AURORA, Ill. (naccsports.org) --- Top-seeded Aurora University edged second-seeded Milwaukee School of Engineering in five sets Saturday to win the 2025 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Men's Volleyball Tournament title.
It is the first NACC Tournament title for the Spartans (26-4), who also received the NACC's automatic berth in the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championship.
Aurora secured one of 14 automatic berths and will learn of its regional destination and opening-round opponent when the 19-team field is announced on the NCAA.com selection show at 9 a.m. CT Monday, April 14.
After a fairly even start, MSOE (14-10) closed out the opening set with a 6-2 run to emerge with a 25-21 victory. The hosts countered with a 25-19 win in the second set, using a 12-5 run to even the match.
The Raiders jumped out to a 12-3 lead to open the third set, only to see the Spartans rally to cut the score to just one at 17-16. Aurora was unable to maintain the momentum, however, and MSOE scored eight of the final 10 points to take the third set by a 25-18 score.
Aurora used a 6-2 run to break an 8-all tie and take control of the fourth set. MSOE got within two points at 17-15, but the Spartans used an 8-4 run to win the set, 25-19, and send the teams to a fifth set for a second consecutive Saturday.
MSOE jumped out to a 5-1 lead over Aurora in the deciding frame, prompting a timeout from the Spartans. Aurora responded with seven of the next 10 points, punctuated by a Josh McLellan ace that the Spartans an 8-7 lead as the teams switched sides. After trading the next handful of points, MSOE grabbed a 13-12 lead on a kill by Antonio Llona Baez. It was the Raiders' last outright lead of the match as back-to-back blocks from Ammar Brzovic and Logan Brouwer put the Spartans ahead 14-13. Callan Harris and Josh McLellan traded kills, leaving Aurora with championship point. Brzovic and Brouwer gave the Spartans the title when their block of a Llona Baez attack ricocheted off an MSOE player and fell to the floor.
Tournament MVP SJ Nelson hit .438 and posted 25 kills to lead Aurora, matching a tournament single-match record for kills. Regular-season MVP Josh McLellan added 12 kills, five block assists, and five digs, while Logan Brouwer posted a 52-assist, 12-dig double-double. Alex Nonhof (19) and Nathan Kirwin (11) also reached double figures in digs.
Seth Thomas led MSOE with 14 kills, leading three Raiders in double figures. He also had 15 digs. Callan Harris added 12 kills and 11 digs, while Antonio Llona Baez just missed a double-double with 13 kills and nine digs. Parker Rings dished out 45 assists.
2025 NACC All-Tournament Team
SJ Nelson, Aurora - MVP
Logan Brouwer, Aurora
Alex Nonhof, Aurora
Tommy Clausz, MSOE
Seth Thomas, MSOE
Cooper Armstrong, Benedictine
Spencer VanEngen, Benedictine
Ty Geschke, Dominican
Tyler Vrska, Dominican