DES MOINES, Iowa (April 13, 2023) - The Webber International University men's volleyball team battled No. 5 Ottawa (AZ) in the second round of pool play in the NAIA Men's Volleyball Championship on Wednesday. The Spirit proved to be too much for the Warriors as they suffered a 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-13) sweep, bringing their national tournament run to an end.

The Warriors (11-7 overall) outnumbered the Spirit (14-8) in total blocks, 7-5, but struggled offensively as they hit just .175 percent in total.

The first set began with both teams trading blows before Ottawa took a slight early advantage. The Warriors battled back to tie the set at 12, before a 7-3 run by the Spirit earned them a four-point lead at 19-15. For each point Webber was able to score, Ottawa responded with two of their own, causing it to pull away in the latter stages of the set. The Spirit earned the set one victory with a score of 25-19.

Trailing 4-3 in the second set, the Warriors then sparked a 5-1 run which earned them a 8-5 lead. However, the Spirit retaliated with four-straight points to regain the lead. There were three more lead changes over the course of the next few rallies as Webber held a one-point lead at 18-17. Another 4-0 run by the Spirit earned them a three-point advantage. The Warriors were able to cut the deficit to just one, but that is as close as they would get as Ottawa closed out set number two.

Set three saw the Spirit bolt out to an early 9-3 lead. The early run by Ottawa earned it the buffer it needed in order to hold off any comeback attempts by the Warriors. Three big runs fueled the Spirit to the set and match victories.

Offensively, the Warriors were led by Carson Barnes with a total of 10 kills. He also tied for the team-high in digs with Peyten Young with five. Young tallied 30 assists and recorded two service aces as well. Gunter Perea Quevedo ended with six kills followed by Andrea Di Paola with five. Perea Quevedo also posted a team-high five total blocks for the match.

The Warriors historic season comes to a close under first-year head coach Roger Peluso, with an overall record of 11-7. Webber earned its first conference tournament championship in program history as well as the first NAIA Men's Volleyball Championship appearance.