CEDARVILLE, OH - After a thrilling 3–1 victory last night against the No. 2-ranked Findlay Oilers in the G-MAC semifinals, the No. 3 Ohio Dominican Panthers faced tournament host and No. 1 seed Cedarville University, appearing in the G-MAC championship for the third straight year. In a huge five-set battle, the Panthers defeated the Yellow Jackets to earn an automatic NCAA bid and the 2025 G-MAC Championship title.

The senior class showed up in a big way in their third championship appearance. Jenna Peters led the attack with 19 kills and added two blocks, dominating the net. Outside hitter Ashley Aselage followed with 15 kills, while Logan Rubel rounded out the top three attackers with 14. Setter Gabrielle Kirker delivered five aces and 24 assists, and her setter counterpart Saige Avery shined with 40 assists, four blocks (a team high), and 16 digs.

In the back row, Lauren Dinunzi finished with 20 digs and an ace, while libero Christen Tarter led the defensive effort with 22 digs and four assists.

Set One
ODU opened the championship with a commanding 7–2 lead, seizing early momentum. Cedarville responded, narrowing the gap to 16–15. With the set tied at 23–23, the Panthers closed with two clutch points to quiet the crowd inside the Callan Athletic Center and take a 1–0 match lead.

Set Two
Riding their momentum, the Panthers stormed out on a 4–0 run and later led 11–3, draining the energy from CU's offense and defense. A late 7–1 push sealed the set, giving ODU a 2–0 advantage.

Set Three
Both teams traded points early, with CU's attack finally heating up. After an 8–8 tie, ODU put together a five-point rally, only for Cedarville to answer with four straight to lead 16–15. With the crowd behind them, CU pushed ahead 22–18 and closed the set 25–20, forcing a fourth.

Set Four
Momentum continued to swing in Cedarville's favor. Tied at 13–13 and 16–16, CU erupted for a decisive 7–1 run, taking the set and sending the championship to a winner-take-all fifth.

Set Five
Showing no panic, the veteran Panthers locked back in.
"Our seniors do a really good job at staying composed," Coach Bambenek said. "They stick to the game plan and push through the chaos, momentum, and the ups and downs of volleyball."

Dinunzi opened the fifth with four straight points at the service line, giving ODU a 4–0 lead and forcing a CU timeout. Cedarville responded with a 4–0 run of its own to tie it 5–5. Huge kills from Rubel and Aselage pushed ODU ahead 10–9. With the score knotted at 10–10, Rubel delivered again to make it 11–10. The Panthers then closed the match with a dominant four-point surge, winning the fifth set 15–10 and securing their first-ever G-MAC Championship.

This title marks Coach Amy Bambenek's first G-MAC championship and Ohio Dominican's first conference crown in program history. When asked to describe the win in one word, Bambenek laughed: "Unbelievable—just amazing. I don't know, I have too many words."

With the championship victory, ODU earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, with their first round location to be revealed during Monday night's selection show.