BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The all-around play of junior outside hitter Allie Kerns led the 16th-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-16, 22-25, 25-17, 25-15) upset victory over seventh-ranked Viterbo University Saturday afternoon in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The two teams shared the NSAA regular-season crown with identical 13-1 records in league play. Bellevue is now 25-6 overall on the season. VU fell to 26-7 overall.
Kerns finished the match with 14 kills, 19 digs, four service aces, four blocks, and three set assists. It marked her fourth double-double of the season.
Senior middle blocker Nicole Meyer hit .500, finishing with eight kills and a match-high eight blocks. Senior outside hitter recorded eight kills, 14 digs, and five blocks.
Sophomore middle blocker Jacki Apel collected seven kills, six blocks, and a career-high five digs.
Senior setter Olivia Galas directed the BU offense to a .208 hitting percentage, registering a double-double with 34 assists and 10 digs, to go along with seven kills, three blocks. and a pair of service aces.
Viterbo was led by Jada Mitchell and Kenzie Winker, who recorded nine kills apiece. The V-Hawks were plagued by 35 hitting errors and eight service errors in the match.
The Bruins raced out to an 11-4 lead in the opening set before cruising to the 25-16 win. Kerns paced BU in the opener with three kills on six errorless swings.
BU built a 17-12 advantage in the second frame before the V-Hawks battled back with a 9-2 run capped by kills from Mitchell and Grace Rohde to take a 21-19 advantage. A service ace by Maddie Connor and a kill by Rhode gave the V-Hawks the second set, 25-22.
The third set was even throughout until BU broke a 15-all tie with eight consecutive points on Apel's serving run. A block by Meyer and Athen on Rhode gave the Bruins the third set, 25-17.
The Bruins used a 14-3 run in the fourth frame to build a commanding 21-9 advantage. A kill by Apel on a slide attack gave the Bruins the match with the decisive 25-15 victory.
The win snapped a six-match losing streak to the V-Hawks.
The Bruins will travel to Watertown, S.D. next Friday-Saturday, Nov. 11-12, for the North Star Athletic Association Tournament. Times and pairings will be announced on Monday.
