NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Bethel University volleyball team opened MIAC play in dominant fashion Wednesday night, earning a straight-set road victory over St. Olaf College inside Skoglund Athletic Center.
The Royals took the match 25-18, 25-19, 25-19 to improve to 14-4 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
Bethel set the tone offensively in the opening frame, putting down 16 kills with just two errors and hitting .286 as a team. The Royals held St. Olaf to a .160 clip on their way to a 25-18 victory.
The Bethel defense took over in the second. The Royals limited the Oles to nine kills and a .047 hitting percentage while pulling away for a 25-19 win and a 2-0 advantage in the match.
Bethel saved its strongest offensive performance for the third set. The Royals recorded 19 kills with just three errors, hitting .327 to close out the sweep with another 25-19 victory.
Sara Scherber led a balanced Bethel attack with 12 kills, while Peyton Howie and Hannah Penke each added 11. The Royals finished with 50 kills and hit .237 as a team while holding St. Olaf to 37 kills and a .149 hitting percentage.
Howie also made an impact from the service line with three aces, while Penke added two. Chiara Houser led the Royals at the net with four blocks.
Bethel's back row turned in another strong performance, with three Royals recording at least 17 digs. Grace Therrien led the way with 22, Penke added 19 and Mattie Petersen finished with 17 as Bethel held an 83-77 advantage in digs.
Ellie Van Namen dished out 25 assists, while Sophia Rubio added 18 as the Royals totaled 49 assists on their 50 kills.
The victory extends Bethel's winning streak to four matches and moves the Royals to 14-4 overall and 1-0 in MIAC play.
MIAC play continues Saturday at 5 p.m. in Duluth.
