From OCU Sports
Rich Tortorelli, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Oklahoma City University secured its first NAIA volleyball championships win 25-15, 25-18, 19-25, 25-20 over Bellevue (Neb.) on Tuesday night at the Tyson Events Center.
Mariana Bjelobrk, a freshman from Belgrade, Serbia, topped OCU with 12 kills. The 12th-ranked Stars (31-3) moved to 1-0 in pool play. The Stars face Mobile (Ala.) at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Oklahoma City went 0-3 in its previous NAIA Championships appearance in 2010. With the win over 22nd-ranked Bellevue, the Stars improved to 2-3 against ranked opponents this year. OCU played its first match since winning the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament 17 days ago.
Bjelobrk added eight digs and four blocks. Manon Soraru, a junior from Mulhouse, France, provided the Stars with 10 kills, nine blocks and two aces, while Shekinah Clarke, a sophomore from Waianae, Hawaii, posted 10 kills, 17 digs, three blocks and two aces.
OCU’s Sanja Vojnovic, a junior from Bjeljena, Bosnia, piled up 42 assists, five digs, three blocks and three aces, and Dani Chase, a junior from Yukon, Okla., totaled 15 digs. Holly Randall, a junior from Edmond, Okla., numbered nine kills and three blocks, while Fia Faa’agi, a sophomore from Murrieta, Calif., recorded eight kills and two blocks. Stefani Nell, a junior from Tulsa, Okla., had nine digs.
Bjelobrk and Soraru hammered back-to-back kills in the fourth set to clinch the victory for OCU.