

MBU’s Hansel named NCCAA DII Player of the Year

Maranatha Baptist senior outside Claire Hansel was tabbed National Christian College Athletic Association Division II Player of the Year today. The fourth MBU player to win the honor since 2015, Hansel is averaging 4.25 kills and 2.92 digs per set this season for the Sabercats (18-3).

Also garnering 2020 NCCAA DII All-America honors for MBU were junior opposite Mattie Bumpus and freshman setter Emily Johnson on the seven-member First Team, and junior middle Caitrin Kemlo on the seven-member Second Team.

-Ricky Nelson

MBU, UNW both #1 seeds at NCCAA nationals

Northwestern (11-4) will be the top seed at the National Christian College Athletics Association Division I women’s volleyball championship while Maranatha Baptist (18-3) is the top-seeded team at the NCCAA Division II championship.

The NCCAA DI nationals will be held at Northwestern’s Ericksen Center on Nov. 19-21 in Saint Paul, Minn. NCCAA DII nationals are set for Nov. 18-20 at No. 2 seed Bob Jones in Greenville, SC.

-Ricky Nelson

11/7/20: Sabercats claim 7th straight NCCAA regional title

NCCAA DII North Region Semifinal
Maranatha Baptist 3, Trinity Bible 0 MBU outhit TBC, .275 to .000.

NCCAA DII North Region Final
Maranatha Baptist 3, Faith Baptist Bible 0 MBU’s Hansel: 10 kills.
MBU advances to play at NCCAA DII nationals 11/18-20 in South Carolina

-Ricky Nelson

10/31/20: MBU falls twice to close out regular season

Nonconference
Saint Ambrose 3, Maranatha Baptist 1 SAU is NAIA.
Lincoln (Ill.) 3, Maranatha Baptist 0 LC is NAIA.

-Ricky Nelson

10/24/20: MBU extends set winning streak to 24

Nonconference
Northwestern (Minn.) 3, Saint Ambrose 0 UNW outhit SAU, .242 to .000.
Northwestern (Minn.) 3, Clarke 0 UNW’s S. Schwitters: 36 assists.
Maranatha Baptist 3, Oak Hills Christian 0 MBU outhit OHCC, .324 to -.037.
Maranatha Baptist 3, Faith Baptist Bible 0 MBU’s Johnson: 36 assists, 12 digs.

-Ricky Nelson