Berger guides BU to sweep over Comets, 3-0

Box Score
NSAA Standings

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Junior middle blocker Savanna Berger posted a career-high 11 kills on 17 errorless swings to lead the seventh-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team to a decisive 3-0 (25-12, 25-14, 25-21) sweep over visiting Mayville State University Friday night in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozer Athletic Center. 

With the win, the Bruins improved to 18-3 on the season and 4-1 in the NSAA. MSU dropped to 8-9 overall and 1-3 in league play. 

Berger hit .647 in the match and added three blocks. 

Kealy Kiviniemi finished with 11 kills on .348 hitting while adding four digs and two blocks. Eve Fountain registered eight kills, six digs, and a pair of blocks. 

Mila Aiwohi (19), Victoria Runyan (12), and Jada Nunn (8) combined for 39 assists while directing the Bruin offense to a .305 hitting efficiency. 

Taylan Keefer led all players with 17 digs as BU held the Comets to a .030 attacking clip. 

Madison McKinnon paced MSU with eight kills and four blocks.  

A five-point serving run by Lia Aiwohi, sparked by a kill and a solo block from Fountain, gave the Bruins an early 11-6 lead in the opening set. A service ace by Mila Aiwohi and a kill by Fountain capped a 5-0 spurt, expanding the margin to nine points at 16-7. The Comets never got closer than nine points the remainder of the set as BU cruised to the 25-12 victory. Berger led BU in the opening set with four kills on seven errorless swings. 

Kills by Berger and Fountain keyed a 5-0 BU run as the Bruins took an 8-4 lead in the second frame. A four-point serving run by Kenzie Polk and a three-point run by Lia Aiwohi extended the margin to 11 points at 17-6.  After a kill by Kiviniemi gave BU a 13-point edge, MSU scored four straight to pull to within single digits at 21-12. That was as close as the Comets would get as BU earned the 25-14 victory. Berger paced BU in the second with four kills on five attacks. 

The Bruins erased an early 4-1 deficit in the third, scoring seven straight points to gain an 8-4 advantage. After the Comets battled back to within one point, kills by Kiviniemi and Fountain pushed the margin back to four points at 15-11. The two teams traded points for the remainder of the set as BU completed the sweep with the 25-21 win.  

The Bruins will host the Marvel Classic next Friday-Saturday, Oct. 11-12, in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.