SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The University of Providence scored an upset victory Friday to reach the doorstep of the quarterfinal round of the NAIA national volleyball tournament but later fell short in a one-set tiebreaker at the Tyson Events Center.
The No. 12 Argos swept No. 5 Bellevue (Neb.) 25-22, 25-23, 25-19 earlier in the day to force a three-way tie in Pool E, but the Bruins came back through and later beat the Argos 25-11 in a one-set playoff to win the pool and advance to the quarterfinals.
The Bruins defeated Marian (Ind.) in a one-setter earlier Friday prior to knocking off Providence.
In the sweep of Bellevue, Providence was led by Martyna Fiedler and Cabry Taylor, who had 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Setter and Frontier Conference player of the year Bella Thompson finished with 33 assists and 11 digs.
UP's Ava Saiers had 24 digs to lead all players. Bella Green added nine kills while Sadie Lott had 11 digs.
Bellevue's Eve Fountain had seven kills and two blocks in the tiebreaker set vs. Providence. Fountain produced three early kills and was part of two blocks as the Bruins built an early 10-5 advantage.
The Argos got it within a point at 11-10 following a 4-0 run, but Bellevue countered with 12 straight points, and ended on a 14-1 run.
UP lost to Marian in four sets on Thursday to begin pool play. Providence finished the season with a 27-8 record. The Argos were the Frontier Conference regular season and postseason-tournament champions.
