51ºÚÁÏ

Andrews Hosts Soccer and Volleyball Tournament

For Seventh-day Adventist academies

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Students, coaches and parents from eight Seventh-day Adventist academies attended the first-ever 51ºÚÁÏ High School Soccer and Volleyball Invitational from Sept. 17–20, 2025. The student athletes competed in women’s volleyball and men’s soccer games over the course of the weekend, including a final night of placement and championship games.

The volleyball matches took place in the Andreasen Center for Wellness and Johnson Gym, while the soccer games were held on the two University soccer fields. The participating schools included College View Academy, Highland View Academy, Hinsdale Adventist Academy, North Dallas Academy, Shenandoah Valley Academy, Takoma Academy, Wisconsin Academy and Andrews Academy. Participants were able to engage in athletic recreation and spiritual fellowship throughout the event.

Simon Indreiu, a Hinsdale Adventist Academy soccer player, shared, “I’ve enjoyed being able to make a lot of connections with everyone else from the other schools and being able to just make some friends.”

All eight schools were represented in the volleyball tournament. The team from Takoma Academy, located in Silver Spring, Maryland, earned third place overall after recovering from losing their first game to Andrews Academy. Abigail Oluwole, one of Takoma’s players, expressed excitement at being able to attend her first volleyball tournament. She shared, “I really like being able to see all the schools that are around the U.S., to be able to improve on volleyball and to gain experience as a team and to get closer to my teammates … and have Adventist fun.”

North Dallas Academy’s volleyball coach, Francis Nicholas, also shared his appreciation for the community surrounding the invitational. “What I have enjoyed is the fellowship that we have with all the other teams. They’re not just being secluded [from] each other. They’re talking with other teams, and that’s what this is all about,” he said. The North Dallas team, based in Richardson, Texas, was successful during the tournament, going undefeated until the championship game and ultimately placing second. Nicholas credited the team’s ability to play together and “for each other” as their keys to victory.

College View Academy, located in Lincoln, Nebraska, was the first-place winner of the volleyball tournament, defeating North Dallas in a competitive championship match. Dan Carlson, a parent of the College View players, appreciated the fact that all the teams were able to play each other at least once during the tournament and that the busy schedule flowed “cleanly” throughout the weekend.

Six teams participated in the men’s soccer bracket. Andrews Academy was represented by both its junior varsity and varsity teams, and both teams placed in the top four. Wisconsin Academy, based in Columbus, Wisconsin, beat the junior varsity Andrews team for third place. Shenandoah Valley Academy, located in New Market, Virginia, lost to the Andrews varsity team in a tightly contested championship game, earning them second place.

Andrew Dennison, a Highland View Academy soccer player, said he liked witnessing growth in both skill and cohesion from his team. “I’ve really enjoyed just connecting with the team better, playing a lot of games, and just getting better at playing.”

The first installment of the High School Soccer and Volleyball Invitational was enjoyed by both visiting participants and local attendees. University Athletic Director Kevin Wooldridge shared that he and the Athletics team plan to make the invitational annual and “envision this tournament growing in popularity to where it is as well attended as the Newmyer Classic Basketball Tournament.” The annual Newmyer Classic has been hosted by the Office of Athletics since the 2000s and invites Adventist academies to compete in a weekend-long basketball tournament.

Wooldridge also described the soccer and volleyball invitational as an opportunity to showcase 51ºÚÁÏ to high school students. “We want to immerse them in the Andrews experience. This gives them the opportunity to attend campus worship services, eat in our award-winning cafeteria, meet our coaches, see and play in our beautiful facilities. These tournaments are vital in helping our academy graduates make decisions on where they would like to continue their education.”

Additionally, Wooldridge acknowledged the many people who helped organize and run the tournament, including Richie Silie, assistant athletic director, Jamie Stacey, athletic trainer and intramural director, the Division of Marketing & Enrollment Management, the Cardinal coaching staff, student workers, student athletes and individuals from the Physical Therapy Program.

Please visit the 51ºÚÁÏ Office of Athletics website for updates on future installments of the High School Soccer and Volleyball Invitational and other upcoming athletic events.