Park University (MO)

The No. 1 overall seeded Park University men's volleyball program have remained perfect throughout the historic 2026 campaign and fended off the No. 3 Cougars of Saint Xavier University (Ill.) in four sets to capture the 2026 NAIA Men's Volleyball National Championship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa at Alliant Energy PowerHouse, 24-26, 30-28, 25-22, 25-21.

The Pirates have secured their first undefeated season as a program and have extended the program win-streak record to 35-0 as well. Saint Xavier moved to 31-4 on the year and like Park were unblemished in their respective conference on the year in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. Both teams took conference regular season and tournament championships. For Park, this is the 6th NAIA National Tournament Championship won as a program (2003, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2026). This is Park's first NAIA National Championship since the NAIA moved men's volleyball to a championship status sport in 2019. Since 2019, Park is now the 3rd program to have a perfect season concluding with a Red Banner (Grand View University - 2021, The Masters University - 2025).

As a team Park hit .252 to the Cougars' .156. Both teams defensively were excellent at the net. Saint Xavier early on demonstrated their blocking ability and closed out the match with nine blocks, but the Pirates by and large held the advantage throughout the tournament in this category and had 14 blocks to make life difficult for Saint Xavier. Moises Ortiz formed a wall up front with 11 blocks, Adrian Figueroa and Umberto Caleca were contributors as well with six and three, respectively. Ortiz has done this all year and leads the NAIA in blocks per set.

Likewise, Figueroa was a clear offensive leader throughout the season with the most kills at 505 and kills per set at 5.10 in the NAIA. He is only the second Pirate in program history, behind Seidu Ajanako, to earn over 500 kills in a season. His second National Tournament appearance amounted to 69 kills in the four matches. Against the Cougars, the NAIA Tournament Most Valuable Player tallied 22 kills. Murillo Silva was next up with 15 kills and was nearly at a double-double with nine digs.

Umberto Caleca took the reigns at setter and dished 50 assists for the match, his match-high for 2026.

The defensive play in the back row stepped up immensely against the Cougars with Alessandro Gozzi registering 17 digs, while Leonardo Maldonado and Silva both had nine.

The Cougars had 10 service aces and 17 service errors to Park's two and 12 of the same.

In the opening set, from 16-15 on neither side had more than a one-point lead. A block by Ortiz and Caleca gave Park a 23-22 advantage, but a 4-1 swing by the Cougars gave them the set one win, 26-24. 

It remained extremely tight in set two and again Park held a 23-22 lead late. Figueroa forced a set point with a kill, but the Cougars kept clawing away to tie it at 24-all. Both teams kept trading points, but a service error by Saint Xavier left the door cracked for Park at 28-28. That's all the opportunity Figueroa needed to blast the next two kills for the 30-28 win.

A four-point lead felt like a lot in this type of match and that's where Park stood in the third set, 21-17. Park had to hold off a late burst by the Cougars, who brought it back to 21-20. Kills by Figueroa and Leonardo Maldonado pushed Park to a set point and this time Mihailo Ivanovic and Figueroa teamed up for a block to end the set, 25-22. Park hit .419 in set three, their best of the night.

Set four both sides had their lowest hitting performance, but Saint Xavier especially had a hard time getting things going with nine errors and only eight kills in the final set. To put things out of reach three straight blocks by Moises Ortiz and company took an 21-18 game and brought the Pirates to match point, 24-18. Saint Xavier battled with a 3-0 run, but with the taste of a national title in reach, Figueroa brought down, potentially his most memorable kill of the season, for a 25-21 win.

Park will have a Rally and Ice Cream Bar on Tuesday, May 5 at 4:30pm-5:15pm on the hill outside of the Mabee underground entrance by the stone "P".
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