STORM LAKE (Nov. 7, 2024) - The Buena Vista University volleyball team hosted Central College on Thursday in its final match of the season, and after taking the opening set from the Dutch, the Beavers would come up just short in each of the next three, as Central picked up a 3-1 victory inside of Siebens Fieldhouse.

Fifth-year senior Rachel Brockney took the floor for the final time in her stellar BVU career and needed only 16 kills to reach 1,000 in her career. After a bit of slow start which saw her sitting with only five through the first two sets combined, she caught fire over the next two but came up just two short while leading the way with a match-high 14. She added 15 digs for her eighth double-double of the year and ended her career with 886 digs.

Sophomore Sydney Meints followed Brockney with eight kills and added five digs while Reese Nieuwenhuis chipped in with six kills and five digs. Junior Mallory Ignaszewski will also graduate early and was also playing in her final collegiate match, matched Brockney with 15 digs to go along with seven assists. Sophomore Jadyn Rausch dished out 28 assists to go along with her 10 digs as she notched her 12th double-double. Sophomore Madison Thomas led the way for BVU with 16 digs which were two shy of matching her career-high.

The opening set was back-and-forth early on with Central clinging to an 8-7 lead before the Beavers rolled off seven straight points to take control and build a 15-7 cushion with the aid of four attack errors from the Dutch. Central tried to keep things close by clawing back within 21-17 but the Dutch had a serving error and three straight attack errors which gave BVU the opening set 25-17.

Central jumped out to a 9-0 lead to begin the second set and never looked back. BVU slowly began to chip away at that lead to get as close as 12-7 but was unable to make it any tighter. The Dutch maintained the lead from there and evened the match with a 25-17 triumph.

BVU was in front 6-3 in the third but Central later used an 8-2 surge to take a 12-9 lead. The Beavers kept things close at 13-12 before the Dutch ran off five straight to cease control en route to a 25-15 win. Central scored five of the first six points to begin the fourth set as BVU tried to force another fifth set match. The Beavers kept things close at 9-7 and again at 12-11, but a service error by BVU sparked an 8-1 run for the Dutch as they went on to win 25-17.

Kaitlyn Koel led Central (20-8, 5-3 A-R-C) in the match with 11 kills with Leslie Snow adding 10. 

Buena Vista finishes the year at 5-20 overall (0-8 A-R-C).