Iowa Western Volleyball National Championships
2006 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
In just his second year at the helm of the volleyball program, Head Coach Terry Gamble and the 2006 Reivers made history, becoming the first team in IWCC history to win a team national championship.
The #3 seeded Reivers swept their way to a national championship, defeating #14 Temple College (Tex.), #6 Blinn (Tex.), #2 Missouri State Univ.-West Plains, and #1 Western Nebraska, all in straight sets.
Luciana Rapach was named the tournament MVP, Terry Gamble took home the Coach of the Tournament honor, and Juliana Paz was named the AVCA National Player of the Year.
The 2006 team also set the record for the most wins in program history, ending the year with an incredible 60-4 record and were unbeaten at home.
2020-21 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Iowa Western claimed the 2020-21 NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship title at the West Plains Civic Center, on Saturday, April 17. The Reivers topped No. 3 Snow (UT) in a four-set battle by the scores of 25-15, 20-25, 25-20, 25-19. Iowa Western posted 63 kills and 13 blocks over four sets, while adding 69 digs and eight service aces. Iremnur Elmas and Maike Bertens led the way offensively with 15 kills each and sophomore Libero Leah Palensky posted her season high of 25 digs.
The win marks the second NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship title in school history for the Reivers. Head coach Alicia Williams helped Iowa Western capture the program's first national title as a player in 2006.
The Reivers entered the national tournament as the No. 5 seed with a 22-3 record and finished the season 26-3 overall. En route to the championship match, Iowa Western swept all of their opponents: No. 12 Wallace State-Hanceville, No. 4 Utah State Eastern and No. 1 Miami Dade. The victory over Utah State Eastern earned Coach Williams her 300th victory of her coaching career, she also took home the tournaments Heidi Cartisser Coach of the Tournament Award.
Along with the team title, Freshman Setter Yadhira Anchante was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament and Freshmen Iremnur Elmas and Maike Bertens were named to the All-Tournament Team.
2021 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Iowa Western Volleyball returned to the NJCAA D1 national tournament final in Hutchinson, KS. The Reivers who claimed the 2020-21 crown, made the national tournament for the program's 16th straight year, but it was the first time as an at-large bid. Selected as the 8th seed, Iowa Western (33-4) swept their opening-round opponent Polk State 3-0, then faced the top-seeded Buccaneers of Blinn College. Head Coach Alicia Williams facing her former coach at IW, Terry Gamble, won a hard-fought first set 32-30 and then cruised the rest of the way, winning sets two and three 25-19 and 25-17. That set up a rematch versus MSU-West Plains in the semi-final. The Reivers avenged a mid-season loss to the Grizzlies, winning 3-1 to set up another regular-season rematch, this time versus New Mexico Military Institute.
The Broncos took set one 25-18, but Iowa Western would even the match, taking set two 25-22. NMMI claimed set number three 25-21, then it was back-in-forth in set four. Iowa Western opened up leading 7-3, but the Broncos battled back to even the game at 14. Down 21-20, the Reivers rattled off three straight points behind kills from Cherlin Antonio and Delaney Esterling with Esterling delivering the final blow to take the set 25-23.
The final set was a thriller, back-and-forth points again, from the 6-6 mark until finally, at 12 all, Trinity Zika set up Maike Bertens for the point, then an attack error by NMMI made it a 14-12 game. Esterling would block the final attack of the Broncos to seal the 15-12 victory in the final set to give Iowa Western back-to-back national titles.
Setter Yadhira Anchante was named the tournament MVP for the second straight year with Bertens and Antonio joining her on the all-tournament team.
Head Coach Alicia Williams was again named the Heidi Cartisser Coach of the Tournament and has been a part of every national title team in Iowa Western Volleyball history (1 as a player ('06), 2 as head coach). Her career coaching record at IW ended at 335-44 in nine seasons at the helm of the program. Williams accepted the Head Coach position at NCAA D1 Bradley University following the season.
