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Fountain, Kiviniemi named OWH's All-Midlands Athletes of the Year

Fountain, Kiviniemi named OWH's All-Midlands Athletes of the Year
July 28, 2025

OMAHA, Neb. — Following a record-breaking 2024 season, Eve Fountain and Kealy Kiviniemi of the Bellevue University volleyball team have been named co-winners of the Omaha World-Herald's Midlands Women's College Athlete of the Year, the newspaper announced this week.

The pair of first-team All-Americans helped guide the Bruins to the NAIA National Runner-Up finish — the best postseason result in program history. Bellevue posted a 32-5 record, captured both the North Star Athletic Association regular-season and tournament titles, and concluded the year ranked No. 2 nationally.

Fountain, a junior outside hitter from Omaha, Neb., finished the season with 437 kills and 449 digs, registering 16 double-doubles and recording double-digit kills in all six matches at the NAIA National Tournament. A first-team NAIA and AVCA All-American, she also earned honors as:

  • Omaha World-Herald NAIA All-Nebraska Honorary Captain

  • CSC Academic All-American (Second Team)

  • AVCA All-North Central Region (First Team)

  • NSAA First Team All-Conference

  • Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete

  • NSAA Scholar-Athlete

She is one of just five players in Bellevue history to surpass 1,500 career kills and digs.

Kiviniemi, a junior right-side hitter from Bellevue, Neb., led the team with 450 kills, while hitting .353 and adding 71 total blocks. She tallied double-digit kills in 29 matches, including a career-high 22 in a key win over Valley City State.

The NSAA Player of the Year, Kiviniemi also earned:

  • BU Athletics Female Athlete of the Year

  • First-team NAIA and AVCA All-American

  • AVCA North Central Region Player of the Year

  • CSC Academic All-American (Second Team)

  • NSAA Offensive Player of the Year

  • NSAA First Team All-Conference

  • Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete

  • NSAA Scholar-Athlete

This marks another in a long list of postseason accolades for the Bruins, who continue to be a force in NAIA volleyball. The program has now qualified for the NAIA National Tournament 17 times, including 16 of the last 18 years.

Fountain and Kiviniemi are both returning for their senior campaigns in 2025 as Bellevue opens the season on August 22 at the Hope International Summer Slam in Fullerton, Calif.

For full coverage and the original article from the Omaha World-Herald, click here.