Bruin Athletics Weekend Preview: Aug. 26-28
BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Four Bellevue University athletic teams – volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, and men's golf – will be in action this weekend, all away from home. Today BUBruins.com gives you a quick preview of this weekend's action.
Volleyball (2-2): at Red Raider Classic | hosted by Northwestern | Friday-Saturday, Aug. 26-27
The Bellevue volleyball team heads out for their second tournament of the season this weekend when they travel to Orange City, Iowa to partake in the Red Raider Classic hosted by Northwestern College.
Last weekend the Bruins split four matches at the Lindsey Wilson Classic, falling to the hosts and Coastal Georgia but picking up signature wins over Northwestern Ohio and Cumberlands (Ky.).
BU is in for another tough test this weekend with games against perennial powers #13 Dordt (Friday, 2:30 p.m.) and #24 Northwestern (Saturday, 1 p.m.) to bookend the tournament. In between the Bruins play another pair of GPAC schools in Morningside (Friday, 6:30 p.m.) and Briar Cliff (Saturday, 9 a.m.).
Kills Leaders: Pakalana Helekahi (51, 3.19 k/s), Michaela Gardner (33, 2.06 k/s), Hope Lambrecht (30, 1.88 k/s), Mikaylah Gillespie (29, 1.81 k/s), Shayla Scanlan (25, 1.79 k/s)
Digs Leaders: Verenice Chaparro (60, 3.75 d/s), Pakalana Helekahi (43, 2.69 d/s), Taylor Holz (39, 2.44 d/s), Lauren Colpitts (38, 2.38 d/s), Maddie Squiers (36, 2.25 d/s)
Assist Leader: Maddie Squiers (153, 9.56 a/s)
Blocks Leaders: Mikaylah Gillespie (8), Shayla Scanlan (8), Hope Lambrecht (6)
Men's Soccer (1-0-1): at Mobile Classic | Orange Beach, Ala. | Friday & Sunday, Aug. 26 & 28
The Bruins' men's soccer team hits the road again this weekend when they venture to Orange Beach, Ala. for a pair of games at the Mobile Classic. BU plays the host-side Mobile on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and gets a neutral site match against another strong side in Thomas on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Bellevue took an opening night draw, 2-2, in their first away fixture of the season at Doane last Friday. Just three days later the Bruins netted their first win of the campaign, 2-1, over Northwestern in a game that showed flashes of great promise for BU at Bellevue Soccer Club.
Mobile will be playing their season-opener against the Bruins. Last season the Rams posted an 11-6-2 record (5-1-2 SSAC) and reached the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament. The Rams return 11 capped players off last year's squad including SSAC Offensive Player of the Year Newton Henry (13 goals, 5 assists) and SSAC Defensive Player of the Year Jordan Sinclair (anchored a defense that posted five shutouts and 1.49 goals against average).
Thomas will open their season this weekend as well. Bellevue will be their second Top 25 opponent to kick off the year. Last season the Night Hawks posted a 14-5-0 record (6-3-0 The Sun) and reached the semi-finals of The Sun Conference Tournament before falling to St. Thomas. Top returners for the Night Hawks include Severin Abt (9 goals, 2 assists) and Ben McFarlane-Barnes (13-5-0, 3 shutouts).
Goal Leaders: Andres Blanco (1), Daniel Coupland (1), Edgar Guzman (1), Scott Robson (1)
Assist Leaders: JT Cronin (1), Scott Robson (1), Rob Smith (1)
Keepers: Ben Martin (1-0-1, 3 saves)
Women's Soccer (0-0-0): at John Brown - Friday, Aug. 26 | at Kansas Wesleyan - Sunday, Aug. 28
The BU women's soccer team plays their first competitive matches this weekend when they travel south for match-ups at John Brown (Friday, 5:30 p.m.) and at Kansas Wesleyan (Sunday, 1 p.m.).
Last Thursday, Bellevue hosted Wayne State in an exhibition match to get their six newcomers some game experience against college competition.
The Bruins are coming off their 12th-straight 10-win season in 2015 and return 15 players off that team. BU was chosen second in the NSAA Preseason Poll last week after posting a 12-4-0 mark last year and reaching the final of the conference tournament.
John Brown (1-0-0) defeated Lyon last Saturday by a convincing 6-0 score line. Aspen Robinson scored a pair of goals and assisted on another to lead the Golden Eagles to victory. JBU out-shot Lyon 28-1 on the match and keeper Kristen Morency was not tested with a shot on goal. The Golden Eagles were picked second in the Sooner Athletic Conference preseason poll, winning four first place votes (USAO was first and earned six first place votes).
Kansas Wesleyan will see their first regular season action of 2016 against the Bruins. Last year the Coyotes went 15-5-3 (8-1-1 KCAC), won the KCAC Championship, and reached the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. Kansas Wesleyan was the unanimous preseason favorite to win their conference championship in 2016 taking home 10 of 11 first place votes (coaches could not vote for their own team).
Returning Goal Scorers: Michelle Dolder (13), Jordyn Seidel (3), Kristin Hanson (2), Madison Lambert (2), Helen Schweiger (1), Kylie Taylor (1)
Returning Assist Leaders: Jordyn Seidel (7), Michelle Dolder (3), Kristin Hanson (2), Madison Lambert (2), Helen Schweiger (2), Kylie Taylor (2), Vanessa Gonzalez (1), Madison Stumpf (1), Kaleigh Young (1)
Returning Keepers: Laurence Rodier (8-3-0, 6 shutouts), Bailey Petzoldt (4-1-0, 3 shutouts)
Men's Golf: at Midwest Collegiate Fall Open | hosted by William Penn | Sunday-Monday Aug. 28-29
The Bruin men's golf team plays their first tournament of the year when they travel to Moravia, Iowa to take part in the Midwest Collegiate Fall Open hosted by William Penn.
Bellevue returns five golfers – seniors Diego Gudino and Nicolas Handal, juniors Fernando Arzate, Juan Gomez, and Marc Juggins – from last year's North Star Athletic Association Championship team while adding a pair of highly regarded freshmen in Inaki Aldao and Lautaro Marzilio both from Argentina.
Head coach Rob Brown returns for his sixth season in charge of the team. He has led Bellevue to five-straight conference championships and NAIA National Tournament appearances.