Hastings (Neb.) won its first-ever national championship at the 2016 NAIA Volleyball National Championship in front of a record-setting crowd inside the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Broncos knocked off Dordt (Iowa) in five sets to be crowned the new national champion. This was the first five-set national championship since 2008.
The Broncos found themselves in a 2-0 (25-23 and 25-15) hole going into the third set. Following a ten-minute break before the third set, Hastings got out to a quick start and stole the third set (25-16) to stay alive at 2-1 in the match.
The fourth set was yet another close one, with Hastings’ snatching the set 25-22 to tie up the match. The Broncos have only played two five-set matches this season, splitting the meetings. The fifth set in this match proved to be nothing for the Broncos as they captured a national championship after a quick 15-6 decisive set.
Dordt ends its season with a 28-8 record and advanced to its first national final in school history. The Defenders were led by All-Tournament Team members Jamie Gesnik, Brooke Granstra and Ema Altena. Granstra recorded the most kills in the tournament with 111, while leading her team in hitting percentage with .397.
Hastings was lead by non-other than the 2016 Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball National Championship Most Valuable Player, Logan Drueppel. The senior from Schuyler, Neb., earned her title after hitting .450 in the match, with nine kills and seven blocks.
