Park snaps BU's win streak despite Benson's career night

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. -- Despite a career-high 22 kills by Annie Benson, Park University snapped Bellevue's seven-match winning streak with a 3-2 (21-25, 25-22, 25-22, 16-25, 15-7) win over the 20th-ranked Bruins in BU's second match of the Baker University Invitational Friday evening. 

The Bruins (9-4) will conclude the tournament on Saturday (Sept. 8) with an 11 a.m. match against Ottawa University. Earlier Friday, Benson and Caitlyn Rueth combined for 23 kills to lead Bellevue to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-17) win over William Woods University. 

Benson hit .357 in the match and added 14 digs to notch her third double-double of the season. Rueth ripped 14 kills, also a career high. Sydney DeBoer pounded 10 kills on .360 hitting while adding a team-high four blocks. 

Jordan Broady collected her fifth double-double of the season with 46 assists and 15 digs.

Meghan Evans led the Bruin defense with a season-high 28 digs, while adding three assists and a pair of service aces.

Pamela Lima led four Pirates in double figures with 21 kills. 

Trailing 13-8 in the opening set, the Bruins went on a 10-2 run to grab an 18-15 advantage, before the Pirates scored three-straight to tie the game at 18-18. Fueled by three-straight kills by Rueth, Bellevue closed the game on a 5-1 run to collect the 25-21 victory. Benson and Rueth each registered five kills to pace the BU offense in the opener. 

An 8-3 Park run forced a Bruin timeout as the Pirates raced out to a 16-11 advantage in the second frame. Sparked by a pair of kills and a solo block by DeBoer, the Bruins fought back to tie the game at 18-18 following a 7-2 surge. The two teams traded points until Park closed the game on a 4-1 run with kills by four different Pirates. Benson collected six kills to lead BU in the second set.

The Bruins erased an 11-4 third set Park lead with a seven-point run, highlighted by a pair of kills by Rueth and blocks by Symone Faulkner and Courtney Hendricks. Capped by a kill from Benson, BU took its first lead of the game at 19-18, forcing a Pirate timeout. After the Bruins took a two-point advantage, the Pirates closed the game on a 6-1 run to take the set, 25-22. Benson, DeBoer, and Rueth each registered three kills in the third frame. 

Seven kills by Benson and five from Rueth helped Bellevue garner a 25-16 fourth-set decision. Rueth pounded four kills in an eight-point scoring run to close out the set. 

Park broke out to a 5-0 lead in the deciding set and held an 8-2 advantage at the side change. The Bruins never got closer than five points at Park hit .421 in the fifth to pull out the two-hour victory. The Bruins managed just three kills and hit .000 in the deciding frame.