WATERTOWN, S.D. -- After dropping the opening set, the third-seeded Bellevue University volleyball team battled back, advancing to the North Star Athletic Association Tournament championship match with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-20) victory over second-seeded Valley City State University Friday night at the Watertown Civic Arena.
The Bruins (24-8) will face the Dakota State/Viterbo match winner on Saturday at 2 p.m. The winner of that match will earn an automatic berth to the NAIA Volleyball National Championship.
VCSU falls to 22-9 on the season and will await their post-season fate when the NAIA National Championship qualifiers are announced on Monday at 2 p.m. on the NAIA YouTube Channel.
The balanced Bruins had four players finish in double figures, led by Eve Fountain's 15 kills and seven digs. Kealy Kiviniemi added 12 kills, five digs, and four blocks. Allie Kerns and Sidney Sledge finished with 10 kills apiece.
Taylan Keefer tied her career high with 45 digs, which also tied for the second-highest single-match dig total in school history.
Morgan Wale led the team with six blocks to go along with five kills.
Mila Aiwohi (25) and Jada Nunn (23) combined for 48 assists while directing the BU offense to a .151 hitting percentage. Aiwohi recorded a double-double by adding 17 digs to go along with a match-high four service aces.
Bailey Nelson and Danielle Hagler paced the Viking offense with 12 kills apiece. Sadie Hansen notched a double-double with 35 assists and 17 digs, and JayCee Richter anchored the VCSU defense with a team-high 31 digs.
Game 1: Valley City State 25, Bellevue 23
After the Bruins used a 5-1 run midway through the first set to take a 17-14 lead, VCSU responded with six-straight points capped by a service ace from Lexi Leroux to gain a 20-17 advantage. BU countered with three straight to knot the contest at 20-all.
After exchanging two-point runs, kills by Scutchings and Hagler gave the Vikings the opener, 25-23.
Kerns paced the Bruins in the opening frame with four kills. Hagler registered five kills on eight swings to lead the VCSU offense in the first set.
Game 2: Bellevue 25, Valley City State 19
Bellevue used an 8-1 run fueled by a pair of kills from Sledge, two blocks by Wale, and service aces from Audrey Sandfort and Mila Aiwohi to gain a 17-9 edge in the second frame.
After a kill by Kiviniemi gave the Bruins a 10-point cushion, the Vikings battled back, scoring three straight, capped by back-to-back kills from Bailey Nelson to close the gap to seven points at 20-13.
The Vikings got as close as four points following a kill by Freije, before a kill by Sledge and a Viking hitting error gave the Bruins the second set, 25-19.
Game 3: Bellevue 25, Valley City State 18
Two service aces by Aiwohi sparked a 5-0 Bruin run, giving BU a 9-6 lead in the third set.
Fountain's fourth kill of the third set gave the Bruins a four-point edge at 11-7.
After VCSU pulled to within three points (17-14), kills by Kerns, Wale, and Kiviniemi forced a VCSU timeout at 20-14.
The Vikings responded with two straight before the Bruins closed the frame on a 5-2 run to take the third, 25-18.
Fountain had six kills to lead the Bruin offense in the third game.
Game 4: Bellevue 25, Valley City State 20
The Bruins started the fourth set on a 4-0 run, sparked by three-straight kills from Haley Fleischman.
After a block by Fountain and Wale gave the Bruins an 8-3 lead, VCSU scored seven consecutive points, capped by back-to-back kills by Hagler, to gain a 10-8 advantage, forcing a Bruin timeout.
Two service aces by Nunn highlighted a 10-1 BU spurt, giving the Bruins a commanding 21-13 advantage.
The Vikings battled back to within three points following a 5-0 run sparked by three kills from Nelson before kills by Sledge and Kerns ended the match as BU took the fourth stanza, 25-20.
