POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. -- The No. 17 Bellevue University volleyball team will head into the post-season on a high note after they swept their way to a 3-0 victory over College of the Ozarks in their 2016 regular season finale on Thursday evening.
Bellevue wraps up regular season play with a 29-9 overall record following their fifth-straight win. Ozarks dips to 23-13 after their third-straight loss to close their regular season.
Bellevue rolled to a 25-14 victory in the opening set before taking the second set 25-19 and seizing a commanding two sets to none lead over their hosts. After keeping it close throughout most of the final set, Ozarks finally succumbed to the Bruins, falling 25-22.
Offensively the Bruins were led by Shayla Scanlan's 12 kills – and no errors –on .667 hitting. Hope Lambrecht and Pakalana Helekahi added 10 kills apiece while Mikaylah Gillespie and Michaela Gardner contributed eight and seven, respectively.
Maddie Squiers notched her team-leading 12th double-double of the year, finishing the match with 45 assists and 11 digs. She directed the Bruins to a .293 attack effort while Ozarks was held to just .144 hitting on the night.
Taylor Holz led the Bruins defensive effort with 18 digs and Verenice Chaparro added 14 digs as BU out-dug the Bobcats 73-61 on the evening.
The Bobcats were led by Danielle Curnes' 10 kills. Rielly Dobbs (15) and Sarah Kreul (10) each reached double figures in assists. Haley Stallings, Curnes and Dobbs turned in double-digit dig nights recording 15, 11, and 10, respectively.
BU hit a scorching .400 in the opening set and followed that up with a .261 effort in the second, easily out-hitting CofO in each of the first two sets. Hitting percentages were a bit closer in the third set with Bellevue out-hitting the Bobcats .216-.176.
The Bruins begin their post-season quest on Tuesday, Nov. 8 when they host a North Star Athletic Association Tournament quarterfinal match at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. Their opponent will be determined at the conclusion of regular season play and the start time will be announced shortly.
