Posted: Nov 19, 2011
Season Statistics
BELLEVUE, Neb. -- MidAmerica Nazarene University used 18 kills from Linjun Ji to upset No. 21-ranked Bellevue University 3-1 (26-24, 25-18, 14-25, 25-19) Saturday in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round played at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
Bellevue ends its season with a 29-7 overall record. The Pioneers improved to 29-7 and advance to the 24-team NAIA Volleyball National Championship final site in Sioux City, Iowa on Nov. 29-Dec. 3 at the Tyson Event Center/Gateway Arena.
Senior Maureen Wardian led the Bruins with 14 kills on .314 hitting along with two blocks. Sophomore Caitlyn Rueth added 13 kills and three digs. Senior Ashley Wurdeman nearly recorded a double-double with nine kills and 14 digs.
Meghan Evans led the Bruin defense with 18 digs, while Mollie Gavin produced 14 digs.
Junior setter Jordan Broady dished out 42 assists while adding nine digs, two blocks, and two kills.
Ji was the only Pioneer in double figures in kills. Laura Hamblin anchored the MNU defense with 24 digs.
The first set featured nine ties and four lead changes and the Bruins battled back from an 18-14 deficit to take a 24-23 lead. Bellevue had a swing for the first set but a BU attack error and two kills from Anna Nostrant gave the Pioneers the opener, 26-24.
After Bellevue opened the second set with an early 2-0 lead, MNU went on a 10-3 run and led by as many as eight points before cruising to the 25-18 win.
The Bruins dominated the third set, holding the Pioneers to a -.056 hitting percentage. Rueth pounded four kills on six swings and Evans added six digs to pace BU to the easy 25-14 win.
Bellevue built a 17-15 lead in the fourth, forcing a Pioneer timeout. MNU responded out of the break with five-straight points, finishing the match on a 10-2 run, capped by a kill from Ji to end the match.
