Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Bethel Invitational Website

Stats: Game 1 | Game 2

ARDEN HILLS, Minn.— Bethel University's five-game win streak came to an end Saturday morning, as the Royals suffered a 3-0 blow to Nebraska Wesleyan. Despite the defeat, BU was able to recover nicely and ended the 2014 Bethel Invitational with a 3-0 triumph over Principia College. The statement victory over the Panthers helped the Royals improve to 6-2 on the season after a pair of 3-1 bouts the past two weekends.  
 
Game One
 
The Royals five-game win streak was snapped by a 3-0 (20-25, 14-25, 22-25) defeat at the hands of NWU. The unbeaten Prairie Wolves .226 attacking percentage and 56 digs were too much for BU, who hit just .116 as a team and suffered seven service errors.
 
Bethel trailed 17-19 in the opening game, but Nebraska Wesleyan finished the frame on a 6-2 run to claim an immediate one-set advantage. NWU claimed a 2-0 lead after a 25-14 win in the second game and although the Royals were even with the Prairie Wolves 21-21 in game three, Wesleyan captured their eighth consecutive win with a 25-22 finish.
 
Carlee Hoppe amassed 12 kills and a .345 attacking mark, along with three blocks throughout the match. Meanwhile Kristin Stern and Nicole Deberry each had seven. Katie Lubben finished the match with 19 assists, while freshman Mikayla Morrow had nine. Leading the way defensively was Kali Johnson and Courtney Sheets, who tallied 14 and 13 digs, respectively.
 
Game Two
 
Bethel quickly forgot its three-set loss to Nebraska Wesleyan, as they made quick work of Principia College in a 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-14) victory. The Royals hit .239 as a team and wracked up 58 digs en route to their sixth win of the season.
 
Carlee Hoppe capped off an exceptional tournament with a 14-kill performance Saturday afternoon. Hoppe alone hit .355, while her teammate Kristin Stern managed 10 kills and an attacking mark of .333. Hoppe, who was named to the 2014 All-Tournament Team, collected 47 kills over the two-day affair and hit over .350 for the tournament. Meanwhile, Stern recorded 37 kills and averaged a hitting mark of nearly .400. 
 
Katie Lubben had a combined 32 assists and eight digs throughout the three sets, while Kali Johnson and Kevin Janicek led the team in digs with 15 and 14, respectively. Tegan LaBerge and Kristi Lauwers were pivotal at the net, each totaling three blocks.
 
Looking Ahead
 
The Royals have a quick turnaround this week, as they travel to Superior, Wisconsin Tuesday evening for a tri that features both St. Scholastica and UW-Superior. Bethel will take on the Saints at 4 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. contest against the Yellow Jackets.