Box Score MANKATO, Minn. (Sept. 17, 2025) - The Buena Vista volleyball team nearly came back and forced a decisive fifth set on Wednesday night at Bethany Lutheran but the rally came up just short as the Vikings held on to win the fourth set, 25-22 and close out the match, 3-1.

The two teams met up on the court for the second time in 10 days and it was a battle in the opening set. Neither team was really able to mount a lead until late when the Vikings extended their 16-15 advantage up to 19-15 after back-to-back kills and a serving ace. BVU stopped the run with a kill by freshman Charley Hernandez but BLC used another 3-0 surge for a 22-16 lead en route to a 25-17 victory.

BVU, which was swept in three sets in the first meeting back on Sept. 6 during the Sugar Loaf Classic, had an answer in the second set. It jumped out to an early 5-2 cushion before a run by the Vikings put them back in front 7-6. BVU rattled off four straight only to see the Vikings come right back with three straight to tie the score at 10-10. It was back-and-forth the rest of the set with neither team going up by more than two points until a kill from sophomore setter Merced Ramirez made it 23-20 in favor of BVU en route to a 25-21 victory.

Bethany Lutheran (6-5) went on to add a match-high 18 kills during the third set in which they rolled to a 25-14 win to take a 2-1 lead. BVU did all it could to push the match to a fifth set as it was tied with the Vikings at 17-17. Then after BLC went in front 23-19, the Beavers made it interesting down the stretch by rolling off three straight points to get within 23-22 but the Vikings managed to score the final two points for the three-point win.

Hernandez led BVU with her fifth double-double of the year which included a team-leading 13 kills and 15 digs. She had only four attack errors in the match for a .250 percentage which gave her the fifth match this season of hitting at least .250. Freshman Keylee Gregg just missed out on a double-double by turning in eight kills and nine digs while Sydney Meints chipped in with seven kills.

Merced dished out 30 assists and had nine digs, Hope Vanderlinden added four total blocks and Ashlynne Havermann also added nine digs.

Buena Vista is now 5-8 on the year and has one week off before returning home to Siebens Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Sept. 24, to host Simpson College in the American Rivers Conference opener starting at 6 p.m.