GRINNELL, Iowa - The Bethany Lutheran volleyball team completed their first weekend of play on Saturday afternoon and split a pair of matches. With the results the Vikings move to 3-1 overall on the year. 

Bethany Lutheran 3 - 0 Buena Vista (26-24, 25-23, 25-15)

The Vikings would be the team to gain the upper hand early in the first, as they would get out to a 9-6 lead. After BVU would score the next seven points to gain a four point lead, Bethany would answer by scoring eight of the next 12 to even things up at 17. After things would push to 21 apiece, the Beavers would score the next three to send things to set point. The Vikings would get a kill though before riding the service of Avery Carlson to score the last five and take the set 26-24. 

Buena Vista would get out of the gates strong in game two, going up 7-3 early before eventually extending their lead to 11-7. Bethany would then score 12 of the next 16 points thanks in part to a pair of kills each from Abby Maloney and Maddie Meyer to take a 19-15 lead. BVU would even things at 19, but three errors down the stretch from Buena Vista as well as three BLC kills would win them the set 25-23. 

The early part of the third was all Bethany as they would go up 10-5 to open things up. After the Beavers evened things at 12, the Vikings would roll by scoring 13 of the last 16 points to take the set 25-15. 

Meyer starred in the first match, notching 10 kills and no errors on just 13 attacks for a hitting percentage of .769. Abby Distad had 22 set assists in the match while three players had double digit digs with Kylie Smidt leading with 14. 

Grinnell 3 - 0 Bethany Lutheran (25-14, 25-15, 25-17)

The two teams in match two of the day would play even to a 9-9 score to kick things off. From that point forward though it was all Grinnell as they would roll to a 25-14 set win. 

Bethany would fall behind early in set two, trailing 17-9 before the service of Smidt would help them cut the deficit to 18-15. Grinnell though would rally late, scoring seven straight points to claim set two 25-15. 

The Pioneers would keep their momentum into the third climbing to a 12-7 lead to begin the frame. Grinnell would continue to extend their lead, eventually claiming a 23-13 advantage before the Vikings would score four of five late to bring things to 24-17. A kill from GC though would end the set at 25-17 and the match 3-0. 

Lilly Mehrkens led Bethany in set two with six kills while Maddie Diveley added four. Distad posted 14 assists in match two while Carlson anchored the defense with 11 digs. 

The Vikings will next be in action on Wednesday when they host Augsburg at 7 p.m. for their home opener.