Jimmie Women’ Volleyball Sweeps Bellevue Thurs.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa  (UJ)  — For the third consecutive season, the top-ranked University of Jamestown volleyball team advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Tournament. The Jimmies defeated No. 11 Bellevue (Neb.) University Thursday night 25-23, 25-15, 27-25.

Jamestown (35-0) will face No. 4 Park (Mo.) University (33-2), which defeated No. 5 Providence (Mont.) 3-1 in the semifinals Friday at 5 p.m

Six players had at least six kills for the Jimmies, led by Anna Holen (SR/LaMoure, N.D.) with eight. Corina Huff (SR/Pequot Lakes, Minn.), Taylor Sabinash (SR/Kensal, N.D.), Aleah Zieske (FR/Spicer, Minn.), and Kalli Hegerle (SR/West Fargo, N.D.) all had seven, and Jayla Ritter (SR/Forest Lake, Minn.) had six.

Ellie Holen (SO/LaMoure, N.D.) had 23 digs and Anna Holen finished with 21. Jackie Meiklejohn (SR/Dickey, N.D.) passed out 20 assists and added eight digs while Megan Gaffaney (SR/Jamestown, N.D.) added 16 assists and eight digs. Ritter had six total blocks and Hegerle five.

Bellevue took a 6-4 lead in the first set, then Jamestown won four straight to go ahead 8-6. After a service error brought the Bruins within 8-7, the Jimmies reeled off eight straight for a commanding 16-7 lead. The Bruins used both of their timeouts during the run and UJ was in control.

Out of the second timeout, Bellevue won 10 of the next 15 to get within 21-17. Back-to-back Jimmie points made it 23-17, then the Bruins trimmed the lead in half with a three-point run. Leading 24-23, Jamestown called timeout, and on the next play, Anna Holen came through with a kill to win the set for UJ.

Six attack errors by Bellevue helped Jamestown to an 8-2 lead in set two. Ritter and Hegerle kills pushed the lead to 10-3 and the Bruins called time. A Sierra Athen kill brought Bellevue within 14-8, but a 5-1 Jimmie run made it 19-9. Jamestown closed out the set with kills by Zieske, Huff, and Ritter for a 2-0 match lead.

A 7-2 Bruin run put Jamestown behind 9-7 in set three, but the Jimmies responded with the next four points, capped off by a Bellevue attack error.

Jamestown’s largest lead of the set came at 15-12, but the Bruins continued to hang around, using a 5-1 run to go in front 17-16. The teams traded points up to 20-20, and after a Bellevue timeout, the Bruins went back in front 21-20.

The Bruins’ final timeout came with Jamestown ahead 23-22, and the Jimmies saw Bellevue tie the set yet again. With the score tied 25-25, Zieske smashed a ball to the floor for the go-ahead point, then Huff and Sabinash combined for a block to end the match.