(Peru, Neb.) – The Peru State Bobcat volleyball team won their first three games in the Bellevue University Premier Classic, but fell to the tourney hosts in the last game of the tournament. 
 
Peru State won games over Harris-Stowe University and College of St. Mary on Friday and then won their opening game over Waldorf College on Saturday.  In their last game on Saturday, the Bobcats fell to Bellevue.
 
After going 3-1 in the Classic, the Bobcats are now 15-11 on the season.
 
Harris-Stowe Game Notes and Statistics
 
The first set against Harris-Stowe was close early on as the teams were tied at 10-10 before Peru State went on a 6-0 run which included two kills by Lea Boras (Marsarska, Croatia) on assists from Courtney Jurek (Bellevue).  After Harris-Stowe stopped that run, Boras connected with Jurek again to make it 17-11.  Two attack errors by Harris-Stowe was followed by another Boras-Jurek connect and the 'Cats led 20-11.  Peru State went on to win 25-15 as Jurek fed Nicole Soifua (West Point, Utah) for a kill to end the first set.
 
The Bobcats jumped to an early 5-0 lead in the second set as Rachael West (El Dorado, Kan.) had a kill followed by two kills by Bre Brandt (Papillion) – with assists from Jurek.  The closest Harris-Stowe would come in the set was at 6-3, but the 'Cats pulled away for a 25-9 second set win as Jurek assisted Brandt for the final kill.
 
A 5-0 run started the third set for Peru State, but Harris-Stowe closed it to 6-4 before the Bobcats moved out to a 10-5 lead and again never look back on their way to a 25-16 win to capture the game.  Carrie Lierz (Holton, Kan.) finished the set and game with a kill on an assist from Meg Grose (Peoria, Ariz.).
Brandt finished with 13 kills and hit .312 to led Peru State.  Lierz, playing in only two sets, added 12 kills and hit .450.  Boras had five kills in eight swings and hit .500.
 
Jurek and Grose led the team in assists with 23 and 14 respectively.
 
Hope Harsh (Cassoday, Kan.) had two service aces with Brandt and Rian Kirby (Gretna) each adding one.
 
Mallory Hull (Morse Bluff) led the 'Cats wit 16 digs while Brandt finished with seven.  Harsh and Jordyn Lukasiewicz (Farwell) each had six with Shannon Liewer finishing with five.
 
Jennifer Ostrowski (Kankakee, Ill.) had three block assists with Boras, Brandt, and West each having one block assist.

HARRIS-STOWE BOX SCORE
 
College of St. Mary Game Notes and Statistics
 
The Flames took the first set as they jumped out to a 7-1 lead and never trailed.  Peru State got within three at 17-14 on a CSM hitting error and then was within two at 19-17 on a kill by Kirby on an assist from Jurek.  Brandt provided a kill later to make it Flames 23-22, but a CSM kill and a Bobcat error gave the Flames the first set 25-22.
 
The second set was close through the first 22 rallies as it was knotted at 11-11 before the 'Cats reeled off four straight points which was fueled by two service aces by Jurek.   The Bobcats finished the second set with a 10-5 run with Kirby serving an ace to make it 25-16.
 
Peru State had a 10-5 lead in the third set only to see the Flames score eight straight points to lead 13-10.  A kill by Boras stopped that run and the Bobcats eventually knotted it at 13-13.  The score was again tied at 16-16 before consecutive kills by Brandt on assists from Jurek put Peru State ahead for the rest of the set.  A kill by Kirby on an assist by Jurek finished off the third set with the 'Cats winning 25-19.
 
The Bobcats never trailed in the fourth set after jumping to a 3-0 lead.  The closest the Flames would be in the set was at 4-3, but a Brandt kill started an 11-3 run for Peru State.  The 'Cats finished winning the fourth set 25-12 as Ostrowski had the final kill of the game on an assist from Jurek.
Brandt was the workhorse in the game for Peru State as she was able to hit over the shorter block put up by CSM.  Brandt finished with 26 kills on 64 swings and only had four errors while hitting .344.  The 26 kills were a career high for Brandt.
 
Kirby added 13 kills while Boras had 11 and hit .320.  Soifua added six kills.
 
Jurek ran an efficient offense and had 50 assists – a career high for most assists in a game and this was done in four sets.  Jurek had 47 in a five-set game last year. 
 
Brandt and Jurek each had two service aces while Ostrowski and Kirby each added one.
 
Five Bobcats finished with double-digit digs and were led by Hull and Liewer who each had 16 digs. Jurek finished the game with a double-double as she added 14 digs.  Harsh dug 13 balls while Kirby also finished with a double-double as she had ten digs to go along with her 13 kills.
 
Boras was credited with a solo block and one block assist.  Soifua had three block assists and Kirby added two.

COLLEGE OF ST. MARY BOX SCORE
 
Waldorf Game Notes and Statistics
 
The first set with Waldorf was a wild one as it was tied at 8-8 before the Bobcats went on a 7-2 run to take a 15-10 advantage.  The Warriors fought back to tie it at 19-19 and then took a 21-19 lead before they were whistled for a ball handling error.  Peru State regained the lead and did lead 24-22 before the Warriors came back to tie it at 24-24.  It was tied again at 25 and then at 26 before an attack error by the Warriors made it 27-26 Peru State and then a Kirby kill, on an assist from Grose, gave Peru State a 28-26 set win.
 
After being tied at 3-3 in the second set, the 'Cats went on a 16-4 run to lead 19-7 and never looked back.  Four consecutive Waldorf attack errors ended the second set with Peru State winning 25-9.
 
The Bobcats never trailed in the third set as the closest Waldorf came was at 4-2.  A kill by Soifua on an assist from Jurek gave Peru State the sweep as they took the third set 25-12.
Brandt led the Bobcats with 12 kills and hit .300.  West added six and hit .250.  Grose led the team in setting with 16 assists while Jurek added eight. 
 
Ostrowski had three service aces with Grose adding one.
 
Liewer finished the game with nine digs and Hull added eight.  Grose and Jurek had six and five digs respectively. 
 
Peru State finished with no solo blocks but had 26 block assists.  Soifua was credited with a game-high ten with Brandt adding four.  Boras, West, and Kirby each had three block assists with Liewer, Ostrowski, and Lindsey Nelson (Granite Bay, Calif.) adding one each.

WALDORF BOX SCORE
 
Bellevue Game Notes and Statistics
 
All three sets were close throughout as the first set found the teams tied at 13-13, 14-14, and 15-15 before the Bruins scored three straight points, making it 18-15.  A kill by Lierz on an assist from Jurek brought the Bobcats back within two at 18-16.  Peru State did get within one at 19-18 after a Bruin attack error.  But, Bellevue went on a 6-3 run to capture the first set 25-21.
 
The second set was very similar to the first with the scores tied several times early in the set.  The Bobcats did have an 11-9 lead and still led 12-11 before Bellevue went on to win 25-22.
 
It was the same verse for the third set as it was close throughout.  The Bobcats were within two late at 21-19, but the Bruins finished on a 5-1 run to win 25-20.
Brandt again led Peru State with a game-high 12 kills.  Boras add seven kills while hitting .333.
 
Jurek finished with 21 assists.
 
Jurek also added two service aces with Grose finishing with one.
 
Hull led Peru State with eight digs while Liewer added seven.
 
Boras, Soifua, and Ostrowski each were credited with three block assists while Jurek, Brandt, and Lierz each had one block assist.

BELLEVUE BOX SCORE
 
Upcoming Games
 
The Bobcats will be back in action on Tuesday night when they will be looking for their first Heart of America Athletic Conference win when they host Avila University.  Game time with the Eagles, who are 3-16 overall and 0-4 in conference play, is 7 p.m.
 
Then, in a scheduling change, Peru State will look to avenge an earlier loss in the season as they travel to Lawrence, Kan., to face the Haskell Indian Nations University at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10.  The Indians beat the 'Cats in the Peru State Invite and are now 8-11 overall.
 
The other schedule change moved the game with Central Methodist University to Sunday, Oct. 12, at 2 p.m. in the Al Wheeler Activity Center.  The Eagles will play a pair of games before coming to Peru State and are currently 7-13 overall and 1-3 in conference action.