Benson, Rueth pace Bruins in sweep over Baker

OLATHE, Kan. -- Junior outside hitters Annie Benson and Caitlyn Rueth combined for 26 kills to lead Bellevue University to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-19) sweep over Baker University Friday night at the MidAmerica Nazarene Invitational. 

Bellevue improved to 16-5 on the season and 2-0 in the tournament as the Bruins swept Benedictine 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-15) earlier Friday afternoon. Baker fell to 10-7 on the season with the loss. 

Bellevue will conclude tournament action on Saturday with a 12 p.m. match against Evangel and a 4 p.m. contest with tournament host MidAmerica Nazarene. 

Benson collected 14 kills and nine digs in the victory. Rueth hit .571 with 12 kills, no errors, in 17 attempts. 

Freshman Symone Faulkner registered nine kills on .583 hitting while adding a pair of blocks. 

Senior setter Jordan Broady directed the BU offense to a .365 hitting percentage while notching 44 assists, five kills and five digs. 

Junior libero Meghan Evans propelled the defense with a match-high 16 digs. 

Rueth and Benson combined for 11 kills on 18 errorless swings as BU took the opening set, 25-21. The Bruins closed the game on a 9-4 run after trailing the majority of the set.

Bellevue hit .406 in the second frame and got five more kills from Benson as BU took a 2-0 lead with the 25-17 win. 

The Bruins used six separate three-point runs and hit .405 in the third set to complete their third-straight three-game sweep.