The Bethel Royals opened their 2025–26 women's volleyball season on Friday night with a road matchup at the University of Northwestern (MN). Despite some solid stretches of play, the Royals came up short in the opener — but there were plenty of bright spots to build on.

Peyton Howie and Sara Scherber led the attack with 8 kills apiece, while Eleanor Pelzel chipped in 6. Setter Sophia Rubio dished out an impressive 33 assists, keeping the offense in rhythm throughout the night.

On defense, Grace Therrien anchored the back row with a team-high 17 digs, supported by Hannah Penke (11) and Olivia Johnson (10). Up at the net, Chiara Houser led the block party with 3 total blocks, while Howie and Scherber each added 2.

Serving-wise, Johnson and Rubio each tallied an ace in the match.

While the result wasn't what they were hoping for, the Royals showed grit and flashes of chemistry — a strong starting point for a young season.

Next up: Bethel returns to the court today at 1 p.m. to face UW–River Falls, once again at Northwestern.