The No. 6 seed Missouri Valley College men’s volleyball team fell in in the semifinals of the 2025 NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Championships, losing to an undefeated Saint Xavier squad in four games. The Vikings dropped the match by scores of 18-25, 13-25, 25-11, 20-25.
The Vikings quickly dropped the first two games, falling 25-18 and 25-13. Needing a win in the third game, Missouri Valley took control early. Middle Blocker Joao Tavares Tavares and Opposite Samuel Essilfie teamed up on a block for the team’s first point, and Outside Hitter Davi Azevedo added a solo block to give the team a 3-1 lead. The Vikings won nine-straight points over the next stretch of play. Azevedo had one kill and Tavares put down two aces, while SXU committed six errors during the run to help make it a 12-3 score. One kill from both Essilfie and Andrey Bastos, along with an ace by Azevedo put the advantage at double-digits, 16-6. Another run, this time taking seven of eight points late in the, helped MVC pull away. Essilfie landed one kill, then teamed up on a block with Tavares to make it game-point. One final error from Saint Xavier finished off a 25-11 win for Missouri Valley, and sent the match into a fourth game.
The Vikings would then fall in a close game, 25-20.
Bastos led with 11 kills on a .474 hitting percentage, while Essiflie had 10 kills. Setter Lucas Rodrigues led with 26 assists, and added nine digs, and Libero Leonardo Leao had nine digs. Missouri Valley totaled seven blocks and three aces.
Missouri Valley ends its season at 22-5 overall, while Saint Xavier advances to the National championship match with a 31-0 record.
The Missouri Valley men’s volleyball team finished its 2025 season capturing the program’s first Heart of America Athletic Conference regular season title, tying the single-season wins program-record with the 2014 season (22 wins), earning a berth into the NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Championship for the second time in program-history, and advancing to the National semifinal round for the first time in program-history.