Bruins go 4-0 in Labor Day Classic with pair of wins

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BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The 19th-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team went 4-0 in the Bruin Labor Day Classic with a pair of wins Saturday, defeating Morningside College in five sets and sweeping Concordia (Neb.) University, 3-0.

Bellevue (6-3) opens conference play on Tuesday, Sept. 4, with a pair of matches against Central Christian College, beginning a 3 p.m. in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. 

Bellevue 3, Morningside 2

Junior Annie Benson recorded a double-double with 14 kills and a career-high 30 digs to lead the Bruins to a 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 25-16, 23-25, 15-10) victory over Morningside in BU's opening match on Saturday. 

Benson added a match-high four service aces in the victory as five Bruins registered double-figure kill totals. Junior Sydney DeBoer tied Benson with a season-high 14 kills. Freshman Symone Faulkner pounded 12 kills, also a season-high. Junior Caitlyn Rueth added 11 kills and Courtney Hendricks chipped in with 10 kills. 

Senior Jordan Broady dished out a season-high 56 assists, while adding 11 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Broady directed the BU offense to a .162 hitting percentage, including a .435 hitting clip in the deciding fifth set. 

Junior Meghan Evans collected 21 digs in the win, as Bellevue held an 87-74 advantage in total digs. 

Morninside, last year's GPAC regular-season and tournament champions, was led by Gabi French's 17 kills on .410 hitting. She was the only Mustang in double figures. Anastasia Ott added eight kills, 10 blocks, five digs, and a pair of service aces. 

Bellevue 3, Concordia (Neb.) 0

All 13 Bruins saw action as BU concluded the tournament with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-22) sweep over Concordia. Benson and DeBoer led Bellevue with eight kills apiece. DeBoer hit .312 in the match, while adding four digs and three blocks. Benson collected eight digs and two blocks. 

Freshman setter Beth Walker, who split time with Broady, registered a career-high 18 assists, to go with seven digs and two service aces. Broady finished with 15 assists, six kills, four digs and three blocks, all in the first two sets. 

The Bruins hit .287 in th match, while limiting the Bulldogs with .126 hitting as BU held a 45 to 34 advantage in digs. Evans led the defensive charge with 15 digs.

Amanda Abbot led CU with 10 kills and four digs.