MESA, Ariz. — When Southern Oregon stepped onto the sand courts as the unanimous top-ranked team – replacing the defending national champion Ottawa (Ariz.), who had spent the near entirety of the season in the No. 1 spot – at the NAIA Beach Volleyball Invitational on Thursday, it was fated for the two teams to meet in the championship round. That's exactly what happened and the Raiders claimed the national championship title for their own.
Saturday's championship dual came down to a final tiebreaker match on Court 1 after OUAZ's fifth pair of Mariella Ramos and Gabriela Corrales won in two sets (21-17, 21-17), tying the score up 2-2. SOU's No. 1 pair of Grace Gulbrandsen and Tessa Zimmermann put Ottawa's back against the wall, winning the first set in a tight-knit 24-22.
"These players have worked for this moment," said head coach Paul Elliott. "And the moment was not too big. Clutch plays down the stretch made it happen."
Gulbrandsen, from Folsom, Calif., and Zimmermann, from Albany, lived up to that moment. They won the next set 21-19 and were swarmed by the rest of the Raiders just seconds later. The two juniors were named to the All-Tournament team.
"This is the moment we've been working for," said the team. "For the past four years, every girl who's been part of this journey has put in the work, fought through adversity, and shown what true grit looks like. Every early morning, every late night, every sacrifice – it all led to this."
The national championship is the first for the SOU beach team. When the program was created four years ago, they finished with a 3-12 record. The Raiders finished this 2026 season 24-3, which included Cascade Conference regular season and tournament championships and a 17-dual win streak.
SOU's No. 2 pair of Kira Sandoval and Molly Grace battled for a three-set victory to put the Raiders on the board first. They won the first set 21-16, dropped set two 19-21, and walked away from set three 15-9.
"I couldn't be happier with the team and with how we played this weekend," said Sandoval, a junior from Chelan, Wash. and team captain along with Gulbrandsen. "I'm just so thankful and proud of this program and the opportunity to play the sport we all love."
The Spirit's fourth pair evened the score 1-1 with a 21-16, 21-14 sweep, but the reliable third pair of Maelle Garon and Andressa Ribeiro Soares responded with a sweep of their own, winning 21-12 and 21-16. The two made a habit of steamrolling through opponents all year. They finished the season with a 25-2 record.
To make it to the championship dual, Southern Oregon had to first get by conference rival Corban earlier in the day in the semifinal round. They made a clean 3-0 sweep of the Warriors, winning all matches in just two sets. Sandoval and Grace won 21-16, 21-10, Garon and Ribeiro Soares went 21-12, 21-16, and the fourth pair of Kaitlyn Shilling and Amanda Moffat won 21-16, 21-14.
Six Raiders have been along for the ride since 2024, helping shape the culture that got them there. Natalie Perez, Kendal Hadwick, Emily Anderson, Zimmermann, Gulbrandsen and Sandoval all helped the program turn their 3-12 inaugural season into a 12-5 record just one year later.
Aside from Elliott, only one other individual from the program's first team held the red banner. Assistant coach Acey Reyes, a member of the original 14-person roster, has been part of the coaching staff since 2024.
The Raiders are the fifth champion in tournament history. The previous champions were Corban in 2022, Vanguard (Calif.) in 2023 and 2024, and Ottawa in 2025.
Southern Oregon 3, Ottawa 2
1. Grace Gulbrandsen/Tessa Zimmermann (SOU) def. Eliana Dean/Maya Blake (OUAZ) 24-22, 21-19
2. Kira Sandoval/Molly Grace (SOU) def. Olga Romero/Shayna Martinez (OUAZ) 21-16, 19-21, 15-9
3. Maelle Garon/Andressa Ribeiro Soares (SOU) def. Alicia Romero/Katy Shockey (OUAZ) 21-12, 21-16
4. Shea Marovich/Alexia Luengo (OUAZ) def. Kaitlyn Shilling/Amanda Moffat (SOU) 21-16, 21-14
5. Mariella Ramos/Gabriela Corrales (OUAZ) def. Kendal Hadwick/Natalie Perez (SOU) 21-17, 21-17
Order of finish: 2-4-3-5-1
Southern Oregon 3, Corban 0
1. Grace Gulbrandsen/Tessa Zimmermann (SOU) vs. Emmi Marks/Emma Bischoff (CRB) 21-14, 15-21, 5-8 (trunkated)
2. Kira Sandoval/Molly Grace (SOU) def. Gabriela Engels/Alyson Reid (CRB) 21-16, 21-10
3. Maelle Garon/Andressa Ribeiro Soares def. Alexis Adebodun/Cammie Masanda (CRB) 21-18, 21-19
4. Kaitlyn Shilling/Amanda Moffat (SOU) def. Erin Scott/Emily Blagg (CRB) 21-15, 21-19
5. Kendal Hadwick/Natalie Perez (SOU) vs Rebecca Wilber/Jordan Faircloth (CRB) 27-25, 14-14 (trunkated)
Order of finish: 3-4-2