Bruins bounce back with five-set win at Dickinson State

Box Score
NSAA Standings

DICKINSON, N.D. -- After seeing their 10-match win streak snapped last night at No. 3 Jamestown, the eighth-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team bounced back with a dramatic 3-2 (25-13, 24-26, 25-14, 19-25, 15-12) victory at Dickinson State Saturday afternoon in North Star Athletic Association action at Scott Gymnasium. 

The Bruins improved to 15-3 on the season with the win and 2-1 in the NSAA. Dickinson State dropped to 4-12 overall and 0-4 in league play. 

Eve Fountain (21) and Kealy Kiviniemi (20) combined for 41 kills to lead the BU offense. Fountain hit .354 and added 16 digs for her team-leading eighth double-double of the season. Kiviniemi attacked at a .410-hitting efficiency. 

Sidney Sledge finished with nine kills on .250 hitting, along with two digs and a block. 

Mila Aiwohi (27) and Victoria Runyan (24) combined for 51 assists while guiding BU to a .269 attacking percentage. Runyan added 11 digs for her second double-double of the season. 

Taylan Keefer paced the BU defense with a match-high 18 digs. 

McKenzie Moser led the Blue Hawks with 22 kills, 12 digs, and a pair of blocks. Scarlette Schwindt added 12 kills and a pair of digs. Rylee Kogolshak also registered a double-double with 38 assists and 12 digs, along with four kills and a block.  

BU raced out to a 15-8 lead in the opening set behind three kills each by Fountain and Kiviniemi. The Bruins ended the set on a 6-1 run sparked by back-to-back service aces from Audrey Sandfort and kills by Runyan, Haley Fleischman, and Fountain, giving BU the 25-13 first-set victory. BU hit .400 in the opening frame, paced by Fountain's perfect 5-of-5 kill performance.

The Blue Hawks overcame an early two-point deficit in the second stanza, using a 5-0 run to gain a 14-11 advantage. Three-straight kills by Scarlette Schwindt extended the DSU lead to four points at 19-15. Kills by Fountain and Kiviniemi and a service ace by Taylan Keefer drew the Bruins to within one point at 22-21. After an attack error by Aspen Meyer gave the Blue Hawks two set points at 24-22, BU tied the contest on consecutive kills by Savanna Berger.  A BU service error and a kill by Makyah Albrecht helped DSU even the match as the Blue Hawks claimed the 26-24 victory. 

After the Bruins pulled out to an early 12-8 advantage, DSU used two kills by Madi Wahl in a 4-1 run to get to within one point at 13-12. BU responded with kills by Sidney Sledge, Kivininiemi, and Runyan to gain a four-point edge at 16-12. After the Blue Hawks got to within two points, BU scored the final nine points of the frame, capped by back-to-back kills by Sledge to cement the 25-14 victory. 

DSU used a five-point run to gain a 17-14 advantage in the fourth set. Consecutive BU attacking errors expanded the Blue Hawk lead to four points at 20-16.  Back-to-back kills by Albrecht powered a 5-3 run to close the set as DSU evened the match with the 25-19 win. 

After DSU gained an 8-7 advantage in the deciding set following a kill by Schwindt, the Bruins got two kills from Kiviniemi and another by Kenzie Polk to take a 10-8 lead. BU took a 12-9 lead after an attack error by Schwindt before the Blue Hawks scored two straight to make it a one-point contest at 13-12. The Bruins took the match following an attack error by Moser and a solo block by Chloe Cloud, giving BU the 15-12 victory.  

The Bruins will travel to Hastings, Neb., on Tuesday, October 1, for a 7 p.m. non-conference matchup at Hastings College.