Bruins win fifth-straight with victories over DSU and USM

NSAA Standings
DSU Box Score
USM Box Score

BELLEVUE, Neb. --  The Bellevue University volleyball team ran its winning streak to five matches on Friday with a 3-0 conference victory over Dickinson State University and a 3-1 non-conference win over the University of Saint Mary (Kan.).  

The Bruins improved to 21-8 on the season with the two wins and 9-2 in the NSAA. 

Bellevue will host the league's third-place team Valley City State University at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. 

Bellevue 3, Dickinson State 0 (25-13, 25-16, 25-16)

Shayla Scanlan led the Bruins with 11 kills on .368 hitting as BU outhit the BlueHawks, .284 to -.060 in the sweep. Outside hitters Sierra Athen and Andrea Carson both pocketed eight kills. Athen added a match-high five blocks. 

The Bruins held a 10-6 advantage in blocks and a 49-32 edge in digs while holding DSU to the negative hitting percentage. 

Reaghan Stueve led the BU defense with 10 digs. 

Kadara Marshall and Ellie Hanser paced the DSU offense with four kills, but the BlueHawk offense committed 26 attack errors and never led in the match. 

Bellevue 3, Saint Mary (Kan.) 1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-20, 25-9)

Carson (19) and Athen (14) combined for 33 kills to lead the Bruins to the four-set victory over the Spires. Carson hit .359 and added seven digs. Athen's stat line included 14 kills, four digs, and three blocks. 

Freshman middle blocker Coree Lipovsky hit .500 with nine kills on 18 errorless swings. Rosa Reed-Bouley provided seven kills on .429 hitting.

Olivia Galas directed the Bruin offense to a .290 hitting percentage, dishing out 54 assists while adding six digs, five kills, and two blocks. 

Madi Evans (20) and Sidney Craig (15) combined for 35 digs to anchor the BU defense which held the Spires to a .086 hitting percentage. 

Cody Offerle led USM with 10 kills on .207 hitting. Katy Koepke paced the USM defense with 15 digs.