Bellevue sweeps St. Xavier in NAIA Opening Round

Box Score

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Outside hitters Annie Benson and Ashley Wurdeman recorded 10 kills apiece to lead the  21st-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-21) sweep over St. Xavier University in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round Saturday afternoon at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.

With the win, the Bruins improved to 34-11 on the season, while advancing to the NAIA National Championship final site in Sioux City, Iowa from Nov. 30-Dec. 4. It marks the fourth-straight season Bellevue has advanced to the 24-team tournament.

The Cougars ended their season at 23-14.

Benson hit .500 in the match with just one attack error in 18 swings, while adding five digs. Junior Kali Schnacker added nine kills on .471 hitting along with two blocks.

Sophomore setter Jordan Broady collected her team-leading 14th double-double of the season with 38 assists and a team-high 15 digs while directing the BU offense to a .282 attack percentage. Joining Broady in double figure in digs were Katy Gregory with 12 and Kirstine Linebaugh with 10.

Four kills by Wurdeman highlighted the Bruins' 13-5 run to open the match. SXU got no closer than six points the remainder of the set as BU closed the game on a pair of kills from Benson and another from Schnacker to give the Bruins the 25-16 win.

Benson registered six kills on nine swings with no errors to pace the Bruin offense in the second frame. The two teams traded points in the early going with six ties until Bellevue went on a 5-1 run to establish control of the game. A pair of kills from Benson and another from Broady capped a 4-1 Bruin spurt to end the set at 25-17.

After taking a commanding 16-9 lead in the third set, the Cougars battled back to tie the game after going on an 8-1 run highlighted by three service aces. Bellevue answered with a 5-0 run, including three-consecutive kills from Wurdeman and another from Jaclyn Thorson. The Bruins ended the match at 25-21 on a slide kill down the line from Thorson.

Pool assignments for the NAIA National Championships will be announced on Sunday night (Nov. 21) at approximately 6 p.m.