ST. PAUL, Minn. (Dec. 1, 2007) – Forget the phrase “Third time’s a charm.” It was “Fourth time’s a charm” in the case of Bethel College (Ind.), as the second-seeded Pilots upset top seed Indiana Wesleyan University in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) championship game. Bethel, who had lost to the Wildcats three times previous throughout the 2007 season - and twice in the month of November – turned things around on Saturday with their 3-0 victory over IWU capping off an undefeated tournament record.
After the match’s first and second games, fans expected Indiana Wesleyan to take the ensuing game. That scenario never played out though, as the Pilots used a 31-29 advantage in Game 2 to throttle themselves all the way to a national championship.

Stephanie Harwood – who was later named the NCCAA’s Most Outstanding Player in 2007 – turned in an impressive performance in the match, leading all players with 19 kills. Christie Odreman and Erica Bruxvoort were equally sharp, turning in 13- and 12-kill performances. Bruxvoort averaged 5.05 kills per game throughout the weekend to earn tournament MVP honors.

For the match, Bethel stayed consistent with a .201 attacking percentage. Ashley Pagel played a strong part in that stat, pacing the Pilots with 40 assists. Marcia Poliquin led BC’s defensive front with 24 digs.

IWU countered Bethel’s attack with Elisabeth Beam, who turned in a special performance of her own all weekend. Beam had a team-leading 14 kills and an astounding .545 attacking rate. Joining Beam was Jill Macmillan and Rebekah Reichard, who both contributed 10 kills in the loss. Christy Beam and Krystin Coleman had 22 and 22 assists in the Wildcats’ 6-2 offense.

The 2007 NCCAA championship is Bethel’s fourth in their history, with previous titles coming in 1993, 1994 and 1998.

Following the Pilots’ win, Bethel head coach Julia Reininga was announced as NCCAA Coach of the Year. Reininga, who finishes her seventh season at Bethel, is one win short of 200 victories in her career at 199-118.