Bourbonnais, Ill.—The Bethel Pilots (2-0) kicked off the 2025 season in McHie Arena with a pair of sweeps against the Ave Maria Gyrenes (0-4) and tournament host Olivet Nazarene (0-4).
Saturday also marked Junior Jess Hand’s debut as a Pilot, who led the team in service aces (five).
Jess Hand shared, “We would not have been able to sweep without everyone working together. I am excited to be part of Bethel volleyball.”
Senior Ainsley Tacke led the Pilots in total kills (22), with 14 against Ave Maria and eight against the ONU Tigers.
Junior Haley Biedenbach recorded an impressive 31 assists against Ave Maria, 21 more than in the Pilots’ 2024 home opener against the University of Rio Grande.
The battle for points began in game one, when the Gyrenes boasted a four-point lead (6-2) against the Pilots.
Bethel recorded four consecutive earned points, ending with a kill by Liberty Pierson to tie the score (6-6). Pierson also sent the Pilots into set two by terminating an assist from Biedenbach (25-12).
Throughout the second and final sets of game one, the Pilots held the Gyrenes to a mere sixteen earned points for a 3-0 victory.
Taylor Delp put the Pilots on the board in game two against the ONU Tigers (1-0). The Tigers proved their resilience mid-set, coming back from a six-point deficit to retie the score 18-18.
Liberty Pierson showcased her consistency from the front line, scoring a kill off of Paige Franz to wrap up set one 25-21.
In the second set, Taylor Delp shifted the momentum for the Pilots as the Tigers put the pressure on. After a Bethel timeout was called, Delp stuff-blocked two plays to tie the score 22-22.
Jess Hand then brought the heat from the service line, acing the Tigers for a 25-22 Bethel win.
In the final set, freshman Sophia Beeson showcased three consecutive kills to yield a seven-point Bethel lead (23-16).
Haley Biedenbach put the weekend in the books with a service ace to end the final set 25-17.
Head Coach Erica Dregits shared “It felt great to compete today and see the things we’ve been working on during preseason. Our team came together and each individual contributed to our success today!”
The Bethel Pilots will next face the IUSB Titans at 6:00 p.m. at the Student Activities Center.