Bruins rebound with 3-1 win over No. 6 SOU

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FULLERTON, Calif. -- Behind a .459 team hitting percentage and a dominant showing at the service line, No. 2-ranked Bellevue University rebounded from an earlier five-set loss to No. 18 College of Idaho, with a 3-1 victory over No. 6 Southern Oregon University on Friday evening at the Hope International Summer Slam.

The Bruins (1-1) rallied after dropping the opening set to take the next three (21-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-21), using balanced offense, efficient setting, and strong service pressure to down the Raiders (0-2).

Eve Fountain headlined the attack with 14 kills on .722 hitting, four service aces, and eight digs in another stellar all-around performance. Kealy Kiviniemi added nine kills on a .529 clip, and Bentlee Kollbaum and Savanna Berger chipped in eight kills apiece. Mila Aiwohi recorded her second double-double on the day with 19 assists and a match-high 17 digs, while Victoria Runyan added 14 assists in BU's two-setter system.

Led by Kamryn Scheib's five service aces, the Bruins recorded 16 service winners in the victory. 

Andressa Ribeir Soa paced all attackers with 17 kills on .448 hitting. Friley Curtiss added 12 kills, and Duda Leite finished with 10 kills as the Raiders hit at a .418 clip.  

Set 1: Southern Oregon 25, Bellevue 21

Southern Oregon jumped out to a 13-6 lead behind efficient attacking and a pair of early service aces. Bellevue answered with an 8-1 run to level the set at 15-15, keyed by a pair of aces from Scheib and kills from Kiviniemi and A'Lailah Perry. After the teams traded five-point spurts to reach 20-all, the Raiders closed on a 5-1 run—capped by kills from Tessa Zimmermann and Maya Watters—to secure the opening set. 

Set 2: Bellevue 25, Southern Oregon 16

The Bruins evened the match with a dominant second-set performance, jumping out to a 4-0 lead fueled by a pair of blocks from Kiviniemi, a kill from Kollbaum, and a service ace by Fountain. BU never trailed in the set and used a balanced attack to maintain control throughout. A mid-set 5-1 surge—highlighted by kills from Fountain and Kiviniemi—extended the lead to 13-9 and forced a Southern Oregon timeout. Scheib then delivered a service ace out of the break, and Kollbaum followed with two more kills during a 4-1 run that pushed the margin to 17-11. Berger and Rowyn Scheer added kills late, and BU capped the set with a kill from Fountain, leveling the match at one set apiece. 

Set 3: Bellevue 25, Southern Oregon 23

The Bruins carried early momentum into the third set, surging to a 5-1 lead behind a service ace from Aiwohi and back-to-back scoring swings from Kollbaum and Wale, which prompted a quick timeout from SOU. A service ace by Scheib and a kill from Berger helped extend BU's lead to 11-5. Despite multiple comeback attempts by the Raiders—including a 5-0 run that cut it to 17-15—Bellevue responded with timely offense from Berger and Fountain to hold the edge.

The set featured four ties and two lead changes, as SOU clawed back again to level the score at 19-19. From there, BU used kills from Berger and Fountain, along with a bad Raider set, to regain control. Although Southern Oregon saved two set points, Bellevue closed out the frame on a block by Morgan Wale to take a 2-1 match lead. 

Set 4: Bellevue 25, Southern Oregon 21
The Bruins established early control in the fourth set with kills from Kiviniemi and Kollbaum, plus a service ace by Kollbaum, helping BU build a 7-3 advantage. After SOU pulled within 13-12, the Bruins responded with a steady push to regain separation. Fountain's service ace pushed the lead to 20-16, capping a stretch that included key kills from Berger and Kiviniemi.

Southern Oregon made one last push to close the gap to 21-20, but BU remained composed down the stretch. Runyan delivered a timely ace, Perry added a late kill, and a kill by Kiviniemi closed out the set and clinched the four-set victory for the Bruins.

Up Next:

The Bruins will conclude the tournament with a noon (CT) match on Saturday against 14th-ranked Mount Vernon Nazarene University.