Benson, Bell lead Bruins in sweep at Haskell

MCAC Standings 

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Annie Benson and Sunny Bell combined for 21 kills to lead the 24th-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-13, 25-11, 25-17) sweep at Haskell Indian Nations University Thursday night in Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference action. 

Bellevue improved to 27-9 on the season and 8-0 in the MCAC. Haskell fell to 12-19 overall and 6-5 in league play. 

Benson registered 11 kills and eight digs. Bell finished with 10 kills on .444 hitting while adding three digs. Caitlyn Rueth added eight kills and three digs as 11 Bruins finished with at least one kill in the win. 

Jordan Broady and Beth Walker combined for 39 assists in directing the BU offense to a .310 hitting percentage. 

The Bellevue defense held HINU to .099 hitting on the night, paced by Meghan Evan's 21 digs.

The Bruins raced out to a 10-1 lead in the opening set and led by as many as 13 points before cruising to the 25-13 win. Rueth paced the BU offense with six kills as Bellevue hit .325 in the first set with five Bruins collecting at least two kills.

After falling behind 2-0 in the second frame, the Bruins reeled off seven-straight points and never looked back in taking the set, 25-11. Sydney DeBoer and Benson tallied four kills each in the second frame. Alannah VanGorder contributed with three kills on three swings while adding a pair of digs. 

The third set featured two ties with the last coming at 14-all. The Bruins closed the match on a 11-3 run, including taking the last five points while completing the sweep with the 25-17 win. Bell finished with six kills on nine swings in the final set. 

The Bruins will continue their three-match road swing with a 7 p.m. conference match at Oklahoma Wesleyan University on Friday, Oct. 26.