Bellevue University's inaugural women's wrestling recruiting class is taking shape. The Bruins have signed a pair of NJCAA national champions in Keyahna Phillips and Rosalia Rubio, head coach Matt Atwood announced.

Phillips, a Chicago native, won the 2026 NJCAA national title at 180 pounds out of Iowa Lakes Community College. The performance capped a decorated junior college career that included two All-American finishes. She placed fifth at 160 pounds in 2025 before moving up to 180 and claiming the national championship a year later.

Rubio, a Carlsbad, New Mexico native, brings a national title of her own from Iowa Western Community College. The 117-pounder captured the 2025 NJCAA title with a dominant 16-5 victory over Indian Hills' EmmaLyn Burnett in the finals and earned two All-American honors during her time with the Reivers, finishing first in 2025 and third in 2026.

Bellevue University, an NAIA program, added women's wrestling as a varsity sport ahead of the 2026-27 academic year. The Bruins will compete in the Heart of America Athletic Conference under Atwood, formerly the head coach at the University of Providence. Phillips and Rubio are part of a growing inaugural recruiting class that includes several accomplished wrestlers, among them former Providence wrestlers Joely Slyter and Elise Twait. Landing two NJCAA national champions alongside proven collegiate talent sets an immediate tone for what Atwood is building in Nebraska.