(Peru, Neb.) – While being close to nabbing wins in both matches played on Saturday, the Bobcat volleyball team eventually succumbed to two of the NAIA's top teams.
 
In their first match on Saturday in the Bellevue University Labor Day Invite, the 'Cats fell to the tourney hosts 25-22, 25-22, 25-22. The 20^th-ranked Bruins improved to 6-2 with the win.
 
Peru State took Ottawa (Kan.) to five sets before falling to the Braves in their second match of the day 21-25, 25-14, 25-12, 19-25, 15-8 to Ottawa, who was receiving votes in the NAIA's first poll, improved to 5-3.
 
The Bobcats are now 2-4 in the early part of their 2017 season.
   
First Set Action
 
After trailing 2-0, Alex Bowman (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) got Peru State on the board with a kill from Meg Grose (Peoria, Ariz.). The Bruins would extend their lead to 5-2 before Raechel Knowles (Nassau, Bahamas) put down a kill from Brook Rudebusch to stop the run. That kill started a fun of five straight giving Peru State a 7-5 lead.

 
The 'Cats would eventually lead 10-6 after an attack error by Bellevue which forced the Bruins to call a time out.
 
Peru State would increase their lead to 16-10 when Mallory Matthies (Omaha) and Nadja Janjevic (Podgorica, Montenegro). Bellevue would roar back with five points to pull within one at 16-15. The Bobcats would extend their lead with kills by Matthies, Bowman, and Kira Shapiro (Omaha) to go up 19-15.
 
Once again, Bellevue would storm back and took a 20-19 lead before a Bruin service error would tie the set at 20-20. Bellevue would then outscore the 'Cats 5-2 to take the first set.
 
Second Set Action
 
Again the Bobcats would take an early lead as they led 7-2 and later 11-6 after Janjevic put down a kill off an assist from Grose.
 
Peru State would maintain the lead until Bellevue eventually tied it at 17-17. A Bruin service error gave the lead back to the 'Cats, but it was short-lived as Bellevue scored the next two points to lead 19-18. Claire Cudney (Marysville, Kan.) would tie the game with a kill from Grose, but that would be the last time Peru State would be tied as the Bruins again won 25-22.
 
Third Set Action
 
The set was tight throughout with the 'Cats taking a 9-6 advantage after a double block by Janjevic and Shapiro. Bellevue would go on an 11-2 run to lead 17-11 before Peru State started to fight back.

 
Kills by Cudney and Bowman pulled the Bobcats within four only to see the Bruins go back up 19-13. Bellevue would extend their lead to 22-16, but the 'Cats did not quit.
 
A Shapiro kill was followed by a Grose service ace to make it 22-18. Then back-to-back attack errors by Bellevue allowed the Bobcats to pull within two at 22-20. Another Grose service ace got the 'Cats within one at 22-21, but a Bruin kill stopped the rally as they went on to win 25-22.

BELLEVUE BOX SCORE
 
Statistics
 
Shapiro and Bowman led the team with 11 and ten kills respectively. Shapiro hit .348 while Bowman finished with a .368 hitting percentage. Knowles added six kills with Cudney finishing with five.
 
Rudebusch led the team with 20 assists while Grose finished with 12.
 

Cristina Viera (Montevideo, Uruguay) led the team with a game-high four service aces while Grose added three – two of which came late in the third set.
 
Viera also had a game-high 21 digs while Taylor Hogan (Pueblo, Colo.) finished with six.
 
Janjevic and Shapiro had four and three block assists respectively.
   
First Set Action
 
Cudney started the set with a kill from Grose and then Peru State benefited by an attack error by the Braves to lead 2-0.
 
Peru State would eventually lead 10-7 after another Ottawa error and was able to maintain and extend the lead to 17-12 after Shapiro put down a kill from Rudebusch. The Braves would fight back to tie it at 18-18 before having back-to-back errors putting Peru State back up 20-18.
 
The 'Cats would hold onto the lead after that point and won 25-21 when Bowman and Sydney Stevelinck (Lyons, Colo.) put up a double block for the set win.
 
Second Set Action

 
After Shapiro put down a kill from Rudebusch to start the set, it was pretty much Ottawa the rest of the way.
 
The Bruins would extend their lead to ten at 21-11 before finishing off with a 25-14 win.
 
Third Set Action
 
The third set was similar to the second as Peru State started off with the first point, this time a kill by Cudney on an assist from Stevelinck. The 'Cats did stay closer early in the set as they trailed just 8-7 before Ottawa would go on a ten-point run to lead 18-7.
 
A kill by Cudney from Grose would stop the run, but the Braves would go on to win 25-12.
 
Fourth Set Action
 
The fourth set found Ottawa taking the early lead at 7-3 before the 'Cats called a timeout. A Brave service error started an eight-point run for Peru State which included a service ace by Grose and many attacking errors by Ottawa.
 
The Braves would fight back to pull within one at 11-10 before Viera got a back-row kill off an assist from Grose. Peru State would stretch its lead to 17-10 and later at 20-13.
 
A double-block by Janjevic and Hannah Sexton (Beatrice) would give Peru State its 25^th point in the 25-19 win.

 
Fifth Set Action
 
Cudney started the deciding set with a kill from Rudebusch only to see Ottawa score the next two points. Shapiro would tie it with a kill from Rudebusch, but that would be as close as Peru State would be the rest of the set.
 
Ottawa went on to take the final set 15-8.

OTTAWA BOX SCORE
 
Statistics
 
Neither team was particularly strong in hitting which may have been a result of earlier tough matches in the day. Ottawa did serve up 12 aces while the 'Cats finished with just four.
 
No Bobcat finished in double-digits in kills as they were led by Cudney and Shapiro who each finished with nine kills. Bowman added seven kills while Matthies finished with five.
 
Rudebusch and Grose led the team in setting with 17 and 11 assists respectively.

 
Grose had two service aces while Rudebusch and Alaya Roberts (Cibolo, Texas) each had one.
 
Viera had a match-high 35 digs while Roberts added 16.
 
Janjevic led the team with four block assists while Bowman and Shapiro were each credited with three. Grose and Rudebusch each had two block assists.
 
Upcoming Matches
 
Peru State will play their second Heart of America Athletic Conference match of the year on Tuesday when they host Mount Mercy (Iowa) at 6 p.m. in the Al Wheeler Activity Center. The Mustangs are presently 3-2 on the year having won their last two matches.
 
The Bobcats will then travel to Springfield, Mo., to participate in the Evangel University Tournament on Friday and Saturday. Peru State will open the tournament playing John Brown (Ark.) to start the tourney at 1 p.m. The Golden Eagles have started the season 6-0 – one of their better starts in several years. At 7 p.m. Peru State will take on Oklahoma Wesleyan. The Eagles are 2-3 on the season.
 
On Saturday, the Bobcats will take on teams they faced this weekend. They will play Bellevue at 10 a.m. and then will play Tabor at 2 p.m.