AURORA, Ill. – Kicking off their second-straight NACC Tournament trip, Edgewood University headed south. As the six seed, they faced off with the third-seeded Aurora Spartans. The Spartans (20-6), ranked no. 12 in the latest AVCA Division III poll, fended off the Eagles (9-15) 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 29-27).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After the Eagles hung tough early, a 7-2 rally from the Spartans put the hosts up 12-5. Aurora would control the rest of the set, leading by as many as 13 points on route to a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
- Edgewood University clawed their way back into the match in the second set. Trading one-point leads with the Spartans, the Eagles led by 13-12 before a 4-1 stretch from Aurora put the hosts back on track. Aurora was in the driver's seat the rest of the way, winning 25-18 and taking a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
- Edgewood University refused to go quietly. They traded blow for blow with the Spartans as the two squads sat tied 13-13, but Aurora once again put together three unanswered for a 16-13 advantage. Down 23-20 late, the Eagles roared to life with four in a row as they threatened to force a fourth set. Two in a row would put the Spartans back in control, but the teams wrestled for the set in extra points. A service ace and an attack error would finish off the sweep for Aurora.
 
- The Spartans put together an impressive performance, out hitting Edgewood University .314-to-.093. They also had a 7-to-2 advantage in blocks and a 51-to-41 gap in digs.
 
- Josh McLellan excelled, posting 14 kills with a .462 hitting percentage on 26 attempts.
 
- SJ Nelson earned a 11-kill, 12-dig double-double.
 
- Logan Brouwer tallied 39 assists, four blocks, and three aces. All were match highs and he also added eight digs.
 
- Luke Brannigan finished with 12 digs.
 
- Cade Schueller paced the Eagles with 10 kills.
 
- Ethan Hoffert had 25 assists on the night.
 
- Tanner Sindorf recorded 10 digs while Oakley Griggs finished with eight.
 
UP NEXT
With the loss, Edgewood University concluded their 2026 campaign. They reached their second-straight NACC Tournament and finished with six or more wins in NACC action for the second year in a row. Owen Hartjes became the first Eagle to eclipse 200 career blocks.