CALDWELL, Idaho — Sophomores Sidney Sledge and Jacki Apel combined for 20 kills to lead the third-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-18) victory over the University of Montana Western Thursday night at the College of Idaho Volleyball Tournament being played at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
Apel recorded 10 kills on .471 hitting while adding a match-high five blocks. Sledge added a career-high 10 kills on .308 hitting. She also added six digs in the win.
Senior Olivia Galas notched a double-double with 30 assists and 10 digs while also producing two service aces and a pair of blocks.
Taylan Keefer led the BU defense with 12 digs. Sierra Athen added 10 digs, five kills, and four service aces in the victory.
Kaylee Kopp paced the Bulldogs with eight kills, 12 digs, and two blocks.
Paced by a pair of kills from Allie Kerns, the Bruins closed the opening set on a 5-0 run to break a 20-all tie. Sledge hit .500 in the opening frame with five kills on eight swings and added a pair of digs.
Fueled by three kills each from Apel and Kerns, the Bruins used a 13-3 run to overcome an 18-12 deficit, taking the second set, 25-21. Apel paced BU in the stanza with five kills on eight errorless swings.
Similar to the opening two sets, the Bruins pulled away late in the third frame, closing the match on a 9-2 run to complete the sweep with the 25-18 victory.
The Bruins will continue action in the tournament on Friday (Aug. 19) with a 12 p.m. (central time) match against No. 7-ranked Corban University and an 8 p.m. contest against the host school College of Idaho.
