Kiviniemi tops 1000 kills as BU downs Trojans in Five Sets

Box Score
Frontier Standings

MADISON, S.D. -- With her sixth kill, senior Kealy Kiviniemi became the 21st player in school history to top 1,000 kills, as the eighth-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team battled through five sets to earn its fourth-straight victory, defeating (RV) Dakota State University 3-2 (24-26, 27-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-5) on Wednesday evening inside the DSU Fieldhouse in Frontier Conference action.

With the win, Bellevue improved to 14-3 overall and 10-2 in the Frontier Conference, remaining second in the league standings. The victory also completed a season sweep of the Trojans, as the Bruins earned a 3-0 win over DSU on Sept. 10 in Bellevue. Dakota State fell to 11-6 overall and 7-5 in league play.

Eve Fountain led the Bruins with 22 kills, 12 digs, and a .340 hitting percentage, marking her team-leading eighth double-double of the season. Kiviniemi added 13 kills on .303 hitting, while Savanna Berger contributed 12 kills and hit .360. Setters Mila Aiwohi and Jada Nunn combined for 62 assists, and Zoie Roghair paced the back row with 23 digs. At the net, A'Lailah Perry and Chloe Cloud totaled nine blocks as Bellevue finished with 11.0 team blocks and a .279 hitting percentage, compared to DSU's .207.

For the Trojans, Sophie Tuttle posted 21 kills and eight digs, while Tristyn Maras added 14 kills and hit .364. Macey Wathen chipped in 12 kills, and Maddi Langerock recorded a double-double with 49 assists and 13 digs. Kate VanRooyan added 13 digs and two aces to lead the DSU defense.

Set 1: Dakota State 26, Bellevue 24
Dakota State and Bellevue traded leads throughout a tightly contested opening set that featured 12 ties and five lead changes. The Bruins held a late 18–13 advantage before the Trojans rallied, using kills from Sophie Tuttle and Macey Wathen to draw even at 22–22. Bellevue fought off one set point with a kill from Bentlee Kollbaum, but Dakota State closed it out as Tristyn Maras delivered a kill and then combined with Wathen for a block on Fountain to secure the 26–24 win.

Set 2: Bellevue 27, Dakota State 25
Bellevue evened the match in a closely contested second set that saw 13 ties. The Bruins fought off a DSU set point at 24-23 and used a block by Perry and Berger to pull ahead 26-25. Fountain's cross-court kill sealed the 27-25 win. Bellevue totaled 16 kills in the frame and limited the Trojans to .188 hitting.

Set 3: Bellevue 25, Dakota State 21
The Bruins controlled much of the third set, hitting .412 with 18 kills and just four errors. Bellevue turned a 10-10 tie into an 18-13 lead with an 8-3 run fueled by kills from Berger and Fountain. The Trojans closed to within 22-20, but a Kiviniemi kill and a DSU attack error helped Bellevue close out the set 25-21 to take a 2-1 advantage in the match.

Set 4: Dakota State 25, Bellevue 21
BU grabbed an early 6–3 advantage behind kills from Fountain and Kiviniemi, but a 5–0 DSU run fueled by VanRooyan's serving turned the tide. The Bruins pulled within one at 15–14 on a Cloud kill before Tuttle sparked a late Trojan surge, as DSU held off a BU rally to take the set 25–21 and even the match at two sets apiece.

Set 5: Bellevue 15, Dakota State 5
Bellevue dominated the final set, racing to a 10-3 lead behind Fountain's three early kills and two DSU errors. The Bruins held the Trojans to a -.050 hitting percentage while BU hit .500 without committing an attacking error. Fountain, Kiviniemi, and Cloud each contributed key points down the stretch, and Berger's final overpass kill secured the 15-5 win and Bellevue's fourth-straight victory. 

Up Next:

The Bruins will return home on Friday, Oct. 10, when they host Dickinson State University at 6 p.m. in the BU Fieldhouse.