KOKOMO, Ind.- For more than a decade, the Cougars of Indiana University Kokomo have been the dominant force in River States Conference women's volleyball.

The last thing a program of that caliber needs is any more motivation - the kind, for example, that comes with a heartbreaking, five-set loss in the previous year's championship game.

The Cougars returned to the top of the River States Conference on Saturday, winning the RSC Women's Volleyball Tournament championship with a 3-0 victory over the RedStorm of the University of Rio Grande. The win was IU Kokomo's 25th consecutive victory, and marked a dominant finish - in ten home conference matches this season, the Cougars did not drop a single set.

IU Kokomo established control of the match early, scoring the afternoon's first four points and never looking back during a 25-14 first set victory. The Cougars were especially dominant at the net, racking up an attack percentage of .345 and recording five blocks during the opening frame. Conversely, Rio Grande was their own worst enemy early on, with 12 of IU Kokomo's 25 points coming on RedStorm errors - seven attack errors, four service errors, and a setting error.

The Cougars were even more efficient in the second set, closing in on the title with another 25-14 victory. For the second straight set, the Cougars never trailed, remaining ahead from Allison Richman's set-opening kill to Avery Littrell's set-clinching ace. IU Kokomo increased their attack percentage to .381 in the second set, converting nine kills on just 21 swings with one error. 

Rio Grande did collect their first lead of the match in the third set, going up 1-0 on a Kelli Stewart kill to start the frame. IU Kokomo's response was to score the next five points and never look back en route to a conference title. The Cougars won the tournament title on their first attempt at match point, as Mia Niekamp pounded home a kill to win the final set, 25-17.

Niekamp led the Cougars with 13 kills in the victory. Allison Richman added 18 assists, and led the Cougars at the net with six blocks. Mya Grigsby added six kills and a team-high 13 digs. For Rio Grande, Kelli Stewart had a game-high 14 kills, while RSC Setter of the Year Elle McLoughlin evened Richman's total with 18 assists. URG's backline leader was Jenna Harrison, who finished with ten digs.

Both the Cougars, as RSC regular season and tournament champions, and the RedStorm as conference tournament runners-up, will represent the conference in the 2025 NAIA Women's Volleyball Tournament. For the Cougars, they will play in the Opening Round for the 11th consecutive year, and are in search of their third straight trip to the final site in Sioux City. For the RedStorm, 2025 marks their first-ever appearance in the national tournament.

The NAIA Selection Show, where Opening Round sites and matchups will be announced, is scheduled for onday, November 17 at 5 p.m. eastern on the NAIA YouTube page.