College of the Ozarks Lady Bobcats captured the 2019 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division I Women’s Volleyball National Championship on Saturday, Dec. 7.

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. —College of the Ozarks Lady Bobcats captured the 2019 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division I Women’s Volleyball National Championship on Saturday, Dec. 7 on the College campus in Point Lookout, Missouri.

The event was hosted by C of O for the second consecutive year and featured eight teams from across the country competing for the title of National Champion. Thursday held the first eight games of pool play, in which the number three seed Lady Bobcats collected a 3-0 win over Southwestern Christians University from Oklahoma and a 3-1 victory over Providence Christian College from California. The Lady Bobcats played Trinity International University from Illinois on Friday morning and suffered their first loss 0-3.

With three teams in their pool tied at 2-1, the Lady Cats played a one-set match mid-day against Trinity and broke the tie with a 25-22 win to place them in the first of two semi-final matches. The Lady Cats were pitted against the number one seed, Southwestern Assemblies of God, who went 3-0 in pool play, collecting a victory.

On Saturday, Dec. 7 the Lady Bobcats faced off against Judson University from Illinois, winning 3-1 (25 – 17, 25-18, 17-25, 25-15). This marked the first time the Lady Bobcats have won the NCCAA DI Women’s Volleyball National Championship.

Following the tournament, Rielly Wallace, senior elementary education major, was named First Team All American and the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, and Ryley Thixton, junior nutrition and dietetics major, received All-Tournament Team honors. Sixth-year head coach Stacy Muckenthaler from College of the Ozarks was named NCCAA DI WVB Coach of the year.