BU finishes as NAIA Runner-Up after heartbreaking loss in five

Box Score

SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- The fifth-seeded Bellevue University volleyball team saw its historic run in the NAIA Volleyball National Championship end with a heartbreaking 3-2 (25-22, 16-25, 13-25, 25-18, 16-14) loss to Indiana Wesleyan University Tuesday night in the Tyson Events Center. 

The Bruins, who squandered six match points in the fifth set, were led by the dominating play of Eve Fountain. Fountain hit .413 while recording her team-leading 16th double-double of the season, finishing with 23 kills and 16 digs. 

Bellevue ends its season with a 32-5 record, advancing to the title match for the first time in school history. 

Indiana Wesleyan claimed its second-straight national championship, extending its winning streak to 33 matches and finishing the year at 36-2. 

Savanna Berger registered 14 kills on .296 hitting while adding five blocks. Sidney Sledge collected nine kills and six digs in the loss. 

Victoria Runyan (31) and Mila Aiwohi (24) combined for 55 assists while directing the BU offense to a .217 hitting efficiency. 

Lia Aiwohi led the BU defense with a career-high 20 digs while adding four service aces. Taylan Keefer finished her stellar BU career with 15 digs and a service ace.

Tournament MVP Eva Joldersma paced the Wildcats with 17 kills and eight digs. Martina Demarchi recorded a double-double with 16 kills and 15 digs. Abbigail Porter dished out 40 assists and added 10 digs for a double-double of her own.  

Set 1: Indiana Wesleyan 25, Bellevue 22

Four early service aces and three kills by Demarchi helped the Warriors build an early 13-7 advantage. The Bruins battled back with a 9-5 run capped by a service ace from Lia Aiwohi to pull to within two points at 18-16. Bellevue took its first lead of the contest with back-to-back hitting errors by Joldersma, giving BU a 22-21 lead. The Wildcats scored four straight, capped by a pair of blocks and an overpass kill by Julia Price, to take the opener 25-22. 

Sledge and Fountain paced BU in the opening set with three kills apiece as both hit .500. Joldersma (5) and Demarchi (4) combined for nine kills to lead the IWU attack in the first.  

Set 2: Bellevue 25, Indiana Wesleyan 16

Fountain erupted for nine kills in the second to propel the Bruins to the nine-point victory. After nine early ties, the Bruins gained a four-point advantage following a seven-point serving run by Raeanne Kimoto, which included four kills by Fountain, giving BU an 18-14 edge. Another three kills by Fountain, and a service ace by Mila Aiwohi sparked a 7-2 run to close the frame as the Bruins took the second set, 25-16.  

Set 3: Bellevue 25, Indiana Wesleyan 13

The Bruins raced out to a 5-2 lead in the third, ignited by a thunderous down-the-line kill from Ali Butler. Bellevue extended the lead to 12-6 following kills by Sledge and Kiviniemi and a service ace by Mila Aiwohi. The Bruins pushed the margin to eight points at 18-10 following a pair of attacking errors by Julia Price, a service ace by Keefer, and a kill by Berger. BU cruised to the 25-13 win, closing the frame on a 7-3 run.  

Set 4: Indiana Wesleyan 25, Bellevue 18

An ace by Demarchi capped a 9-4 IWU run to open the fourth frame. Three kills by Joldersma sparked a 7-2 Wildcat spurt as IWU built a 17-8 margin. The Bruins answered with five straight anchored by a solo block from Kiviniemi and a kill by Berger to make it a four-point contest at 17-13. A solo block by Fountain drew BU to within three points at 19-16, but that was as close as the Bruins would get as IWU closed the stanza on a 6-2 run to take the fourth set, 25-18. 

Set 5: Indiana Wesleyan 16, Bellevue 14

After IWU built a 3-0 lead to start the deciding set, Bellevue reeled off five in a row, highlighted by kills from Kiviniemi and Fountain. A pair of kills by Berger and four by Fountain gave the Bruins a 13-6 advantage. After the Wildcats scored two straight, a kill by Fountain gave the Bruins match point at 14-8. The Wildcats survived six match points after six straight BU attacking errors and won the match on two consecutive double contact calls on the Bruins, as IWU took the match, 16-14. 

All-Tournament Team

Tayla Barnes, St. Thomas

Savanna Berger, Bellevue

Martina Demarchi, Indiana Wesleyan

Eve Fountain, Bellevue

Eva Joldersma, Indiana Wesleyan

Ashley Keck, Concordia

Suelen Lima, William Carey

Kiauna Mack, Eastern Oregon 

Megan Perry, Southern Oregon

Abbigail Porter, Indiana Wesleyan

Makayla Roginski, Corban

Jazi Smith, Montana Western

Hannah Stadstad, Southern Oregon

Marissa Uehara, Corban

All-Tournament Coach: Candace Moats, Indiana Wesleyan

Defensive Player of the Tournament - Marissa Uehara, Corban

Setter of the Tournament - Abbigail Porter, Indiana Wesleyan

Attacker of the Tournament - Eva Joldersma, Indiana Wesleyan

Most Valuable Player - Eva Joldersma, Indiana Wesleyan