PERU, Neb. — After dropping the opening set, the eighth-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team stormed back in the next three games to secure a 3-1 (22-25, 25-9, 25-15, 25-21) victory in non-conference action Wednesday night at Peru State College.
Juniors Kealy Kiviniemi (16) and Eve Fountain (13) combined for 29 kills to pace the Bruins to the comeback victory.
The Bruins improved to 8-2 on the season with the win. PSC dropped to 2-7 overall.
Kiviniemi pounded 16 kills on 27 errorless swings for a blistering .593 hitting percentage while adding six digs.
Fountain registered her third double-double of the season, finishing with 13 kills and a match-high 19 digs.
Mila Aiwohi (24) and Victoria Runyan (14) combined for 38 assists while directing the BU offense to a .234 hitting percentage. Aiwohi added three service aces, while Lia Aiwohi produced four service aces and a career-high 10 digs.
Taylan Keefer finished with 15 digs and three service aces as BU recorded a season-high 12 service aces with no service errors in the victory.
PSC was paced by Raevyn Rusell and Erison Vonderschmidt, who each produced 12 kills.
After a block by Fountain on Eden Moore gave the Bruins an 18-14 lead in the first set, the Bobcats used a 6-1 run to gain a 20-19 advantage. The two teams traded points until PSC scored three straight on a kill by Kalyssa Fox, an ace by Emily Sherman, and a BU attacking error to take the first set, 25-22.
The Bruins raced out to a 14-2 lead in the second frame and never trailed while cruising to the 25-9 victory. BU outhit the Bobcats, .344 to -.056 in the second game.
Similar to the second set, the Bruins stormed out to an early 18-8 lead in the third game. BU maintained a 10-point edge at 22-12 before a 3-1 PSC run got the Bobcats to within eight points. A kill by Kenzie Polk and a PSC attack error gave the Bruins the third frame, 25-15. BU stayed hot in the third stanza, hitting .382 with just two attacking errors.
After the Bobcats used a 5-1 spurt to gain a 12-11 advantage in the fourth stanza, BU responded with two kills by Kiviniemi and a block by Chloe Cloud in a 5-1 run to take a 16-13 lead. Peru got to within one point at 18-17 following an attack error by Rowyn Scheer and a kill by Russell. After a service ace by Mila Aiwohi gave BU a 23-19 lead, the Bobcats got back-to-back kills from Russell and Eden Moore to pull to within two points at 23-21. Bellevue closed the match on a kill by Kiviniemi and an attack error by Kennedy Miller.
The Bruins will be idle until Friday-Saturday, Sept. 13-14, when they head to Davenport, Iowa, to compete at the St. Ambrose Tournament. BU will take on No. 14-ranked Park University on Sept. 13 at 5 p.m. in the first match of the tournament. Bellevue will conclude the tournament on Saturday with a 10 a.m. match versus Judson and a noon contest against host school St. Ambrose.
