Bruins earn sweep over Loyola at the Alamo Volleyesta

Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The 17th-ranked Bellevue University volleyball squad earned a 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 27-25) sweep over Loyola University (New Orleans) Friday evening in the Alamo Volleyesta Tournament at Mabee Gymnasium on the Our Lady of the Lake University campus.  

The win improved the Bruins to 3-0 on the season. LUNO fell to 1-1 overall. 

Eve Fountain led the Bruins with her second double-double of the season, posting 10 kills and 10 digs, along with five blocks. Allie Kerns joined Fountain in double figures with 10 kills. Kealy Kiviniemi added eight kills and three blocks. Haley Fleischman hit .500 with seven kills on the night. 

Jada Nunn (21) and Mila Aiwohi (17) combined for 38 assists, directing the BU offense to a .242 attacking clip. 

The Bruin defense held NOLA to a .047 hitting percentage. 

Emily Sheperis paced the Wolfpack with six kills, three digs, and a pair of service aces.  

Set 1: Bellevue 25, Loyola 22

Fueled by back-to-back service aces from Sheperis, the Wolfpack used a 6-0 run to erase a 17-12 deficit, taking an 18-17 lead in the opening set. 

The Bruins responded with a 5-1 run to take a 24-21 advantage sparked by a pair of kills from Kerns. 

After a kill by Alexa Palmer, BU closed out the set with a putaway by Kerns. 

Kerns led the Bruins in the opening set with five kills. Fleischman registered three kills on three swings as BU outhit the Wolfpack .267 to .042 in the first frame.  

Set 2: Bellevue 25, Loyola 18

Three early kills by Fountain gave the Bruins a quick 8-2 edge in the second. 

BU extended the lead to 13-5 on another kill from Kerns. 

The Wolfpack got as close as four points on three occasions before kills by Kiviniemi restored order each time. 

Consecutive kills by Sheperis sliced the BU lead to three at 20-17 before the Bruins reeled off three-straight points to force a LUNO timeout at 23-17. 

A kill by Sidney Sledge and a solo block by Fountain gave the Bruins the second game, 25-18. 

Set 3: Bellevue 27 Loyola 25

After three kills from Sledge helped BU race out to an early 6-3 lead, the Wolfpack countered with a 6-1 run to grab a 9-7 advantage. 

Two straight Wolfpack blocks and a BU attacking error forced a Bruin timeout at 15-10. Two more Bruin errors gave LUNO a commanding 17-10 edge. 

The Bruins countered with four-straight points, highlighted by a pair of blocks and a kill by Fountain, to pull to within four points at 20-16. Kills by Chloe Cloud and Kerns and a block by Kiviniemi forced a Wolfpack timeout as BU made it a two-point contest at 21-19. 

After the Bruins tied the contest at 23-all following kills from Kiviniemi and Kerns, LUNO earned a set point with a kill by Juliana Pacini. 

BU scored two straight before a kill by Amaya Bazemore knotted the contest at 25-25. Kills by Fountain and Sledge gave the Bruins the sweep with the 27-25 victory.  

Up Next: 

Bellevue will conclude the tournament on Saturday (Aug. 19) with a 10 a.m. matchup against defending national champion and No. 1-ranked University of Jamestown.