BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Sophomore Kealy Kiviniemi pounded a match-high 13 kills to lead the 12th-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 28-26) sweep over visiting Waldorf University Friday afternoon in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
With the win, the Bruins improved to 14-4 on the season and 2-1 in the NSAA. Waldorf fell to 10-3 overall and 0-2 in league play.
Kiviniemi hit .385 in the win and added two digs and two blocks.
Eve Fountain produced eight kills and a match-high 15 digs. Freshman Morgan Wale hit .545 with six kills on 11 errorless swings. Sidney Sledge finished with six kills, two digs, and a pair of blocks.
Mila Aiwohi (22) and Jada Nunn (16) combined for 38 assists while directing the Bruin offense to a .213 hitting efficiency.
Annie Stotlar paced the WU offense with eight kills, while Anna Longhenry added six kills. Kenzie Kidd finished with five kills and 13 digs. Kaylee Kidd led all players with a match-high 16 digs.
Game 1: Bellevue 25, Waldorf 17
The Bruins used a 4-0 run early in the first set to take a 9-4 lead, forcing a Warrior timeout. BU led by as many as six points before WU used a 3-0 run to draw to within two points at 15-12.
A 4-1 BU run capped by a service ace from Lia Awohi extended the margin back to six points at 20-14. The Warriors got as close as four points after consecutive kills by Annie Stotlar and Kenzie Kidd before the Bruins closed the set on a 3-0 run to take the opener, 25-18.
Kiviniemi and Sledge registered three kills each to lead the BU offense in the opening frame.
Stotlar paced the Warriors with four kills on eight swings in the opener.
Game 2: Bellevue 25, Waldorf 22
Neither team led by more than three points in the second until the Bruins used a 3-0 run to gain a 17-13 advantage.
A kill by Kerns and a block by Sledge and Fleischman on Kenzie Kidd gave BU a five-point cushion at 21-16.
Back-to-back kills by Sledge pushed the margin to six points at 23-17. A kill by Fountain gave the Bruins six set points at 24-18.
The Warriors saved four set points before a kill down the line by Fountain gave the Bruins the 25-22 victory.
Game 3: Bellevue 28, Waldorf 26
Three consecutive Bruin kills gave BU an early 4-1 advantage. A 5-2 Bruin run sparked by a pair of kills from Wale gave BU a 14-9 advantage.
The Warriors battled back with three straight points to pull to within two at 15-13 and made it a one-point contest at 17-16 following a BU attacking error.
Two straight service aces by Mila Aiwohi gave the Bruins a four-point edge at 20-16. After the two teams traded the next six points, Waldorf used three consecutive BU hitting miscues and a kill by Alicia Brandt to tie the contest at 23-all, forcing a Bruin timeout. Another Bruin attacking error gave WU a set point at 24-23. Kenzie Kidd's missed serve tied the set at 24-24.
After each team saved a match point, BU earned the 28-26 win following a WU attacking error and a kill by Fountain.
Up Next:
The Bruins will head to Mayville, N.D., next Friday, Sept. 29, to take on Mayville State University in an NSAA contest beginning at 6 p.m.
