Benson leads Bruins over Evangel, 3-1

OLATHE, Kan. -- Junior outside hitter Annie Benson led four Bruins in double figure with 17 kills as Bellevue University pulled out a 3-1 (25-23, 25-17, 21-25, 26-24) victory over Evangel University at the MidAmerica Nazarene Invitational Saturday afternoon. 

The Bruins (17-5) will conclude the tournament with a 4 p.m. match against host MidAmerica Nazarene. Evangel fell to 14-7 on the season with the loss. 

Benson finished with 17 kills, nine digs, and a service ace. Junior middle blocker Sydney DeBoer collected 13 kills on .500 hitting, while adding four blocks. Junior outside hitter Caitlyn Rueth registered 10 kills and a match-high three service aces. 

Senior setter Jordan Broady registered her eighth double-double of the season with 50 assists and 10 kills. She hit .600 in the match and added eight digs and five blocks while directing the BU offense to a .238 hitting percentage. 

Junior libero Meghan Evans anchored the Bellevue defense with 25 digs. 

The Bruins overcame a 22-18 deficit in the opening set, ending the game on a 7-1 run highlighted by a pair of service aces and a kill from Rueth. BU was plagued by 10 hitting errors in the opening frame, hitting just .024. Broady was the only Bruin to hit above .200, registering three kills on six attempts. 

Neither team could establish control in the second set until the Bruins went on a 6-0 scoring run midway through the set en route to the 25-17 victory. Courtney Hendricks led the way offensively with five kills while Benson and DeBoer added four kills apiece. BU outhit Evangel .467 to .071 in the second. 

The Crusaders erased a three-point third-set deficit with a 6-0 run and did not commit a hitting error as EU avoided the sweep with the 25-21 victory. Benson collected five kills in the third game.

The Bruins avoided a fifth game, closing the match on a 9-4 run, capped by kills from Benson and Symone Faulkner, taking the match with the 26-24 fourth-set victory.