MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – The Indiana Tech women's volleyball team traveled to Mount Vernon, Ohio, on Saturday to open the NAIA National Championship tournament against the Cougars. In a tough battle, the Cougars ended the Warrior's season in 3-1 (16-25, 21-25, 26-24, 17-25) fashion to advance to the next round of the NAIA National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa.
 
The Orange and Black got off to a slow start in the first set as they saw the Cougars take a 6-0 lead. Back-to-back kills from Taylor Paul gave the Warriors a boost, but the Cougars quickly responded with an 11-3 run to extend their lead to 17-5 on their way to a 25-16 first set win. Tech found their footing in the second set as they traded points with the Cougars. Trailing 13-14, the Cougars went on a 4-0 run to take a 17-14 lead, which forced Tech to take a timeout. Out of the timeout, the two teams traded a few 3-0 runs, which tied the set at 20, and Mount Vernon took a timeout of their own. Out of the timeout, the Cougars closed the set on a 5-1 run to claim the second 21-25. The third set had a similar start to the second as neither team gained much ground until the Cougars went on a 7-0 run to take a 15-10 lead over the Orange and Black. Mount Vernon stretched their lead to 6 as they led 19-13, but a kill from Emma Westra sparked a crucial 7-0 run highlighted by kills from Taylor Paul and back-to-back blocks from Andrea Schriver and Taylor Sorg, which gave Tech a 21-19 lead. Eventually, Noelle VanOort put down a kill to win the set 26-24 and extend the match. The Orange and Black had a good start to the fourth set, jumping to a 6-3 lead, but they couldn't keep their momentum as the Cougars continually traded 2 or 3 points for each of Tech's 1, giving them control of the set, as Mount Vernon went on to win the set 25-17 to claim the match and end the Warriors season.
 
Taylor Paul led all attackers with 19 kills, while Noelle VanOort led the Warriors with 2 aces, and Andrea Schriver posted 44 assists. Taylor Sorg led the defensive front with 3 blocks, as Jacey Blust held down the back row with a team-leading 18 digs.
 
The Warriors made their second consecutive appearance in the NAIA National Tournament, ending the season with a 31-5 record, recording 30+ wins in a season for the first time since 2011. Tech also ended a 12-year title drought this season, winning their first conference regular season and tournament titles since 2011 with an 18-2 record in the WHAC.