Outsides lead BU to sweep over William Woods

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. -- Outside hitters Caitlyn Rueth and Annie Benson combined for 23 kills to lead the 20th-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-17) sweep over William Woods University in the Bruins' opening match of the Baker Invitational.

The Bruins, who won their seventh-straight match, improved to 9-3 on the season and will battle Park University at 5 p.m. tonight in continuing action at the tournament. 

Rueth recorded a match-high 12 kills on .286 hitting while adding a pair of blocks. Benson tallied 11 kills and six digs in the victory. 

Senior Jordan Broady directed the BU offense to a .206 hitting percentage, dishing out 29 assists, while adding six kills, eight digs, two blocks, and a service ace. 

Junior Meghan Evans led BU's defense with a match-high 12 digs, while adding five assists. 

Bellevue used a five-point run midway through the first set and six kills from Rueth to take the opening set, 25-21. Benson added five kills and five digs in the first frame. 

The Bruins overcame an early five-point deficit in the second set, going on a 10-2 run en route to the 25-20 win. BU hit .407 in the second game with 12 kills and only one error in 27 swings. 

Paced by a service ace from Andrea Johnson and kills from Rueth and Sydney DeBoer, BU scored the first six points of the third set and never trailed while collecting the sweep. WWU got as close as three points at 17-14, before the Bruins closed the match on an 8-3 run to grab the 25-17 win.