Bruins survive against Ottawa in four sets

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. -- The 20th-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team squandered seven match points in the third set before pulling out a 3-1 (25-23, 25-14, 31-33, 25-20) victory over Ottawa University in the Bruins' final match of the Baker Invitational Saturday afternoon.

Bellevue (10-4) returns to conference action on Tuesday (Sept. 11) with a 6:30 p.m. match at Waldorf College. 

Annie Benson led four Bruins in double figures with 17 kills, to go along with nine digs. Sydney DeBoer registered 12 kills and five blocks. Symone Faulkner tied a career-high with 12 kills on .360 hitting. Caitlyn Rueth finished with 11 kills on .381 hitting, while adding five blocks. 

Jordan Broady collected her sixth double-double of the season with 50 assists and 10 digs. Beth Walker (21) and Meghan Evans (20) combined for 41 digs to pace the Bruin defense. 

Ottawa (6-3) was led by Nicole Gingery's 18 kills and two service aces. 

Faulkner and DeBoer combined for nine kills in the opener and the Bruins scored five of the last six points to squeak out the 25-23 win. The duo was errorless in the first set as BU outhit the Braves .333 to .189. 

Bellevue used four second-set kills from Benson and the team recorded just two hitting errors as the Bruins built a 2-0 advantage with the 25-14 victory. Bellevue closed the set on a 10-3 run.

On the verge of a three-set sweep, leading 24-19, Bellevue gave up six-consecutive points. The Bruins then saved four match points, but could not convert on their next two match-point opportunities as the Braves pulled out the 33-31 marathon win following a service ace and an attack error by Rueth. 

Ottawa erased a five-point deficit in the fourth set, scoring six-straight points before the Bruins closed the match on a 7-1 run capped off by kills from Faulkner and Benson.