LIBERTY, Mo.—The Bellarmine University volleyball team opened its 2015 Great Lakes Valley Conference campaign with a straight sets victory (25-20, 25-14, 25-20) tonight over the host William Jewell Cardinals.  
 
The Knights, who improved to 6-3 overall with the win, held the Cardinals to a negative hitting percentage on the night (-.009) and "out-killed" the hosts 30-25.  Defensively, Jordyn Kuchenbrod came up with 20 digs, and Megan Kimbley chipped in with 10.

Offensively, Bellarmine had its own hitting troubles, swinging at just a .182 clip collectively. However, Ashley Jefferson, Margaret Horihan and Hayden Dailey combined to record 20 kills while committing just four attack errors.

Bellarmine stormed out of the gates, jumping to a 7-2 lead in the opening set.  However, the host Cardinals rallied to take a lead and enjoyed a four-point cushion at 19-15.  The young Bellarmine team was up to the challenge, and scored 10 of the next 11 points for the 25-20 set one victory.

Again the in the second set, the Knights opened an early 7-2 lead.  And even though WJC scored three straight times to trim the lead to just two, this time Bellarmine fought off the comeback and cruised to a comfortable 11-point win.

The Cardinals (4-6, 0-1) were able to keep pace with the Knights a little more closely in the decisive third set, but after WJC got within one at 16-15, Bellarmine managed to claim five of the next six points and hold on for the 25-20 win.

The Knights now make the very short trip to Kansas City to face the 13^th-ranked Rockhurst Hawks, who were easy winners over Southern Indiana tonight.  Following the BU-RU match, the Knights will stick around to face non-conference foe Southwest Baptist University at Rockhurst.

BOX SCORE (HTM)