KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- What could have been a season of rebuilding turned into another trip to the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) championship match for Campbellsville University volleyball. However, last year's defending champions, returning only five players from 2009, came up short in 2010 in three sets to the No. 1 seed, Indiana Wesleyan University.

Campbellsville swept through its first three pool play matches of the 2010 tournament at the Kissimmee Civic Center, before dropping its final pool play match Friday to Mount Vernon Nazarene University. With the three wins, Campbellsville won its pool to advance to the NCCAA semifinal and beat Palm Beach Atlantic, 3-0, to set the stage for the final.
 

After playing an impressive 3-0 win over PBA, CU was shut down by Indiana Wesleyan with scores of 25-21, 25-18 and 25-15 - ending the Lady Tigers' run as NCCAA national champs.

"I saw so many good things (this tournament), and then a setback, and unfortunately our last game was the biggest setback," said first-year CU head coach Amy Eckenfels. "I can tell the girls wanted it so bad they just didn't have it. I know that's the most frustrating thing for them and for Coach (Billy) Gregory and me."

Neither team had a player with double-figure kills as as Indiana Wesleyan collected 17 points off blocks and CU had 29 attack errors.

"Indiana Wesleyan played a heck of a game. They're coverage was amazing and our defense was horrible. It's one of those things that (our girls) wanted it so bad that everything was going in Indiana Wesleyan's favor and we couldn't catch a break," Eckenfels said.

The Lady Tigers started the match with the first point, but Indiana Wesleyan answered as the first set remained at one-point difference for the first 10 points. The Wildcats began pulling away as they approached their 10^th point and built a six-point lead en route to the 25-21 win.

Campbellsville battled with the top seed through the second set, as each side traded point-for-point. After Kelly Moyer tied the set, 17-17, the Wildcats won a side out. An ace from IWU libero Kelsey Masuda gave IWU a 2-point lead, as the Wildcats rolled on to a 25-18 win in the set. CU gained one point in that stretch off an IWU ball handling error, while aiding IWU's points with a pair of attack errors and hitting into two blocks.

The third set wasn't much different, as Indiana Wesleyan broke a 4-4 tie with a CU attack error and never looked back.

Campbellville concludes the season with its fifth straight 30-win season, as the Lady Tigers' 34 wins is the third-most in program history. The 34 wins is also the most ever for a first-year CU volleyball head coach.

Eckenfels took over the program following the 2009 championship win and was put in a situation to need to bring in six new players.

"I'm proud of the girls for the season they had. They had an amazing season given their different back grounds and having not played together," Eckenfels said. "I thought it was going to be kind of a building process even though we've had a good team and have that background. We had so many go girls, Coach Gregory a new assistant and me a new head coach. I'm totally pleased with the girls and how they responded to me."
 

Following the game, Shannon Cahill and Caroline Martin were named to the All-Tournament Team. Cahill was selected as a Second Team All-American and Martin a First-Team All-American by the NCCAA and AVCA.