(excerpts courtesy on NWAC Sports Information)
Bellevue College volleyball, entering the tourney with their best record in program history, lost a heartbreaker in a five-set instant classic match in the final of the 2025 NWAC Volleyball Championship, hosted by Columbia Basin College.
Having never reached the final before, upstart Treasure Valley clinched the program’s first title in incredible fashion. Down 2-1 in sets, TVCC won a close fourth set by just a 25-23 score before dominating 15-6 in the fifth set to claim the title.
Bellevue finishes an incredible season with a second-place finish and 32-4 record. The Bulldogs earned their second-ever runner up finish.
The opening set between the Chukars and the Bulldogs commenced with Bellevue quickly establishing an early lead, driven by kills from Karisa Martin and Ava Nowak. TVCC responded with Katelyn Markley scoring consecutive points, leveling the score at 2-2. Bellevue capitalized on a series of attack errors by TVCC, extending their lead to 7-3. Midway through the set, Bellevue’s consistent attacks, including a service ace from Maile Kuamo’o, pushed their advantage to 16-11.
Treasure Valley called a timeout trailing 19-11, which helped them regroup as they mounted a comeback with a 6-0 run, narrowing the gap to 23-22. Key defensive plays, including blocks by Vivian Schmidt and Rylee Miller, contributed to the rally. However, a service error by TVCC handed Bellevue set point, and they clinched the set 25-22 after a block by Olivia Chilton and Mya Hejl.
The Chukars secured the second set with a 25-18 victory over Bellevue, capitalizing on a sequence of strong serves and consistent attacks. Clark and Markley were pivotal in the scoring, with Clark recording multiple kills. A significant turning point came from Josey Cook, who delivered consecutive service aces, contributing to a five-point run that extended TVCC’s lead to 10-6. Bellevue attempted to rally but was unable to bridge the gap, as the Chukars closed the set with a decisive kill by Markley, assisted by Naomi Shipley.
The Bulldogs secured a decisive 25-16 victory in the third set against the Chukars, capitalizing on a series of offensive plays and errors. Gillian Merhoff opened the scoring with a kill, contributing significantly with multiple kills. Lucci Unga frequently assisted, providing setups for both Merhoff and Martin. TVCC managed to close the gap to 15-14 with a series of points from Clark’s kills and opponent errors. However, Bellevue pulled away with a strong finish, including a service ace by Olivia Deckard and a final point from an attack error by Ella Leishman. Bellevue’s coordinated effort, highlighted by effective assists and strategic plays, led to their victory in this set.
TVCC emerged victorious in a closely contested fourth set against Bellevue, winning 25-23. Clark helped build an early 3-0 lead with two consecutive kills assisted by Shipley. Bellevue responded with a service ace and a series of kills, including contributions from Martin, to tie the score at 3-3. The teams traded points, with Bellevue taking a brief 7-5 lead after a service ace by Kuamo’o. TVCC then gained momentum with a 4-0 run, aided by blocks from Leishman and Schmidt, to lead 10-8. Despite Bellevue’s efforts to close the gap, highlighted by kills from Merhoff, TVCC maintained their edge. Kynnsington Bandley’s kill, assisted by Shipley, put Treasure at set point, and a subsequent attack error by Martin clinched the set for Treasure Valley.
Treasure Valley took control early in the fifth and deciding set, starting with a kill by Clark and two consecutive service aces from Lexi Barnes to lead 3-0. After a brief Bellevue response, TVCC extended the lead to 5-1 with kills by Bandley and Markley, both assisted by Shipley. Bellevue called a timeout when TVCC widened the gap to 10-3, but the visitors maintained their momentum with a block by Markley and Schmidt. Despite Bellevue’s efforts, a service ace by Dominixe Celaya and a final kill from Clark sealed the 15-6 victory and the championship for Treasure Valley.
The Bulldogs showcased notable performances from several key players. Lina Burke excelled defensively with 22 digs. Nowak contributed significantly with 29 digs. Unga had 28 assists while Chilton made a defensive impact at the net, leading with five total blocks. Hejl demonstrated versatility with a total of five blocks and nine kills.
Hejl and Deckard were named to the All-Tournament First Team while Martin earned second team honors. The season will go down as one of the most memorable ones in Coach Jocelyn Lawrence’s long tenure as Head Coach. She led the team to it’s best record in program history and tutored middle Hejl to MVP honors for the region in addition to their runner up finish.
Last Updated November 24, 2025
