BU runs streak to 11 with sweep over Vikings

Box Score

NSAA Standings

VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- The sixth-ranked Bellevue University volleyball ran its winning streak to 11 matches with a 3-0 (25-9, 25-21, 25-23) sweep at Valley City State University Friday night in North Star Athletic Association at Graichen Gymnasium. 

The Bruins improved to 25-3 on the season with the win and 8-1 in the NSAA. VCSU fell to 13-13 overall and 5-5 in league play. 

Kealy Kiviniemi led a balanced Bruin offense with 10 kills, along with eight digs and four blocks. Savanna Berger finished with nine kills on .533 hitting and five blocks. Sidney Sledge hit .412 with eight kills, three digs, and a pair of blocks. Aspen Meyer and Eve Fountain finished with seven kills apiece, and Haley Fleischman chipped in with six kills and three blocks. 

Mila Aiwohi (31) and Victoria Runyan (16) combined for 47 assists and directed the BU offense to a .248 attacking percentage. 

Taylan Keefer anchored the BU defense with 30 digs as BU held the Vikings to a .084 hitting clip. 

VCSU was paced by Rosie Anderson's eight kills and six digs. Sadie Hansen recorded a double-double with 22 assists and 10 digs.  

The Bruins scored the first five points of the contest and led 11-4 following four straight BU kills and a service ace by Keefer. Bellevue extended the margin to 13 points at 20-7 after a 9-2 run sparked by back-to-back kills by Fountain and three kills from Berger. The Bruins scored five of the final six points to cruise to the 25-9 opening-set victory. Bellevue outhit the Vikings .429 to .000 in the opening frame.

After the Bruins raced out to a 4-0 lead in the second set, VCSU battled back, going on an 8-3 run to take their first lead of the match at 10-9. The two teams traded the next 20 points until BU closed the set on a 6-2 spurt to take the second stanza, 25-21. 

The Vikings built an early 4-1 lead in the third frame and led 8-6 before BU used a 5-0 run to gain an 11-8 advantage. After VCSU got to within one point, the Bruins scored three straight to take a 19-15 lead, forcing a Viking timeout. VCSU responded with four straight to tie the game at 19-all. Bellevue countered with a 4-1 spurt sparked by a kill from Sledge and a block by Berger and Sledge to gain a 23-20 edge. After a kill by Fountain gave the Bruins three match points at 24-21, VCSU got kills by Morgan Nelson and Anderson to force a Bruin timeout at 24-23. A kill by Sledge ended the match, giving BU the sweep with the 25-23 win.  

Bellevue will close out the regular season tomorrow (Nov. 2) with a 2 p.m. match at Mayville State University.