November 14, 2025

Photo credit by Sony Tapia - Helena IR

HELENA, Mont. - In a back-and-forth Frontier Conference semifinal showdown Friday evening, No. 2 seed Bellevue (Neb.) punched its ticket to the championship match with a gritty 3–2 victory over No. 3 seed MSU-Northern, winning by scores of 25–23, 23–25, 25–18, 19–25, 15–12.

With the win coupled with No. 1 seed Providence's (Mont.) victory earlier Friday evening gave the Bruins the second league's automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round.

The match featured long rallies, big defensive numbers, and standout performances on both sides as the teams battled for nearly two and a half hours.

Set 1 – Bellevue survives late MSU-Northern surge (25–23)

Bellevue built an early 7–1 lead behind a string of MSU-Northern attack errors and a pair of blocks from Eve Fountain and Chloe Cloud. The Skylights clawed back, fueled by Josie Hasler and Lexi Jones, eventually tying the set at 22–22. But Bellevue steadied late—kills from Chloe Cloud and Kealy Kiviniemi, followed by a Hasler error, sealed the opening frame.

Set 2 – MSU-Northern answers (25–23)

The Skylights’ offense came alive, led by Macee Selman and Hasler, who consistently found the floor in transition. MSUN gained separation at 17–13 and held off a late Bellevue charge. A Bellevue attack error on set point evened the match at 1–1.

Set 3 – Bellevue dominates from the service line (25–18)

Bellevue responded with its cleanest set of the night. Kamryn Scheib, Eve Fountain, and Kiviniemi powered an efficient attack while MSUN struggled to terminate consistently. A service ace from Zoie Roghair pushed the Bruins’ lead to 24–14 before they closed out the set, reclaiming the match advantage 2–1.

Set 4 – MSU-Northern forces a fifth (25–19)

Selman took over in the fourth, stacking up kills while the Skylight block—led by Kadence Wiggins, Hasler, and Jones—slowed Bellevue’s hitters. MSUN used a 9–3 run mid-set to create separation. Despite a late Bellevue push, the Skylights controlled the final points and extended the match to a decisive fifth set.

Set 5 – Bellevue finishes strong (15–12)

The final race to 15 was an intense exchange of momentum. MSUN grabbed the early edge, but Bellevue countered with key kills from Kiviniemi, Scheib, and Fountain. A late MSU-Northern ball-handling error followed by a decisive Bellevue sideout allowed the Bruins to pull away. A final kill sealed the victory, sending Bellevue onward.

Match Leaders:

Bellevue

Kealy Kiviniemi – 14 kills (.275), 2 blocks

Eve Fountain – 13 kills, 18 digs, 2 blocks

Kamryn Scheib – 8 kills, 3 blocks

Chloe Cloud – 5 kills, 3 blocks

Setters:

Mila Aiwohi – 27 assists

Jada Nunn and Victoria Runyan combined for 22 more

Bellevue out-blocked MSUN 10.0 to 9.0 and totaled 74 digs.

MSU-Northern

Macee Selman – 17 kills, 22 assists, 11 digs, 2 blocks

Lexi Jones – 13 kills on just 19 swings (.526), 3 blocks

Macy Uffelman – 11 kills

Josie Hasler – 9 kills, 9 digs, 2 blocks

Emily Bird – 33 assists, 18 digs

Baily Egan – Match-high 28 digs

The Skylights posted 83 digs and hit .186 overall.

Bellevue (26-3) overall record won their 16th straight game and will play the Argos in the Frontier Conference's Championship match Saturday evening at 7 p.m. (Mountain Time).

MSU-Northern (18-12 overall record) will wait to hear from the NAIA national office if they will receive an at-large invitation to the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Tournament Opening Round, which is set for Nov. 22.