BELLEVUE, Neb. - The Carroll Volleyball team took No. 7 Bellevue to five sets on Saturday afternoon, winning two of the first three before the Bruins rallied for a 3-2 win at the BU Fieldhouse.
The Fighting Saints (14-9, 9-7) took a 2-1 lead on the nation's seventh-ranked Bruins (19-3, 15-1) that has lost just one league match this season. They got there with a gutsy comeback to win a 26-24 second set and a dominant third set in which Bellevue never held the lead, but faltered down the stretch.
The first set was tight early, with seven ties and three lead changes. Bellevue managed stretched its lead to 17-14 in the later stages of the frame, but Kaylen Hay (Pocatello, Idaho / R-SO) put down three kills to help the Saints claw to within one at 18-19. The Bruins closed the set strong, however, taking a 25-20 win.
Carroll came out sharp in the second set. The Saints scored four straight points to lead 4-1, with back-to-back kills from Lauren Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SR) and a pair of aces from Jansyn Carrizales (Sunnyside, Wash. / SR). Carroll later pushed the lead to 16-12 , and after Bellevue tied it at 16, the Saints answered with a 4-0 run to lead 21-17. The Bruins responded with a 5-0 run to go up 22-21, but Birdie Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SO) answered with a pair of kills to tie it at 22 and again at 23. Bellevue got to set point at 24-23, but Carroll scored the final three points to win the back-and-forth frame. All five of Carroll's aces on the day came in the set.
The Saints took control right from the get-go in the third set. After the teams traded points early, Carroll used an 8-0 run to turn a 10-9 lead into 18-9. Bellevue got within five following a 4-0 run of their own, but Hay's back-to-back kills steadied things and Birdie Heuiser finished it with kills on each of Carroll's final three points for a 25-20 win and a 2-1 lead.
No. 7 Bellevue came out of the break and shifted the momentum. Carroll tied the fourth set at 10-10 on a McKaila Balcom (Pasco, Wash. / SR) kill, but the Bruins went on an 8-0 run and later ended the set on a 6-0 run to take the frame 25-12.
The Bruins then scored the first three points of the deciding fifth set and ran off eight straight for a 10-1 lead. Carroll fought back with four straight points to get within five, but the Bruins were too strong, scoring the final four points for the 15-6 win.
Birdie Heuiser paced the Saints with 18 kills while hitting .371. Lauren Heuiser chipped in 14 kills and a pair of blocks, while Kaylen Hay had eight kills and McKaila Balcom added seven.
Lauren Fox (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) ran the Saints offense with 28 assists while adding 12 digs, while Carrizales had 21 assists, 14 digs and three aces. Carroll's back row was active, with Sofia Kimmel (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) and Norah Allen (Gerat Falls, Mont. / SR) each posting 15 digs in the loss
Following a two week road swing, the Saints will return to the PE Center next week, hosting Valley City State and Mayville State as the Frontier slate winds down.
Be sure to visit www.carrollathletics.com for a full recap of the action, and for complete coverage of the Fighting Saints all season long.
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