Bruins topple No. 1 UP in five-set thriller on Senior Day

Box Score
Frontier Standings

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- In front of a packed Senior Day crowd inside the BU Fieldhouse, the seventh-ranked Bellevue University volleyball team knocked off No. 1-ranked University of Providence, 25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12, in a Frontier Conference showdown on Saturday afternoon. The win extended Bellevue's streak to 12 straight while snapping the Argos' 25-match winning streak.

Senior Eve Fountain recorded her team-leading 11th double-double of the season, finishing with 16 kills and a career-high 28 digs to lead the Bruins. Seniors Kealy Kiviniemi and Savanna Berger shared match-high honors with 17 kills apiece, while Bentlee Kollbaum added 12 and Chloe Cloud chipped in five kills and a match-high 8 blocks. Bellevue's three-setter rotation of Mila Aiwohi, Jada Nunn, and Victoria Runyan combined for 62 assists as the Bruins outhit Providence, .218 (74-26-220) to .156 (59-27-205), and held a 15–10 advantage in total blocks.

Bellevue (22-3, 18-2 Frontier) also celebrated its nine seniors — Audrey Sandfort, Ali Butler, Kenzie Polk, Jayna Hope, Chloe Cloud, Kealy Kiviniemi, Jada Nunn, Savanna Berger, and Eve Fountain — following the match.

Providence (26-2, 19-1 Frontier) was led by Sadie Giles and Bella Green, who posted 12 kills each. Martyna Fiedler added 11 kills, while Franny Martins and Ryann Eddins contributed nine and seven kills, respectively. Setter Bella Thompson dished out 48 assists and added five blocks. Giles anchored the UP defense with 29 digs and four blocks.

Set 1 – Bellevue 25, Providence 23

After trailing 23-21 late, the Bruins closed with four straight points to take the opening set. Fountain started the rally with a kill, and consecutive blocks from Cloud/Kiviniemi and Cloud/Fountain clinched it at 25-23. A'Lailah Perry, Kiviniemi, Kollbaum, and Fountain each notched three kills in the frame, which featured seven ties and three lead changes.

Set 2 – Providence 25, Bellevue 21

Trailing 15-10, the Argos mounted a 5-1 run to pull within one at 16-15. Bellevue answered with three consecutive points capped by back-to-back Berger kills to make it 19-15. Providence took control from there, closing on a 10-2 run fueled by two Argo kills and an ace by Heather Barbee, and three BU attacking errors to even the match at one set apiece.

Set 3 – Providence 25, Bellevue 23

Providence jumped ahead 6-1 before the Bruins responded with five straight points to tie it 6-6. After a kill by Eddins gave the Argos a 12-10 edge, Bellevue rattled off six unanswered points — with four different players recording kills — to move in front 16-12. The Argos countered with a 6-1 surge to regain an 18-17 lead, capped by an Ellie Carlson service ace. The teams traded points until Providence claimed the set on a Thompson/Martins block and a Martins kill for the 25-23 win.

Set 4 – Bellevue 25, Providence 19

Neither side led by more than two points until the Bruins used a 5-0 run to break a 17-17 tie, sparked by two Kiviniemi kills. Bellevue finished the frame with four straight points, highlighted by a pair of Kollbaum kills, to even the match at two sets each.

Set 5 – Bellevue 15, Providence 12

A Fiedler kill brought the Argos within 7-6, but Bellevue answered with a 5-1 burst capped by Fountain's fifth kill of the set to go up 12-7. Providence rallied to 12-11 before the Bruins captured three of the final four points — including an over-dig kill by Cloud — to secure the 15-12 victory and the program's signature win of the season.

Up Next:

The Bruins travel to Valley City, N.D., to face Valley City State University on Friday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. in Frontier Conference action.