WATERTOWN, S.D. -- Top-seeded Viterbo University used a combined 33 kills from Kenzie Winker and Jada Mitchell en route to a 3-1 (25-23, 25-23, 17-25, 25-23) victory over second-seeded Bellevue University Saturday afternoon in the championship match of the North Star Athletic Association Tournament at the Watertown Civic Arena.
Viterbo improved to 28-7 on the season with the victory, earning the league's automatic berth into the NAIA National Championship.
The Bruins are 26-7 overall and ranked 14th nationally. BU will await word of their post-season fate when sites and pairings for the NAIA National Championship Opening Round are announced on Monday morning at 10 a.m.
Winker led all players with 18 kills while adding 13 digs. She did, however, suffer 15 hitting errors for a .040 attacking percentage. Mitchell finished with 15 kills on .250 hitting and added a match-high eight blocks.
Jacki Apel, Allie Kerns, and Sierra Athen combined for 35 kills to lead the Bruin offense in the loss.
Apel recorded 13 kills on .258 hitting while adding a team-high seven blocks.
Kerns recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 17 digs. Athen added 10 kills, seven digs, and a service ace.
Senior Olivia Galas directed the BU offense to a .166 hitting percentage, recording 42 assists, 13 digs, and five kills on 10 errorless swings.
Sophomore Raeanne Kimoto finished with a match-high 35 digs as BU held the V-Hawks to a .147 hitting percentage.
Viterbo's victory marked the eighth-straight season the V-Hawks have claimed the NSAA Tournament championship. VU has won the tournament every year since joining the conference in 2015.
