SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- After dropping the opening set, the 17th-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team stormed back for a 3-1 (19-25, 25-20, 25-13, 25-19) victory at Our Lady of the Lake University in the opening match of the Alamo City Volleyesta being played at Mabee Gymnasium. It was the season opener for both squads.
Allie Kerns led the Bruins with 13 kills on .286 hitting while adding five digs. Aspen Meyer came off the bench to add seven kills on .308 hitting. Rightside hitters Kealy Kiviniemi and Sidney Sledge finished with six kills apiece.
Taylan Keefer anchored the Bruin defense with 18 digs, while Eve Fountain added 13 digs to go with four kills and two service aces. Jada Nunn (18) and Mila Aiwohi (16) combined for 34 assists as BU hit .181 in the victory.
Mia Francis led the Saints with 16 kills and two blocks. Mia Dorsey recorded a double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs.
Set 1: OLLU 25, Bellevue 19
Francis had six kills on seven swings, and the Bruins hit just .071 in the opening frame with seven attacking errors and three service errors as OLLU cruised to the 25-19 victory. The Saints used a 6-0 run midway through the first set and closed the opener on a 7-3 spurt to gain the six-point victory.
Kiviniemi paced the Bruins in the opener with three kills.
Set 2: Bellevue 25, OLLU 20
Capitalizing on three-straight attack errors by Camila Ramirez, the Bruins used a 4-0 run to gain a 17-13 advantage in the second frame.
After a service error by Ramirez gave BU a 21-16 edge, the Saints used two kills from Francis in a 3-0 run to pull to within two points at 21-19.
BU responded by closing out the set on a 6-1 run, sparked by a service ace from Mila Aiwohi, a block from Chloe Cloud, and a kill by Kerns to seal the second-set victory.
Meyer paced BU with four kills in the second frame.
Set 3: Bellevue 25, OLLU 13
Three-straight OLLU hitting errors and a pair of kills from Kerns broke open a tight game as BU took an early 11-5 advantage in the third.
Kerns ignited the BU offense with six third-set kills, and the Saints were plagued by 12 attacking errors as the Bruins dominated the third stanza, 25-13.
The Saints hit just -023 in the third.
Set 4: Bellevue 25, OLLU 19
Kerns had five kills on 12 swings to spark the Bruin offense in the fourth as BU led from start to finish to close out the match with the 25-19 win.
Bellevue used an 8-2 run midway through the set to pull away and cruise to the four-set victory.
Up Next:
The Bruins will continue action at the tournament tomorrow (Aug. 18) with a pair of matches. BU will take on No. 23 Texas Wesleyan at 10 a.m. before rounding out the day with a 5 p.m. contest against Loyola (La.).
