SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- With a pair of 3-0 wins the No. 19 Bellevue University volleyball team extended their win-streak to four matches at the Evangel Classic. Bellevue swept both the University of Saint Mary (25-15, 25-12, 25-21) and College of the Ozarks (25, 26, 25) on Saturday.
The Bruins (11-5), winners of eight of their last nine matches, return to the court on Friday, Sept. 16 with their first North Star Athletic Association match of the season. BU hosts Presentation College at 7 p.m. at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
#19 Bellevue 3, Saint Mary 0 (25-15, 25-12, 25-21)
Mikaylah Gillespie (9, .533) and Shayla Scanlan (7, .400) combined for 16 kills and a .467 hitting percentage as BU hit .287 as a team to sweep their Spires on Saturday morning in their first of two matches. Pakalana Helekahi and Hope Lambrecht added seven and six kills, respectively.
Defensively, the Bruins had three players record double-digit digs led by Verenice Chaparro and Taylor Holz with 14 apiece. U'i Kepani added 11. Mikaylah Gillespie led the way in blocks finishing with five.
Maddie Squiers recorded 37 of Bellevue's 40 assists on the match.
As a team the Bruins out-hit USM .287-.000 and out-dug USM 55-44.
Maleka Benjamin led the Spires with five kills, Whitney Rock had a team-best 13 assists, and Allyssa Koki paced the club with 17 digs.
#19 Bellevue 3, Ozarks 0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-19)
Two former conference rivals hooked up in the Bruins' fourth match of the weekend with BU coming away with a comfortable 3-0 sweep over College of the Ozarks.
Bellevue out-hit Ozarks in two of three sets with the Bobcats narrowly edging the Bruins in the second set which went to BU in a close one.
Three Bruins – Hope Lambrecht, Shayla Scanlan, and Mikaylah Gillespie – recorded double-figure kill efforts. Lambrecht and Scanlan both put away 11 attacks and Gillespie 10.
Taylor Holz dug 27 balls to lead the way defensively while U'i Kepani and Maddie Squiers added 11 apiece and Verenice Chaparro chipped in 10. Squiers' 11 digs came in support of her 47 assists, marking her seventh double-double of the season. At the net, Lambrecht led the Bruins with six blocks and Scanlan added four.
BU out-hit Ozarks .264-.144 and out-dug the Bobcats 73-62 in the match.
Danielle Curnes led Ozarks with 11 kills and Hannah Bracker added nine. Rielly Dobbs (18) and Sarah Kreul (12) both had double-digit assists while Haley Stallings (17) and Alex Spears (13) led the way in digs.
