Fleischman, Kiviniemi lead BU over Carroll, 3-1

Marvel Classic Website

Box Score

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Haley Fleischman and Kealy Kiviniemi both produced 12 kills with no errors as the duo led the seventh-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-12, 26-24, 22-25, 25-20) victory over Carroll College in the Bruins' final match of the Marvel Classic being played at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. 

The Bruins have now won seven straight matches, improving to 21-3 on the season. Carroll fell to 13-7 overall with the loss.

Fleischman's 12 kills was a season-high as the senior middle blocker hit a sizzling .706 while adding four digs and a pair of blocks. Kiviniemi hit .462 and added two blocks. 

Aspen Meyer tied her career high with 11 kills. Eve Fountain collected her team-leading 11th double-double of the season with 10 kills and 12 digs. 

Mila Aiwohi (31) and Victoria Runyan (24) combined for 55 assists while directing the Bruin offense to a .262 attacking clip. 

Taylan Keefer anchored the Bruin defense with a team-high 13 digs as BU held the Fighting Saints to .170 hitting.  

Carroll was paced by Lauren Heuiser, who pounded 15 kills on .406 hitting. Julia Carr finished with a match-high 24 digs. 

Two kills apiece by Savanna Berger and Fleischman sparked a 12-5 BU start to the match. After the Saints used two straight blocks to pull to within five points at 16-11, the Bruins closed the set on a 9-1 run to take the opener, 25-12. Fleischman, Berger, Meyer, and Sledge all had three kills in the first frame. 

Three kills by Meyer helped the Bruins erase an early 4-1 deficit in the second set, going on a 9-2 run to take a 10-6 lead. The Fighting Saints responded with a 7-3 run to tie the contest at 13-all. After a block by Berger and Fountain on Avery Kelly gave BU a 20-17 advantage, Carroll scored three straight to make it 20-20. With the score tied at 24, kills by Meyer and Mila Aiwohi gave BU the second set, 26-24. 

Trailing 10-7 in the third, the Fighting Saints scored six straight points fueled by kills from Rachael Stacey, Lauren Heuiser, and McKaila Balcom to gain a 13-10 edge. Back-to-back blocks by Balcom and Heuiser on Meyer helped CC build a four-point margin at 21-17. On CC's second set point, Heuiser connected on a slide to give the Fighting Saints the game, 25-22. 

Powered by four early kills from Kiviniemi, the Bruins raced out to an 8-3 lead in the fourth frame. Carroll used a 4-0 run to pull to within a point at 10-9. BU countered with a 6-1 surge, capped by another kill from Kiviniemi, to expand the margin to six points at 16-10. Four straight CC points forced a BU timeout at 16-14. Four kills from Fountain sparked a 6-2 Bruin run as BU gained a 23-17 lead. After the Saints scored three straight to pull to within three at 23-20, BU earned the win with a block by Jada Nunn and Berger on Heuiser and an attack error by Stacey.  

The Bruins return to conference action on Thursday, Oct. 17, when they travel to Madison, S.D., to take on Dakota State University beginning at 6 p.m.