No. 18 Coyotes upset BU in season opener

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FULLERTON, Calif. -- In the season opener for both teams, 18th-ranked College of Idaho overcame a 2-1 deficit and used a fast start in the deciding fifth set to upset second-ranked Bellevue University 3-2 (25-20, 21-25, 17-25, 25-18, 15-12) Friday afternoon in the opening day of action at the Hope International Summer Slam being played at the Darling Pavillion on the HIU campus. 

All-Americans Eve Fountain (15) and Kealy Kiviniemi (14) combined for 29 kills to lead the BU offense in the loss. Savanna Berger tallied nine kills on .583 hitting while adding three blocks. Mila Aiwohi recorded a double-double with 27 assists and a match-high 17 digs. Aiwohi and Victoria Runyan combined for 46 assists while directing the Bruin offense to a .301 hitting clip on the day. 

Brooke Garman paced the Coyotes with 15 kills on .345 hitting. Mia Hutchinson added 13 kills, three digs, and a block. Cierra Bohrn was the third Coyote in double figures, finishing with 11 kills and a pair of digs. Shaynee McWilliams notched a double-double with 39 assists and 13 digs, along with two service aces.  

Set 1: College of Idaho 25, Bellevue 20

Trailing 4-1 early, Bellevue responded with a 6-0 run keyed by Aiwohi's serve, including two aces, and kills from Kiviniemi and Fountain to take a 16-14 lead. College of Idaho countered with a 6-1 spurt behind a pair of kills from Bohrn and an ace by Montalbo to regain momentum. Bellevue stayed within striking distance, but late attack errors and a Hutchinson block sealed the set for the Coyotes.

Set 2: Bellevue 25, College of Idaho 21

Bellevue trailed 8-4 early before responding with a 6-0 run behind kills from Fountain and Rowyn Scheer and a service ace from Kamryn Scheib to take a 10-8 lead. After College of Idaho drew even at 13-all, the Bruins surged again with a 5-1 run, highlighted by a block from Kiviniemi and Chloe Cloud and back-to-back kills from Fountain. Late in the set, Berger contributed a pair of kills, and Ali Butler landed a key service ace to stretch the lead to 23-16. Fountain later added her fifth kill of the set to seal the win and even the match.

Set 3: Bellevue 25, College of Idaho 17

Bellevue opened the third set with a 3-0 burst featuring a kill by Fountain and a service ace from Aiwohi, then extended the lead to 11-6, sparked by a pair of Yote miscues and a Kiviniemi kill. Cloud notched two kills during a 5-1 spurt that widened the margin to 16-8, while Berger added a pair of kills down the stretch. Aiwohi closed out the set with a service ace and an assist to Kiviniemi, giving the Bruins a 2-1 match advantage.

Set 4: College of Idaho 25, Bellevue 18

Bellevue opened with early offense from Kiviniemi and Kenzie Polk, but a pivotal service run by Kadence Boyd — featuring three aces and a kill by Garman — helped the Yotes flip a 5-4 deficit into an 8-5 advantage. Berger provided a pair of timely kills to keep the Bruins close at 13-12, but College of Idaho pulled away with a late push. Garman and Cierra Bohrn combined for four kills down the stretch, and Mia Hutchinson delivered a set-clinching ace to send the match to a fifth and final frame.

Set 5: College of Idaho 15, Bellevue 12

The final set seesawed early, with Fountain delivering a pair of kills to give Bellevue a 4-2 lead. The Yotes answered with a momentum swing that included back-to-back aces from Liza Montalbo and a kill by Mia Hutchinson, helping them surge ahead 8-5 at the changeover. Bellevue made one final push—fueled by a pair of kills from Fountain and Kealy Kiviniemi—to close the gap to 13-11, but kills by Cora Young and Hutchinson sealed the match for College of Idaho. 

Up Next: 

Bellevue will continue action later tonight when they meet sixth-ranked Southern Oregon University beginning at 8 p.m. (CT).