Fountain guides BU to five-set win over SAU in NAIA Pool Play Opener

Box Score
Pool Play Schedule/Results

SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Eve Fountain recorded her seventh double-double of the season, finishing with a season-high 20 kills and 22 digs as the 18th-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team battled back for a 3-2 (21-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-16, 15-9) victory over (RV) Saint Ambrose University Thursday morning in Pool Play action at the NAIA Volleyball National Championship. 

With the win, the Bruins improved to 26-9 on the season. SAU ended its season at 20-16.

Joining Fountain in double figures were Allie Kerns (15), Kealy Kiviniemi (12), and Sidney Sledge (11).

Jada Nunn (26) and Mila Aiwohi (23) combined for 49 assists while directing the BU offense to .171 hitting percentage. 

Five Bruins recorded double-figure dig totals as BU held the Bees to a .102 hitting efficiency. 

Mackenzie Grafton led three SAU players in double figures, finishing with 16 kills along with 21 digs. 

Meredith Umland notched 13 kills and Meredith Siebers also registered a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs. 

Set 1: St. Ambrose 25, Bellevue 21

The Bees used a 10-2 run midway through the first frame to grab a 16-9 advantage, highlighted by three straight kills from Siebers. Siebers had five kills during the run. 

The Bruins battled back to within five at 18-13, following kills by Kiviniemi and Kerns. 

Bellevue drew to within three points at 23-20 following a block by Morgan Wale and Kerns, along with a kill by Kiviniemi. 

After the two teams traded kills, SAU took the opener, 25-21, following a kill by Siebers. 

Kerns (6) and Kiviniemi (4) combined for ten kills to lead the BU offense in the first set. 

Siebers registered six kills on .333 hitting in the opener. 

Mackenzie Grafton and Lexi Huntley each had 11 digs in the opening frame, limiting the Bruins to a .052 attacking efficiency. 

Set 2: Bellevue 25, St. Ambrose 23

After a 4-1 BU spurt helped the Bruins gain an early 11-7 edge, SAU pulled to within two points after two straight BU errors.  

The Bees made it a one-point game, 15-14, following a kill by Siebers and a Bruin attack error. 

A block by Hannah Sondag and Alex Home on Kerns and an attack error by Sledge helped SAU knot the contest at 21-all.

A kill by Siebers gave the Bees their first lead of the frame at 22-21.

After trading the next two points, BU closed the set on a 3-0 run to earn the 25-23 victory, sparked by kills from Sledge and Kerns.  

Set 3: St. Ambrose 26, Bellevue 24

The Bees raced out to a 12-8 lead in the third frame, capped by kills from Siebers and Horne and a block by the duo.

A kill and back-to-back aces by Fountain pulled the Bruins to within a point at 15-14. 

After a kill by Fountain and a service ace from Ali Butler tied the contest at 21, the two teams traded the next four points until 

After a block by Fountain gave the Bruins set point at 24-23, SAU reeled off three-straight sparked by kills from Umland and Grafton, and a service ace by Kaleigh Bergschneider to take the third frame, 26-24.  

Set 4: Bellevue 25, St. Ambrose 16

Consecutive kills by Fountain helped the Bruins gain a 14-9 advantage in the fourth stanza. The Bees, however, battled back, using a 4-1 run to pull to within three at 17-14. 

The Bruins scored five straight to end the set, capped by kills from Haley Fleischman and Kiviniemi and a block from Kiviniemi and Fleischman on Grafton, giving BU the 25-16 victory. 

Set 5: Bellevue 15, St. Ambrose 9

After three straight kills by Grafton helped the Bees gain an early 5-2 lead in the deciding set, the Bruins reeled off five straight, capped by back-to-back kills by Sledge to gain a 7-5 edge. 

A BU hitting error pulled the Bees to within a point at 10-9, before the Bruins ended the match on a 6-0 run to pull out the victory with the 15-9 fifth-set win.  

Up Next:

The Bruins will complete pool play action on Friday (Dec 1) when they battle No. 1-ranked Northwestern (Iowa) College at 10 a.m. at Tyson Events Center.