Bruins sweep Ozarks; Move up MCAC ladder

Box Score

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The 24th-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team avenged their only conference loss with a convincing 3-0 (25-14, 25-12, 25-19) sweep over College of the Ozarks Friday night before 313 fans at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.

With the win, the Bruins moved to within a half a game of the conference lead, improving to 13-1 in the MCAC and 29-11 overall. The Bobcats suffered their first league loss, falling to 14-1 in MCAC play and 27-11 overall.

Jaclyn Thorson, Kali Schnacker, and Maureen Wardian each collected 10 kills in the win. Thorson hit .474 in the match and added three blocks. Schnacker hit at a .421 clip, while adding four blocks and a pair of digs. Wardian collected a match-high six blocks as BU held a commanding 10-5 edge in total team blocks.

Defensively, the Bruins were led by Katy Gregory who notched a match-high 23 digs. Jordan Broady directed the BU offense to a .287 attack percentage, while collecting 39 assists, two kills, and three digs.

Leading 11-10 in the opening set, the Bruins closed out the game on a 14-4 run, highlighted by six kills and four blocks from Wardian. Bellevue held Ozarks to a .025 hitting percentage in the first set.

Schnacker belted six kills on nine swings to pace the second-set Bruin attack. Trailing 7-4, the Bruins went on runs of eight points and seven points in crusing to the 25-12 win. Bellevue outhit the Bobcats .314 to .029 in the second frame.

Trailing 8-6, the Bruins went on a 6-2 run highlighted by a pair of Schnacker kills, another kill from Annie Benson, and a block by Thorson and Schnacker. Bellevue pulled away from a tight set with a five-point run midway through the third as the Bruins hit .310 and held the Bobcats to a .081 hitting clip.

The Bruins three seniors, Thorson, Gregory and Kylie Davis were all honored at the conclusion of the contest.

Bellevue will wrap up the regular season with a pair of league matches on Saturday (Nov. 6). The Bruins will battle Southwestern Christian at 12 p.m. and Oklahoma Wesleyan at 2 p.m.