MARION, Ind. – The Talladega volleyball team took part in the NAIA Opening Round on Saturday for the second consecutive season, falling 3-0 against defending National Champion Indiana Wesleyan. The Tornadoes close out a 2024 campaign that featured a 25-10 record, a 14-1 league mark, a regular season championship and seven All-Conference players.
 
Saturday's match saw Indiana Wesleyan take the first set by a score of 25-10 before Talladega hit more of a stride in the second set. The Tornadoes went for 17 points in the middle set, but the Wildcats returned to form to finish off the third set by a tally of 25-14.
 
Franchesca Rivas paced Talladega with a team-high seven kills on Saturday, while Nuria Santos turned in a team-high 12 assists. Briyith Echeverri and Taquoia Rounds each got into double-figures in total digs, racking up 23 and 22 respectively.
 
Despite IWU, who went 38-0 last season and has gone 32-2 this fall, eliminating the Tornadoes for the second consecutive campaign, Talladega continues to rewrite the program record books. Talladega ends the 2024 season with their second straight 25+ win-season, and they have totaled 56 wins over the last two full seasons, marking the most historic stretch in program history.