BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University volleyball team earned its fourth-straight trip to the NAIA National Championship Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa, with a 3-0 (25-23, 26-24, 25-17) sweep over John Brown University Saturday night in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round played at Bellevue West High School.
The Bruins improved to 27-7 on the season with the victory. JBU ended its season at 22-10.
Senior outside hitter Sierra Athen and sophomore middle blocker Jacki Apel each produced 10 kills to pace to Bruin offense. Athen hit .333 while adding 10 digs for her 14th double-double of the season. Apel hit .364 and added a match-high five blocks in the victory.
Rosa Reed-Bouley collected eight kills and eclipsed the 1,000-kill mark for her collegiate career.
Nicole Meyer added eight kills and four blocks.
The Bruins, who ran a 6-2 offense for only the second time this season, got 22 assists and six digs from Olivia Galas and 21 assists, eight digs, and three kills from Sidney Sledge.
Raeanne Kimoto anchored the BU defense with a match-high 26 digs.
The Golden Eagles were paced by Madeline Nolan's 15 kills. Taylor Golmen finished with eight kills on 17 errorless swings.
The Bruins hit .317 in the opening set, with Athen leading the way with four kills on .500 hitting. Apel and Meyer added three kills apiece with no errors. Tied at 22-all, BU used kills by Reed-Bouley and Meyer to take a 24-22 lead. JBU saved one set point on a kill by Nolan. The Bruins took the opener on an attack error by Callie Mullins.
Athen and Reed-Bouley led the way in the second frame with five and four kills, respectively. The two teams battled through four ties and five lead changes in the second, and JBU fought off three set points with BU leading 24-21. The Golden Eagles tied the contest at 24-all, capping a 3-0 run on consecutive kills by Nolan. BU closed out the set with a block by Meyer and Haley Fleischman on Nolan and on a kill by Meyer to take a 2-0 lead in the match with the 26-24 victory.
The Bruins used a 6-0 run midway through the third set to take a commanding 16-10 lead. After kills by Athen, Meyer, Reed-Bouley, and Allie Kerns gave BU a 24-14 lead, the Bruins took the match on their fourth match point following an attack error by Ella Yarborough.
Pool play assignments and schedules for the NAIA Volleyball National Championship Final Site will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. The tournament will take place on Nov. 30-Dec. 6 at Tyson Arena in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Bruins will be going to the Final Site in Sioux City for the ninth time in school history.
