Bruins fall to No. 2 Providence in Frontier title match

Box Score
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HELENA, Mont. — No. 6 Bellevue had its 16-match winning streak halted Saturday night, falling 25-14, 25-19, 23-25, 25-16 to second-ranked and top-seeded Providence in the Frontier Conference Tournament championship match at the PE Center on the Carroll College campus.

Bellevue (26-4), which had not lost since Sept. 26 — also against Providence — was led by junior outside hitter Kealy Kiviniemi, who recorded 16 kills on .314 hitting. Senior outside hitter Eve Fountain finished with six kills and 10 digs, while sophomore middle blocker Chloe Cloud totaled seven blocks to anchor BU's defense at the net. Setters Jada Nunn and Mila Aiwohi combined for 29 assists and 16 digs.

Providence (31-2), the Frontier regular-season champion, was paced by Bella Green's 17 kills and Cabry Taylor's 13 kills and match-high seven blocks. Martyna Fiedler added eight kills and four blocks, Sadie Giles chipped in six kills, four service aces, and 10 digs, and setter Bella Thompson directed the offense with 49 assists, two aces, 12 digs, and three blocks.

Both programs had already secured automatic berths to the NAIA National Championship. Opening Round matches will take place Saturday, Nov. 22 at campus sites, with national championship pairings revealed during Monday's NAIA Selection Show at 4 p.m. on the NAIA YouTube channel.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Set 1 — Providence 25, Bellevue 14

Providence established control early, using a 7–1 run to take a 10–4 lead behind three early kills from Taylor. The Argos continued to separate as Taylor and Green combined for five of the team's first seven points. Leading 14–7 after a Bellevue timeout, UP extended the margin with consecutive kills from Green and Taylor and a Saiers service ace to go up 20–9. Bellevue managed a brief push with points from Fountain and Cloud, but Providence closed out the set 25–14 behind 15 kills on .303 hitting.

Set 2 — Providence 25, Bellevue 19

The second set featured ties at 14–14, 15–15, 17–17, and 18–18 before Providence seized momentum late. After BU pulled even at 18 on a Cloud kill, the Argos scored seven of the final eight points, benefitting from two blocks by Faupula and a kill and ace from Giles to take the frame 25–19. UP out-hit Bellevue .233 to .054 in the set.

Set 3 — Bellevue 25, Providence 23

Bellevue responded with its strongest stretch of the match, leading 14–12 and 17–15 before UP tied the set at 23–23 on a Green kill. BU closed the frame on consecutive blocks, with Cloud blocking Green to earn a set point, and Berger's solo block on Fiedler clinching the set, 25-23.

Set 4 — Providence 25, Bellevue 16

Providence regrouped quickly, building a 10–7 lead after a Giles kill and Barbee service ace. Bellevue stayed within two at 14–12 following a Berger block, but UP used an 8–1 surge—highlighted by a Green kill, a Giles ace, and two Taylor blocks—to open a 22–13 advantage. Green added two late kills to secure the 25–16 match-clinching set. The Argos ended the match on a 10-2 run.

TOP PERFORMERS

Bellevue

Kealy Kiviniemi — 16 kills (.314)

Chloe Cloud — 7 blocks

Eve Fountain — 6 kills, 10 digs

Savanna Berger — 4 kills, 3 blocks

Mila Aiwohi — 14 assists, 10 digs

Jada Nunn — 15 assists, 6 digs

Providence

Bella Green — 17 kills

Cabry Taylor — 13 kills, 7 blocks

Martyna Fiedler — 8 kills, 4 blocks

Sadie Giles — 4 aces, 10 digs

Bella Thompson — 49 assists, 12 digs

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Providence finished with a 54–39 advantage in kills and hit .207 to Bellevue's .062 on the night. The Argos also posted a 14–10 edge in blocks and a 9–3 margin in service aces. BU's best offensive stretch came in the third set, where the Bruins hit .114 and matched UP point-for-point before closing the frame on back-to-back blocks. Bellevue sided out at 51 percent, while Providence finished at 66 percent.

MILESTONE WATCH

Eve Fountain continued her ascent up Bellevue's career charts:

1,864 career kills, remaining second in program history and closing in on Sierra Athen (1,886; 2018–22).

1,884 career digs, holding sixth place all-time after surpassing Rachel Muller (1,829; 2006–09) and Brenda Quinn (1,831; 1997–00) last week.

Additional career notes:

Mila Aiwohi now has 2,275 career assists, remaining ninth in school history and pursuing Kathy Kent (2,439; 1994–95) for eighth.

Kealy Kiviniemi increased her career total to 1,155 kills, moving up to 16th place on BU's all-time list after surpassing Stacey Hines (1,135; 1998–01).

UP NEXT

Bellevue advances to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round on Saturday, Nov. 22, at campus sites. The Bruins will learn their opponent during the NAIA Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 17, at 4 p.m. on the NAIA YouTube Channel.