MSU Denver Women’s Volleyball Captures First NCAA Division II National Title

On December 13, 2025, Metropolitan State University of Denver women’s volleyball reached the summit of NCAA Division II. Inside the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Roadrunners defeated perennial power Concordia–St. Paul 3–1 to secure the 2025 NCAA Division II women’s volleyball national championship, the first volleyball national title in school history and the first NCAA volleyball crown ever for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).

With set scores of 25–22, 25–20, 20–25 and 25–21, MSU Denver completed a 32–3 season, extended its winning streak to 23 matches and capped a decade-long climb under head coach Jenny Glenn. The victory delivered the program’s long-pursued breakthrough on the national stage and added a fifth NCAA Division II title to the university’s athletic history.

How MSU Denver Won the NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship

The championship match against Concordia–St. Paul, one of Division II’s benchmark programs, did not start comfortably for the Roadrunners. In the opening set, Concordia–St. Paul built a 19–15 lead and seemed poised to land the first punch in the NCAA Division II women’s volleyball championship final.

Instead, MSU Denver responded with the type of late-set poise that defined its postseason. The Roadrunners closed the frame on a 10–3 run, flipping a four-point deficit into a 25–22 win that immediately swung momentum to the RMAC champions. That comeback set the tone: MSU Denver would not be rattled on the sport’s biggest Division II stage.

Powered by that surge, the Roadrunners controlled the second set. Their balance at the net and consistency behind the service line carried them to a 25–20 victory and a commanding 2–0 match lead. Concordia–St. Paul, traditionally among the strongest programs in the country, answered in the third. The Golden Bears found a more efficient offensive rhythm and took the set 25–20 to extend the contest and test MSU Denver’s composure.

The Roadrunners responded like a seasoned national contender. In the fourth set, they regrouped around the formula that had brought them this far: a deep, balanced offense and a dominant block. MSU Denver closed out the match 25–21, clinching the program’s first NCAA volleyball title on a kill from breakout outside hitter Megan Hagar.

Statistically, the performance reinforced the Roadrunners’ identity. Across four sets, MSU Denver hit .280 while holding Concordia–St. Paul to .209 and posted a 17–10 advantage in total blocks. The frontline edge was not an outlier but a continuation of the theme that had carried them through the RMAC, the South Central Regional and the Elite Eight.

MVP Outside Hitter Megan Hagar Steps Into the Spotlight

While MSU Denver’s national title run was built on depth and balance, the championship match spotlight belonged to outside hitter Megan Hagar. Forced into a larger role after senior attacker Annika Helf suffered an injury during the Elite Eight, Hagar responded with the defining performance of her collegiate career on the biggest stage.

In the NCAA Division II women’s volleyball championship match, Hagar recorded 18 kills and 18 digs, notching the first double-double of her time at MSU Denver. Fittingly, she finished the contest with the title-clinching kill, a moment that punctuated her transformation from key contributor to championship hero.

Her dominance was not limited to one night. Across the final three rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Hagar tallied 39 kills and 39 digs, a two-way impact that drove the Roadrunners’ attack and steadied their back-row defense. That consistency earned her NCAA Division II Tournament Most Valuable Player honors and firmly attached her name to MSU Denver’s first volleyball national title.

Hagar was far from alone. Three teammates joined her on the all-tournament team, a reflection of how MSU Denver’s success came from multiple positions rather than a single star.

• Brooke Gennerman added 16 kills in the final, continuing a postseason in which she was a steady, high-volume option on the pin.
• Karyna Werley delivered double-digit kills and key blocks against Concordia–St. Paul, keeping the Roadrunners’ offense versatile and difficult to scout.
• Alyssa Boyte, the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year, anchored the block and led the effort that limited Concordia–St. Paul to a .209 hitting percentage.

The combination of Hagar’s rise, Gennerman’s production, Werley’s two-way play and Boyte’s defensive presence illustrated why MSU Denver emerged as perhaps the most complete team in Division II by season’s end.

From RMAC Champions to NCAA National Power

The 2025 title in Sioux Falls was not a one-year surprise but the culmination of sustained progress. Under head coach Jenny Glenn, MSU Denver had already established itself as a postseason mainstay. The Roadrunners reached the NCAA Tournament for 25 consecutive seasons, building an annual expectation of competitive success. Yet prior to 2025, they had never advanced beyond the regional final.

The 2025 campaign changed that ceiling. MSU Denver dominated the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, claiming both the regular-season championship and the RMAC Tournament title to secure the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Within a historically competitive conference that includes multiple nationally ranked programs, that sweep alone signaled that the Roadrunners were a legitimate national-title threat.

MSU Denver entered the postseason as the South Central Region’s top seed and host. In regional play, the Roadrunners were efficient and decisive:

• Swept Colorado Mesa to open the NCAA Tournament.
• Defeated West Texas A&M 3–1 in a matchup of regional heavyweights.
• Handled Angelo State 3–0 to clinch the South Central Regional championship and the program’s first-ever trip to the Elite Eight.

By the time MSU Denver booked its ticket to Sioux Falls, the team had a clear identity: a strong block built around Boyte, efficient attacking across multiple hitters and stable setting from freshman setter Werley. The statistical profile aligned with what national analysts often associate with NCAA champions: high hitting percentages, an elite block and the ability to win both quick sweeps and high-pressure five-setters. For broader context, the NCAA has consistently highlighted blocking and offensive efficiency as critical components of championship teams in Division I and II volleyball, trends apparent in past national champions such as Nebraska and Tampa in their respective divisions (https://www.ncaa.com/news/volleyball-women/article/2023-12-17/college-volleyball-champions-history).

Elite Eight Breakthrough: Surviving Wingate’s 30-Match Winning Streak

MSU Denver’s first NCAA Division II women’s volleyball championship run might have ended in the quarterfinals if not for one of the most resilient performances in program history. In their national quarterfinal at the Elite Eight, the Roadrunners faced Wingate, a team riding a 30-match winning streak.

In their first-ever Elite Eight appearance, the Roadrunners fell behind two sets to one, dropping the first set 24–26, responding with a 25–16 win in the second and then struggling in a 15–25 third-set loss. The deficit created a clear test: How would MSU Denver respond when its national-title pursuit was a few points from collapse?

The answer came from multiple corners of the roster:

• Brooke Gennerman led the attack with 17 kills, providing the steady offense MSU Denver needed to keep pace.
• Alyssa Boyte added five blocks, helping slow Wingate’s hitters at crucial moments.
• Setter Gabrielle Brewer contributed 25 assists, guiding the offense and keeping hitters in rhythm.
• Libero/defensive specialist Mia Accomazzo delivered four service aces, seven assists and 22 digs, including high-pressure serves and back-row plays that ignited the late comeback.

With Wingate leading late in the fourth set, Accomazzo’s serving runs and defensive reads were central to MSU Denver’s rally. The Roadrunners forced a decisive fifth set, then closed out the match 15–13, ending Wingate’s long winning streak and punching their ticket to the national semifinal.

For athletes and families tracking what it takes to win deep in the NCAA Tournament, this quarterfinal showed several core traits that recruiters look for in successful teams and players:

• Resilience after losing a crucial third set.
• Role players stepping into starring moments (especially at the service line and in the back row).
• Composure in tight, late-set situations.

Those same characteristics often stand out to college coaches when they evaluate prospects in pressure situations, whether in high school playoffs, club tournaments or national qualifiers.

Semifinal Stunner: Sweeping Unbeaten Tampa

If the Wingate win was MSU Denver’s test of toughness, the national semifinal against Tampa was the statement that signaled the Roadrunners were the team to beat. Tampa entered the match 32–0 and ranked at the top of Division II, with a long history of success at the national level. According to NCAA records, Tampa is one of the most decorated Division II volleyball programs in the country, with multiple national titles to its name (https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/volleyball-women/d2/2025).

MSU Denver did not merely upset the Spartans; the Roadrunners swept them. With scores of 25–21, 25–19 and 25–21, MSU Denver handed Tampa its first loss of the season and booked its place in the NCAA Division II women’s volleyball championship match.

The sweep over a previously unbeaten, top-seeded opponent highlighted everything that made the Roadrunners dangerous:

• Their block neutralized Tampa’s high-powered attack.
• Their serving created enough pressure to keep Tampa out of system, allowing the block and defense to set up.
• Their balanced offense prevented Tampa from keying on a single hitter.

For recruits and families looking at programs capable of making deep NCAA runs, a result like this matters. It shows that MSU Denver is not only capable of dominating its league and region but also of beating undefeated, nationally elite opponents late in the postseason.

Program History and Coach Jenny Glenn’s Decade-Long Climb

The 2025 national title in Sioux Falls added a new chapter to the broader athletic history of Metropolitan State University of Denver. Before this season, the university had earned four NCAA Division II national championships:

• Men’s basketball titles in 2000 and 2002.
• Women’s soccer titles in 2004 and 2006.

The volleyball team’s breakthrough delivered the fifth NCAA crown in school history and the first since 2006, ending a nearly two-decade national-title drought across all sports.

For head coach Jenny Glenn, who has guided the program for a decade, the win was the fulfillment of a long-term vision. Glenn and her staff had not shied away from talking about national-championship aspirations in recent years. By the end of the 2025 campaign, she held a 252–53 career record, including a 32–3 mark in the championship season.

Her tenure has shown several trends that matter for recruits considering a Division II program:

• Consistency: 25 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the program reinforce that this is not a one-year surge but a sustained standard of excellence.
• Player development: Athletes like Hagar stepping into starring roles and a freshman setter like Werley thriving on a national stage indicate a strong developmental environment.
• Ambition: Publicly embracing national-title goals and then achieving them signals a competitive culture that attracts driven student-athletes.

For high school and club athletes exploring Division II options, MSU Denver now stands alongside established national powers as a proven destination for those who want to compete for NCAA titles while balancing academics, cost and campus life.

Why This Title Matters for the RMAC and Division II Volleyball

MSU Denver’s win carried significance beyond one program. By defeating Concordia–St. Paul and lifting the trophy in Sioux Falls, the Roadrunners became the first RMAC team ever to win an NCAA volleyball national championship.

That achievement boosts the profile of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference as a whole. The RMAC has long been competitive in multiple sports, but breaking through in volleyball at the national level matters in several ways:

• It validates the level of play in the RMAC for recruits who might otherwise only look at more traditionally recognized power conferences.
• It can help raise the national ranking and seeding potential for other RMAC teams in future NCAA Tournaments.
• It reinforces that athletes do not need to be in Division I to play championship-level volleyball at a national scale.

For families comparing Division I and Division II opportunities, it is worth noting that Division II programs like MSU Denver can offer high-level competition, robust athletic support and access to national exposure through the NCAA Tournament, while sometimes providing different scholarship packages and campus experiences than Division I schools. The NCAA’s official Division II landing pages detail how partial scholarships, balanced time demands and regional rivalries shape the D2 experience (https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2014/5/2/about-dii.aspx).

Recruiting Takeaways: What Prospects Can Learn From MSU Denver’s Run

For high school and club volleyball players dreaming of competing in the NCAA Division II women’s volleyball championship, MSU Denver’s 2025 national title offers several key lessons:

• Depth wins championships: The Roadrunners relied on contributions from multiple hitters, blockers, setters and defensive specialists. Recruits who can fill multiple roles or excel in specialized situations (serving runs, blocking matchups, back-row stability) are highly valuable.
• Development pathways matter: Players like Hagar, who stepped into a starring role after an injury to a senior, show how growth over multiple years can lead to breakout moments late in a career.
• Composure under pressure: Comebacks against Wingate and the ability to sweep an undefeated Tampa squad highlight how important mental toughness and late-set execution are to coaches at this level.
• Conference fit: Competing in a strong league like the RMAC provided MSU Denver with constant tests that prepared the team for national-level opponents.

If you are exploring colleges where you could compete at a high level, tools like the Pathley College Directory make it easier to scan programs, compare locations and start building a shortlist of schools that fit your academic and athletic goals.

Related Colorado Volleyball Programs to Watch

Colorado offers several additional options for athletes interested in playing collegiate volleyball while remaining in or near Denver. While they compete in different conferences and often at different competitive levels, these programs share geographic ties and access to a vibrant volleyball culture in the region.

• University of Denver: Located in Denver, this private university competes at a high level in multiple sports and offers a traditional residential campus setting in the city.
• Regis University: Another Denver-based institution, Regis provides a smaller-campus feel and a strong community atmosphere that appeals to many student-athletes.

Using these schools as comparison points along with Metropolitan State University of Denver can help prospects weigh factors like campus size, academic offerings, tuition, and conference competition as they build their college lists.

How Pathley Can Help You Find Your Own Championship Fit

Stories like MSU Denver’s 2025 NCAA Division II women’s volleyball championship show what is possible when the right athletes match with the right program and coaching staff. For recruits, the challenge is often finding those fits across hundreds of potential schools.

Pathley is built to make that process smarter and more efficient. With tools like the Pathley Chat recruiting assistant, you can ask targeted questions about colleges, compare programs and get guidance on how your profile aligns with different levels of play.

To go deeper, you can use the Pathley College Directory to explore schools like MSU Denver, the University of Denver and Regis University in one place, then save promising options to your shortlist. When you are ready to organize your search and start reaching out to coaches, creating a free Pathley account at https://app.pathley.ai/sign_up unlocks AI-powered college matching, resume tools and personalized recruiting insights tailored to your goals.

Whether your dream is to chase an NCAA Division II women’s volleyball championship or simply find a campus where you can grow on and off the court, thoughtful research and smart tools can make all the difference. MSU Denver’s breakthrough proves that with the right combination of culture, coaching and commitment, programs and players alike can rise to the national stage.