BU avenges loss to Vikings with road sweep

VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- The 20th-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team avenged an earlier-season loss to Valley City State University, earning a 3-0 (25-18, 25-13, 25-23) sweep over the Vikings Saturday afternoon at Graichen Gymnasium, in North Star Athletic Association action. 

The victory avenged a 3-0 home loss to the Vikings on October 6. 

With the win, the Bruins improved to 21-8 on the season and 7-4 in the NSAA. VCSU dropped to 21-7 overall and 7-3 in league play. 

Allie Kerns led the Bruins with 13 kills and three blocks. Kealy Kiviniemi pounded 11 kills on .500 hitting while adding a pair of digs. Sidney Sledge and Eve Fountain finished with six kills apiece. 

Defensively, the Bruins were led by Taylan Keefer's 20 digs and Morgan Wale's seven blocks as BU held the Vikings to a .043 attacking percentage.  

Mila Aiwohi (21) and Jada Nunn (13) combined for 34 assists in directing the BU offense to a .233 hitting percentage. 

Danielle Hagler led the Vikings with nine kills and three blocks. Morgan Freije added eight kills and four blocks.  

Set 1: Bellevue 25, VCSU 18

The Bruins used a 5-1 run midway through the opening set to build a 13-7 advantage. The Vikings battled back, using a 6-1 spurt to pull to within one point at 16-15. Three VCSU attacking errors and a kill by Sledge helped BU gain a 20-15 lead, forcing VCSU to call its second timeout of the set. The Bruins extended the margin to seven points following a kill by Kerns and a service ace by Fountain to make it 22-15.  

The Vikings saved two set points before Kerns' sixth kill of the set gave BU the opening frame, 25-18. 

The Bruins outhit the Vikings .200 to .021 in the opening set.  

Set 2: Bellevue 25 VCSU 13

BU raced out to a 12-2 lead in the second frame, sparked by a pair of kills from Fountain and Kiviniemi and two Bruin blocks.

The Bruins extended the margin to 11 points at 15-4 following back-to-back VCSU hitting errors. 

BU led by 13 points at 22-9 before VCSU scored three-straight points to draw to within 10 following a kill by Morgan Nelson. 

A solo block by Wale gave the Bruins the 25-13 victory.  

Bellevue had six blocks in the second frame and limited VCSU to a -.062 hitting clip.  

Set 3: Bellevue 25, VCSU 23

Neither team led by more than two points for the entire third set, which featured 16 ties and four lead changes. The Bruins scored the final four points, highlighted by back-to-back kills from Kiviniemi to earn the 25-23 win and the sweep.

Up Next: 

The Bruins wrap up the regular season next Friday, Nov. 3, when they host Mayville State University at 5 p.m. in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. Bellevue's two seniors, Allie Kerns and Taylan Keefer, will be honored following the contest.