DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Bellevue University volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to the (RV) University of Jamestown in North Star Athletic Association action to open up play at the Grand View Tournament on Friday afternoon. Jamestown won the match by scores of 25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 25-22.
Jamestown took a tight opening set by a final score of 25-22 behind a .237 hitting percentage and 12 BU attack errors. After BU opened up an early lead in the second set Jamestown came back to post a 25-20 victory and a commanding two sets to none lead in the match. The Jimmies hit .244 in the set and committed a match-low three attack errors.
In the third set Jamestown started strong as they led by as many as five on three occasions before Bellevue came roaring back to take a 24-22 lead and own a double-match point. A ball-handling error on the Jimmies gave the Bruins a 25-22 victory and kept them alive in the match.
The Jimmies started fast, once again, in the fourth set but this time didn't let their lead slip away on the way to defeating Bellevue, 25-22. BU did grab a late 22-21 lead but four straight Jamestown points erased any hope the Bruins had of forcing a winner-take-all fifth set.
Senior Beth Walker notched her 20th double-double of the season, finishing the match with 36 assists and 16 digs. With her 36 assists Walker now has 1,021 on the season. In topping 1,000 assists for the year, she becomes just the third Bruin to do so three times in a career, joining Candace Clow ('08) and Jordan Broady ('12).
Defensively, sophomore Taylor Holz led BU with 33 digs while sophomore Mikaylah Gillespie was the top blocker finishing with eight total blocks on the afternoon.
On the offensive side, Bellevue was paced by sophomore Rachel Wald who finished with 13 kills and a .212 hitting percentage. Freshman Lauren Colpitts, Gillespie, and freshman Shayla Scanlan added 11, eight, and six kills, respectively for the Bruins.
For the match, Jamestown out-hit the Bruins .134-.071 and both sides finished with 72 digs.
Bellevue (17-12/2-2 North Star) is back in action later today when they take on (RV) Olivet Nazarene at 7:30 p.m.