October 19, 2022

BELLEVUE, Neb. – No. 15 ranked Bellevue (Neb.) pounded out 56 kills Wednesday evening, kicking off the second half portion of the North Star Athletic Association schedule with a 3-0 sweep over Dakota State (S.D.) at Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.  Set scores were 25-17, 25-22, and 25-22.

Dakota State fell to 13-14 overall record and 3-5 record in North Star Athletic Association play.  Bellevue, who completed the NSAA regular-season series sweep of DSU, lifted their overall record to 19-8 and 7-1 record in the league.

The Trojans return home Friday evening for a key two-match North Star conference home stand.  DSU hosts Dickinson State (N.D.) Friday at 5 p.m.  The DSU volleyball team will be holding their Parents Night.  Fans are also encouraged to wear green colors clothing to the match to help raise mental health awareness.

Dakota State hosts Valley City State (N.D.) on Saturday afternoon in the other NSAA match-up.  The team will be honoring their seniors at approximately 1:50 p.m., followed by a first serve at 2 p.m.  The theme is set for a White Out, encouraging fans to wear white color clothing to the match.

(15) Bellevue (Neb.) 3, Dakota State (S.D.) 0 – (25-17, 25-22, 25-22)

• Bellevue opened the first set with a 7-3 lead after Sidney Sledge's kill.
• Trailing 10-7, Dakota State went on a 4-0 scoring run to overtake an 11-10 lead highlighted by a pair of kills by Madalyn Groft and a kill from Brooklyn Grage.
• The Bruins erupted with a 11-1 scoring run, thanks to 10 total kills during the run, to balloon their lead to 21-12.  Sledge tallied five kills, while Allie Kerns added four kills during BU's scoring run.
• DSU could get no closer than 23-17.  A block by Sierra Athen and Jacki Apel give the Bruins a 25-17 victory and 1-0 match lead.
• Bellevue outhit Dakota State 19-7 in the opening set.  The Bruins hit .224 (8 errors in 49 swings) and held the Trojans to .054 hitting percentage (5 errors in 37 attempts).
• The Bruins used another fast start in the second set, jumping to an 8-4 lead after Kerns' kill.
• Dakota State answered with a 5-0 scoring run to overtake a 9-8 lead after an attack error by BU.
• Sydney Schell smashed a kill to give DSU a 12-11 lead in the second set.
• Bellevue went on a 7-3 scoring run to grab an 18-14 lead, capped by a back from Apel.
• Down 23-19, Dakota State scored the next three points to cut BU's lead to 23-22 after Hannah Viet's kill.
• The Bruins closed the second set at 25-22 as Sledge and Apel closed with a pair of kills, extending their match lead to 2-0.
• BU outhit DSU 20-12 in the second set.  The Bruins hit .302 (7 errors in 43 attempts) compared to the Trojans .184 hitting percentage (5 errors in 38 swings).
• Dakota State roared to a 10-3 lead in the third set, highlighted by four kills from Grage and a pair of service aces from M. Groft.
• The Bruins rallied back to cut the Trojans' lead to 13-9 after Olivia Galas' service ace.  The Trojans ballooned their lead to 16-10 after an attack error committed by the Bruins.
• Bellevue answered with a 6-0 scoring run – thanks to Kerns with three straight kills followed by back-to-back kills by Apel – to tie the third set at 16-16.
• A block by Gwendolyn Vongkasemsiri and Riley Grandpre as DSU snapped their scoring drought and regained their lead at 17-16.
• The Bruins went on another 6-0 scoring outburst to grab a 22-17 lead after Kerns' kill.
• M. Groft sparked DSU's 5-0 scoring run with back-to-back kills followed by three straight attack errors, knotting the third set score at 22-22.
• Bellevue closed the third set with a kill by Kerns followed by back-to-back kills by Athen for a 25-22 victory and secured the match at 3-0.
• The Bruins had 17 kills and hit .209 (8 attack errors in 43 attempts).  The Trojans recorded 11 kills and .156 hitting efficiency (4 errors in 45 swings).
• Schell and Grage each tallied eight kills for DSU.  Viet and M. Groft each added five kills.  M. Groft also had eight set assists, three digs, and two service aces.  Viet registered three blocks.
• Vanessa Schroeder and Hannah Evans each had two kills and a block for the Trojans. 
• Maddi Langerock contributed 14 set assists and four digs for Dakota State.  Peyton Groft tallied 16 digs and three set assists.
• Kerns smashed a match-high 19 kills for Bellevue.  She hit .268 and collected eight digs.  Sledge added 11 kills and hit .409.  Athen had nine kills and 11 digs.
• Apel added seven kills and three blocks for BU.  Galas had 44 set assists, 17 digs and five kills.  Nicole Meyer recorded five kills.
• Raeanne Kimoto posted a match-high 23 digs for the Bruins.  She also had five set assists. 
• BU hit .244 in the match (56 kills with 23 errors in 135 attempts) compared to DSU .133 hitting percentage (30 kills with 14 errors in 120 attempts).
• The Bruins tallied 71 digs to the Trojans 46 digs.  DSU had five blocks compared to BU three blocks.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director