RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The Bethel University volleyball team opened tournament play Friday evening with a straight-set victory over Concordia University Wisconsin, defeating the Falcons 25-21, 25-22, 25-17 at Don Page Arena.
With the victory, the Royals improve to 4-2 overall, while Concordia Wisconsin falls to 3-2.
Bethel took the opening set 25-21 before holding off the Falcons for a 25-22 victory in the second. The Royals saved their strongest offensive performance for the final frame, hitting .258 with 12 kills and just four errors to close out the sweep with a 25-17 third-set victory.
The Royals finished the match with 38 kills while hitting .198 as a team, compared to 37 kills and a .117 hitting percentage for the Falcons. Bethel also held advantages in assists (37-29), digs (53-49), service aces (7-3) and blocks (5-4).
Peyton Howie and Sara Scherber paced the Bethel attack with 10 kills apiece. Howie committed just one attacking error on 24 attempts to hit a team-best .375, while Scherber finished at .261. Grace Bathurst followed closely with nine kills while hitting .238.
Ellie Van Namen dished out a team-high 17 assists, while Sophia Rubio added 13 assists and provided a spark from the service line with a match-high four aces.
Defensively, Hannah Penke led the Royals with 19 digs, while Grace Therrien added 17. At the net, Chiara Houser led Bethel with three blocks, while Howie and Cosette Carto each added two.
Bethel improved its hitting percentage in each set, going from .125 in the opener to .222 in the second before finishing at .258 in the third to secure the sweep.
Up Next: The Royals return to action Saturday with a pair of matches. Bethel takes on Lake Forest College at 3 p.m. before closing out the day against host UW-River Falls at 5 p.m.
