Bellevue splits again at SCAD Invite

Embry-Riddle Box Score
SCAD Box Score

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- For the second day in a row, the Bellevue University volleyball team split a pair of matches at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Invitational, dropping the opener to No. 11 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-18), before pulling out a 3-1 (23-25, 26-24, 25-12, 25-22) win over the host school SCAD in the final match of the tournament.

Bellevue finished 2-2 at the tournament and is now 23-9 on the season and 9-1 in the MCAC.

No. 11 Embry-Riddle 3, Bellevue 0
Junior middle blocker Maureen Wardian charted a match-high 13 kills on .455 hitting to lead the BU offense in the loss to the 11th-ranked Eagles. Senior middle blocker Jaclyn Thorson added eight kills on .286 hitting along with a pair of blocks.

Sophomore setter Jordan Broady dished out 26 assists, while adding five kills and two services.

Defensively, the Bruins were paced by freshman Meghan Evans, who collected 10 digs. Freshman Kirstine Linebaugh and senior Katy Gregory added eight digs apiece.

ERAU outhit the Bruins .299 to .127 in the match and held a 10-3 advantage in total team blocks.

Bellevue 3, SCAD 1
The Bruins were led by junior rightside hitter Kali Schnacker, who pounded 12 kills on .258 hitting, while adding three digs and a block.

Junior Ashley Wurdeman added nine kills on .368 hitting, combined with five digs and three blocks.

Wardian notched a match-high four blocks, while Evans led the BU defense with a career-high 20 digs.

The turning point of the match came at the end of the second game when the Bees were serving for a 2-0 lead in the match at 24-23.However, two SCAD attack errors and a block by Wurdeman and Thorson, helped the Bruins pull out the 26-24 win, evening the match at one-set apiece.

Bellevue cruised to the 25-12 win in the third, closing out the set with a 16-4 run.

The final set featured 12 ties and seven lead changes before BU closed out the match, scoring the final four points, capped by kills from Annie Benson, Schnacker, and Thorson, and a service ace from Linebaugh.

The Bruins return to conference action with a pair of matches at York College on Tuesday (Oct. 19). The first contest begins at 5 p.m.