Benedictine University Mesa closed out play at the Bellevue Tournament over the weekend, facing a challenging slate that included Valley City State, Dordt University, and Benedictine College (Kan.). The Redhawks showed flashes of strong play throughout the event, winning two sets against nationally recognized competition while gaining valuable early-season experience.
Benedictine opened tournament action against Valley City State in a tightly contested four-set match. The Vikings claimed the opening set 25-23 before the Redhawks answered with a dominant 25-15 win in the second. Behind strong performances from Sophie Drollinger, Kylie Malone, Camille Collins, Janae Moore, and Marley Cortez, BENU built an early 5-0 lead and used a decisive 10-1 run to even the match. Valley City State responded by taking the final two sets, 25-21 and 25-21, despite late Redhawk rallies in both frames.
On Saturday, the Redhawks faced one of the top teams in the NAIA in Dordt. Benedictine came out aggressively and stunned the Defenders in the opening set, racing to a 25-18 victory behind a balanced attack from Drollinger, Malone, Collins, BellaRose Branconier, and Cortez. Adina Ortiz, Haley Azzoz, and Taylee Wilson also provided a spark from the service line as BENU built a 10-point advantage midway through the set. Dordt settled in after the opening frame and used its depth and offensive efficiency to take the next three sets, 25-11, 25-19, and 25-16. The Redhawks remained competitive throughout the match, trimming a third-set deficit to 18-17 and mounting a late push in the fourth before the Defenders secured the win.
The tournament concluded with a matchup against Benedictine College (Kan.), where the Ravens earned a straight-set victory over the Redhawks. Benedictine (Kan.) controlled play from the outset, winning by scores of 25-13, 25-15, and 25-16. Drollinger, Malone, Cortez, Collins, and Moore each contributed offensively for BENU, but the Ravens' serving pressure and balanced attack proved difficult to overcome.
Throughout the tournament, Drollinger was a consistent offensive leader for the Redhawks, while Malone, Collins, Moore, Branconier, and Cortez all recorded key points at the net. Wilson and Dominxie Celaya shared setting duties, guiding the offense against some of the toughest competition on the schedule. Azzoz also provided an important spark with several service aces and strong momentum-changing runs.
