Bellevue sweeps Coyotes in regional semifinals
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

BELLEVUE, Neb. – Bellevue University snapped Kansas Wesleyan’s 18-match winning streak with a 30-22, 30-20, 30-26 win over the Coyotes in the NAIA Region IV Semifinals at the Lozier Athletic Center at Bellevue University on Friday night.

Bellevue, the top rated team in Region IV, advances to the regional championship match today at 1:00 p.m. against Ozarks (Mo.), who reached the championship match after defeating Saint Mary (Neb.) in yesterday’s other semifinal match.

The Bruins (26-11) jumped out to a 13-6 lead in game one and never looked back. The Coyotes would get as close as three at 16-13 on an error by Bellevue, but could never get the offense going as the Bruins would pull out to a 28-17 lead.

Senior Whitney DuBois would put down a kill to spark a late Wesleyan run to make it 28-21, but Bellevue would score two of the final three points to take the first game.

Trailing 6-4 in game two, KWU would score four straight points to take an 8-6 lead capped by an ace from Ashley Winters. The Bruins would respond in big way. A service error by Winters would start the rally as Bellevue ran off the next nine points to take a 15-8 lead. KWU would break the run with two points on kills from Kolby Rhoades and DuBois, but the Bruins would go on another 10-2 run to take a 25-12 lead. Rhoades and Winters would get kills to break the run, but Bellevue would cruise to the game two win.

KWU (27-8) would lead 5-3 in game three, but the Bruins would rally, using a 10-3 run to take a 13-8 lead. The Coyotes would rally back and tie the game at 20-all on a 4-0 run capped by a Rhoades kill, but Bellevue would answer back with a 9-3 run to take a 29-23 lead. Wesleyan would make it interesting down the stretch with three straight points to make it 29-26, but an attack error from Sarah Claborn would give the Bruins the three game sweep.

Rhoades led the Coyotes with 18 kills, while DuBois and Claborn each had seven. Kelli Berg had 34 assists, while Winters added two aces. Karissa Kent had 15 digs while Berg added nine and Rhoades six. Rhoades and DuBois led the Coyotes with three assist blocks each.

-- KWU SI --