HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll College Volleyball team suffered their first setback of the 2026 Frontier Conference slate, falling in straight sets to No. 19-ranked Bellevue on Friday evening at the PE Center.
Little went right for the Fighting Saints (8-3, 3-1) in Friday night's loss, as unforced errors and a potent Bruins (7-2, 3-0) attack kept Carroll out of reach throughout.
A pair of kills by Lauren Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SR) helped the Saints jump out to an early lead in the opening frame, but the tide would shift quickly in favor of the Bruins. Bellevue went on a 13-3 spurred by multiple kills and blocks by Payton Dzingle. The Saints had no answer in the frame, hitting -.025 with just eight total kills as the Bruins would cruise to a 25-17 win.
The second set was tightly contested in the early stages, but 9-2 Bruin run in the middle of the frame would spell trouble for the Saints. Trailing 20-13, Carroll would finally find their footing. Several Bellevue attack errors, paired with kills from McKaila Balcom (Pasco, Wash. / SR) and Kaylen Hay (Pocatello, Idaho / R-SO) would help Carroll pull within striking range at 21-18, but the Bruins would find a way to close out the second set win 25-20.
The third set was the most competitive frame of the evening, one that consisted of back-and-forth mini-runs. Both the Saints and Bruins exchanged several 3-0 runs in the middle stages of the set, but tied at 20, a late 5-1 Bellevue run would put a cap on the sweep.
While no Saints reached double-digit kills, Sofia Kimmel (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) led all Carroll players with seven, followed by Birdie Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SO) with six and Lauren Heuiser with five.
Jansyn Carrizales (Sunnyside, Wash. / SR) and Malia Allen (Great Falls, Mont. / FR) had two of the strongest performances for the Saints. Carrizales led the team with 14 assists, Allen had a team-high 10 digs, and both players recorded a pair of aces in the loss.
The Saints won't have any time to dwell on the loss, as they turn around for a 3 p.m. tilt with Dakota State tomorrow afternoon in Helena.
Visit www.carrollathletics.com for a full recap of Saturday's homestand finale, and for complete coverage of the Fighting Saints all season long.
FOLLOW THE FIGHTING SAINTS
Facebook: @carrollcollegeathletics
Instagram: @cc_saints
X: @CCsaints
#MarchOn
++
