DICKINSON, N.D. -- The No. 18 Bellevue University volleyball team avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season by using a balanced offensive attack and strong defensive effort in sweeping Dickinson State University, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon in North Star Athletic Association play. Bellevue won the match with set scores of 25-14, 25-17, and 25-21.
The Bruins improve to 16-7 overall and 5-1 in league play while Dickinson falls to 5-12 in all games and 2-3 in NSAA action.
BU out-hit Dickinson State in all three sets, including dominant .303-.097 and .435-.000 in the first and second sets, respectively. For the match Bellevue hit at .229 compared to the Blue Hawks attacking at just a .044 clip.
Offensively, Bellevue was led by Hope Lambrecht's nine kills on .500 hitting. Pakalana Helekahi added eight kills while Maddie Squiers contributed seven on a match-best .636 hitting, and Shayla Scanlan chipped in six kills. In addition to Squiers' hitting, the setter directed the BU offense with 26 assists and a pair of service aces.
Defensively, the Bruins piled up 30 digs and out-blocked Dickinson State 13-5. Scanlan's four block solos and on block assist led BU while Michaela Gardner and Mikaylah Gillespie had three and two block solos. U'i Kepani led Bellevue with seven digs, Taylor Holz added six, and Verenice Chaparro five to go along with a match-best three service aces.
Shyanne Gilcrist's six kills led the Blue Hawks offensively as she was the only DiSU player to hit better than .200, finishing at .214 for the match. Shaylee Singleton dug a match-high 11 balls and the setting duo of Keera Stookey (15) and Danielle Boyette (12) combined for 27 assists.
The Bruins return to play on Wednesday, Oct. 5 when they host Concordia University at 7 p.m. in a non-conference tilt at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
