CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa [BRACKET | RESULTS] – The 2024 NAIA Men's Volleyball Championship ended in a sweep (25-23, 25-18, 25-20) in favor of the No. 7 Georgetown (Ky.) Tigers on Saturday evening in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

The Master’s opened its season at No. 5 in the preseason Coaches’ Top 25 Rating. The team opened play with five Top 15 ranked teams and won all five of them, which resulted in the team moving up in the ratings to No. 1 for the second time in program history. The Mustangs held at No. 1 until their first NAIA loss on the season to Vanguard (Calif.). The team flipped with Vanguard for the No. 1 spot again after a 14-game win streak that included a win over Vanguard in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Championship match for an automatic berth to the NAIA Championship.

Georgetown opened the season at No. 9 and bounced around from 8-11 throughout the season. The team only lost six matches, all to top-ranked or receiving votes opponents. The team closed out the regular season and opened the postseason with a six-game win streak that resulted in the Mid-South Conference Championship Title for an automatic berth to the NAIA Championship.

Both teams continued their win streaks through pool play and the semifinals.

William Penn (Iowa) pushed the Mustangs to five sets in the semifinals, which only three other teams were able to do earlier this season. The Master's five set win in the semifinals was the key to advancing to the championship for the first time. 

Georgetown upset the No. 2 team in the tournament, Vanguard, to advance the team out of pool play for the first time. Georgetown played Saint Xavier for the third time in the semifinals in a rubber match that gave the Tigers the 2-1 lead on the season against SXU to advance to the championship match for the first time.

It all came down to the final match of the season, with two teams standing in the final Battle for the Red Banner.

The match opened with a kill from Miguel Ariza Vega of Georgetown. The Tigers captured three of the first four points before The Master’s went on an 8-2 run for a four-point lead. Georgetown stayed close behind and tied the score at nine. From that point, the teams went back and forth until a tie score of 22 when Georgetown went on a 4-1 run to win the opening set 25-23.

The teams matched each other point for point until a tie score of seven when Georgetown went on a 10-2 scoring run for an eight-point lead in the set. The Tigers maintained that lead for a 25-18 set two win.

The Tiger's momentum continued into the third set as the team established an early lead of 8-4 before The Masters went on a 5-1 run to tie the score at nine. The teams battled back and forth until a tie score of 18, and Georgetown went on a 7-2 run after a service ace from Kacper Dobrowolski to win the third set 25-20.

Krzysztof Kowalski of Georgetown was the only player to land double-digit kills in the match, with a total of 15. Teammate Ryan Gunn and Will Avera of The Master’s followed with nine kills apiece.

Kacper Dobrowolski of Georgetown directed the Tigers offense in the match and recorded 29 assists for an average of 9.67 assists per set.

CJ Bride of Georgetown was the only defender with double-digit digs totaling 12 for an average of four digs per set.

Miguel Ariza Vega led the defensive effort at the net with six block assists and two solo blocks.

All-Tournament Team

Andres Velez, Saint Xavier (Ill.)

Landon Krause, William Penn (Iowa)

Krzysztof Kowalski, Georgetown

Patrick Paragas, The Master’s

Kacper Dobrowolski, Georgetown

Tournament MVP: Krzysztof Kowalski, Georgetown

Sportsman of the Year: Isaac Seltzer, The Master’s