MADiSON, S.D. -- The 15th-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team opened North Star Athletic Association play on Wednesday night, sweeping (RV) Dakota State University, 3-0 (25-11, 26-24, 25-19) in front of 382 fans at the DSU Fieldhouse.
With the win, the Bruins improved to 9-5 on the season and 1-0 in the NSAA. The Trojans fell to 7-8 overall and 0-1 in league play.
Senior Sierra Athen led BU with 12 kills and seven digs.
Senior Olivia Galas dished out 32 assists while adding five kills on .444 hitting along with a season-high 18 digs. She directed the BU offense to a .213 hitting efficiency.
Sophomore Jacki Apel chipped in with seven kills on .400 hitting, along with a pair of blocks.
The BU defense held the Trojans to .103 hitting as Galas (18), Taylan Keefer (18), and Sidney Sledge (17) combined for 53 of BU's 78 digs.
Brooklyn Grage paced DSU with 10 kills. Peyton Groft led all players with 21 digs.
The Bruins hit .357 in the opening set, racing out to an 18-3 lead, with just one hitting error while cruising to the 25-11 victory.
The second set featured 10 ties and five lead changes. After DSU saved one set point at 24-23, the Bruins earned the win with a kill by Athen and an attacking error by Riley Grandpre, taking a 2-0 lead with the 26-24 victory.
After eight ties and two lead changes, BU closed the third set on a 7-2 run, highlighted by a pair of kills from Apel and Rosa Reed-Bouley as the Bruins earned the sweep with the 25-19 victory.
Bellevue will host McPherson College at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17, in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. There will be a "Final 8" Ceremony prior to the match, celebrating the 2000 and 2021 Bruin squads who advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championship.
