Bruins charge past Briar Cliff
Scanlan, Wald, and Gillespie combined for 40 kills to out-attack Briar Cliff's entire team
BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Freshman Shayla Scanlan recorded 16 kills and hit .500 to lead the Bellevue University volleyball team to a 3-0 sweep over visiting Briar Cliff University on Thursday evening. Bellevue won by scores of 29-27, 25-18, 25-21.
Bellevue was down facing multiple set points in the the first set before rallying to a 29-27 victory. It wasn't the cleanest set for either side - Bellevue out-hit Briar Cliff .145-.089 - but the Bruins were able to hang in to force extra points and grab the match-opening win.
The Bruins played a lot cleaner in the second set, hitting at a torrid .375 clip, to claim a 25-18 victory over the visitors and grab a commanding two sets to none lead in the match.
BU continued their hot hitting in the third set, attacking at a rate of .279 to secure a 25-21 victory and the sweep. Scanlan ended the match with an emphatic kill before a lively crowd which featured many of her former high school teammates.
Senior Beth Walker notched her 24th double-double of the season - and ninth straight against an NAIA opponent - for Bellevue, finishing the match with 40 assists and 15 digs. Defensively, sophomore Taylor Holz led the Bruins with 29 digs. She was joined in double figures by both Walker and freshman Erin Warren.
Joining Scanlan with double-figure kill efforts were sophomores Rachel Wald and Mikaylah Gillespie. Wald finished the night with 13 on .219 hitting while Gillespie notched 11 kills while attacking at a .450 rate.
Bellevue out-hit Briar Cliff .254-.121 on the night and out-dug the Chargers by a 75-58 margin.
Bellevue (20-14) will host No. 19 MidAmerica Nazarene University at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. The Bruins' two seniors Beth Walker and Victoria Bowens will both be honored following the match.
Briar Cliff drops to 14-9 with the loss. Their next match will be on Saturday, Oct. 24 when they host Midland University at 7:30 p.m.
