POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. - The 2024 NCCAA Division I Volleyball Championship semifinals featured two established programs out of the ranks of the NAIA ranks Friday night as CIU fell in a five-set thriller to Grace College (Ind.) with sets scores of 19-25, 25-17, 16-25, 25-23, 12-15. The Lancers finished the NAIA regular season ranked as the No. 24 team in the NAIA, while CIU spent most of the regular season as the No. 23 team in the country.

Friday's match was a heavy-weight bout as both teams exchanged blows through the first three sets. After set one went to the Lancers, CIU blasted Grace in set two, leading at one juncture by as much as 16-5. After Grace ran away with set three, the match's final two sets were tight. The Rams appeared poised to return to the NCCAA title match after kills from Hanah Weiss and Katie Camp put CIU up 12-11 in the fifth set. However, the Rams would go scoreless the rest of the way, as the Lancers scored four unanswered points to seal the game.

Weiss, Kira Rymer Attaway, and Hadassah Davis all shined in the final moments of their collegiate careers. Davis led CIU with 16 kills, while Rymer Attaway posted 15, and Weiss tallied 12. Legendary Ram setters Melissa Campos Soto and Kamelia De Jesus also donned the navy and gold for the last time as Campos Soto recorded 28 assists and 19 digs. De Jesus posted 21 assists Friday night, concluding her CIU career just two assists shy of 5,000 career assists.

De Jesus also finished her career with with the most wins of any CIU volleyball player in program history in terms of matches participated in.

Libero Kelcey Mangum led CIU with 35 digs, while defensive specialist Lexabel Rojas totaled 22 digs. Lydia Gustafson posted four blocks in the final match of her junior season.

What Head Coach Katie Weiss is saying: "2024 has been an incredible season. I'm proud of what we accomplished in the face of adversity. We overcame losing multiple players to season ending injuries. We kept adapting and fighting our way through. I wish this season never had to end. I'll never forget the exceptional seniors and their leadership. They are leaving a legacy for future teams to follow. We thank God for his presence on our team throughout the season. This is His team and all that we do is for Him. CIU volleyball will keep growing and fighting our way to the top."

CIU ends the season with a record of 35-4. The Rams have won 30 or matches for four consecutive seasons. Head coach Katie Weiss wraps up her second year with the Rams with a mark of 67-7 over the past two seasons.