SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- Maddie Squiers recorded a double-double as the 21st-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team defeated Lourdes University 3-0 on Thursday evening in the final Pool Play match in the NAIA National Tournament at the Tyson Events Center.
Bellevue jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, taking the first set by a score of 27-25. The Bruins took a commanding 2-0 lead with a 25-22 win in the second set and sealing the victory with a 25-21 triumph in the third set.
With the win Bellevue closes the season with a 30-13 overall record, their second-straight season notching at least 30 wins and seventh in 12 years under head coach Trish Siedlik. Lourdes wraps up the season with a 22-14 record.
Bellevue was led offensively by Mikaylah Gillespie with 13 kills followed by Michaela Gardner's 12. Shayla Scanlan added nine, Hope Lambrecht contributed eight, and Andrea Carson chipped in six for the Bruin attack.
Maddie Squiers earned her 21st double-double of the season finishing with 41 assists and 12 digs.
On the defensive side of the ball Cheyenne Mahnke led the Bruins with 14 digs. Taylor Holz added 12 and Carson helped out with 10.
Tylar Roberson paced Lourdes with match-best 16 kills on her way to a double-double, finishing with 10 digs as well. Genessee Tate added nine kills while Cierra Martinez and Chelsea Lawrence each finished with seven.
Lourdes, defensively, was led by Angelica Dippol's 19 Digs and Sarah Wisser added 14 digs and 23 assists for a double-double of her own.
Bellevue out-hit the Gray Wolves .270-.175 on the evening while Lourdes held the edge in digs 70-67.
#21 Bellevue 3, (RV) Lourdes 0 (27-25, 25-22, 25-21)
1st Set Hitting: BU .327 | LU .208
2nd Set Hitting: BU .245 | LU .115
3rd Set Hitting: BU .231 | LU .219
1st Set: Bellevue 27, Lourdes, 25
The first set was generally close with Lourdes grabbing the largest lead of the early going at 11-7. Neither team was able to get on much of a run with the Gray Wolves lead hovering between 2-3 points for the majority of the set until Bellevue battled back to tie the set at 19-19 setting up a tight stretch run where BU would ultimately prevail, 27-25.
2nd Set: Bellevue 25, Lourdes, 22
Lourdes grabbed an early three-point lead in the second set, scoring four of the first five points. The Gray Wolves maintained that lead before going on a 4-0 run to stretch that advantage to 10-4 before a Bellevue timeout. BU hung around before battling back with a 12-3 run to take their first lead of the set, 16-14. BU spent their second timeout when Lourdes grabbed a 20-19 lead. The timeout paid off as the Bruins closed the set on a 6-2 run to win 25-22.
3rd Set: Bellevue 25, Lourdes, 21
After falling behind 2-1 in the Bruins used a 10-2 run to grab their biggest lead of the match at 11-4. From there BU was just too much for Lourdes to handle as Bellevue stretched their lead to as many as 11 points, 17-6, in the set en route to a convincing 25-21 win to take the match and end their season with a victory at the NAIA National Tournament for the second-straight season.
Pool E Standings:
| Northwestern | 2-0 | |
| College of Idaho | 2-0 | |
| Bellevue | 1-2 | |
| Lourdes | 0-3 |
Northwestern-College of Idaho match had not begun at time of publishing
