CRETE, Neb. -- Playing its seventh match against ranked opposition this season, the No. 18 Bellevue University volleyball team dropped a tough five-set decison at No. 17 Doane University, Tuesday evening at the George and Sally Haddix Recreation and Athletic Center in an intra-state non-conference match.
The Bruins fell to 15-6 on the season while Doane improved to 15-4 overall. The loss snapped Bellevue's eight-match winning streak. Despite the loss, Bellevue is now 12-2 in its last 14 matches. Bellevue is now 5-4 against teams that are ranked or receiving votes on the year.
Doane 3, Bellevue 2 (20-25, 25-18, 25-15, 18-25, 15-12)
Bellevue jumped on the host Tigers with a 25-20 win in the first set of the evening. BU edged the Tigers hitting .139 against the hosts' .100 effort in the opening game.
Doane bounced back by winning the second set by a count of 25-18, out-hitting the Bruins .351-.200 in game two.
In the third frame, Doane seized momentum by taking a two games to one lead with a 25-15 victory, on the strength of a .333 hitting percentage compared to BU's .065 effort.
Bellevue forced a decisive fifth set with a 25-18 win in the fourth.
The fifth set was a game of runs as BU opened up with a 5-1 lead, only to see Doane go on a 12-1 run to go up 13-6. The Bruins countered with a 5-0 run to close to within two points at 13-11. The two teams traded points the remainder of the contest as the Tigers secured the win with the 15-12 victory.
Maddie Squiers directed the Bruins to a .143 hitting effort with 42 assists. She added nine kills on 15 errorless swings, nine digs and a service ace.
Hope Lambrecht led BU with 13 kills, hitting .250 for the evening, while adding four blocks. Gracie Myers came off the bench, collecting eight kills on .429 hitting in three sets of action.
Defensively, the Bruins were led by Taylor Holz, whose match-high 23 digs led Bellevue to a 75-65 advantage in digs for the match.
Maci Coffey led the Tiger offense with 15 kills on .364 hitting. Erin Warren anchored the Doane defense with 21 digs.
Bellevue continues their travels this weekend with a pair of North Star Athletic Association matches in the Roughrider State. The Bruins square of at No. 22 Jamestown on Friday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. in the NAIA National Volleyball Match of the Week. Following their contest with the Jimmies, BU heads to Dickinson State for a noon match against the Blue Hawks on Saturday, Oct. 1.