BEMIDJI, Minn. - The Bemidji State University volleyball team fell into sixth place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference standings after a 3-0 (30-28, 30-18, 30-22) loss to the University of Minnesota-Crookston Tuesday night at the Bemidji High School Gymnasium. BSU's Heather Haugen (Lanesboro, Minn.) led the team with a match-high 16 kills and 10 digs for her first double-double of the 2004 campaign, but it was not enough as UMC outhit the Beavers .205 to .141 to earn the sweep.
The double-double may be the first of the Haugen's senior campaign but she is no stranger to the statistical milestone. In her previous three seasons at BSU, she accumulated 10 double-doubles making Tuesday's feat the 11th of her career. Her kill total of 16 is just two shy of her season-best, marking just the fourth time the senior has eclipsed the 10-kill plateau in 2004. The increased offensive output for Haugen comes in the first match after head coach Kim Falkenhagen moved Haugen to the outside hitting position to maximize the talents of the senior.
Haugen was key to the Beavers' effort in game one. She contributed eight kills, a service ace and a block as BSU pushed the Golden Eagles to the final point of the game. Bemidji State posted one of its better offensive attacks in recent weeks in game one posting a .217 hitting percentage (21k-11e-46att), but UMC would take advantage of BSU errors to edge the Beavers out 30-28 in game one.
Game two would be neck-and-neck as the teams traded points until BSU called a time out with the score knotted at 14-14. UMC came out of the break to rattle off seven of the next eight points to go up 21-15 and force BSU to take its second time out. The Beavers could not muster any offensive push as UMC took 10 of the next 13 points and capped the game off with a pair of service aces from Liza Winkler (30-18).
The third game of the match was a game of streaks to say the least. After BSU jumped out to an early 5-3 lead, capitalizing on three UMC errors, the Golden Eagles strung together nine consecutive points and 20 of the next 23 to take a commanding 23-8 lead. But the Beavers would respond. Compiling kills from five different Bemidji State players, the Beavers rolled off 14 of the next 18 points to come within five of UMC (27-22). But it was the Golden Eagles' 2003 All-NSIC performer Joan Ebnet that stole any hope the Beavers' held of a comeback denting the hardwood with three of her 16 kills to close the game (30-22) and finish the sweep (3-0).
Bemidji State's defensive floor play was solid Tuesday as four Beavers totaled more than 10 digs including a 18-dig performance by senior defensive specialist Kristin Engman (Virginia, Minn.). Kristin Smith (Rockford, Ill.) ran the BSU offense from the setter position recording 35 assists along with 13 digs for her team-high fourth double-double of the season and the 27th of her career. Junior Christa Anderson (Siren, Wis.) made the most of her playing time Tuesday blocking a team-high four UMC attempts (2 BS, 2 BA) while freshman middle blocker Brittney Carlson (New Prague, Minn.) tallied three block assists and led the team with .583 hitting percentage (8k-1e-12att).
UMC was led by Ebnet who collected 16 kills on 33 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .273. She also dug a match-high 20 BSU attacks while collecting two blocks and a service ace. Setter Jamie Wolff recorded 39 assists.
The loss drops BSU to 6-14 on the season and 2-6 in NSIC play. It also extends their current losing streak to six matches. The Beavers will look to right the ship this weekend when they travel to Missouri to face a pair of non-conference foes in Missouri Southern and Southwest Baptist. BSU will face MSU Friday at 7:00 p.m. and turn around to play SBU the next morning at 10:00 a.m.
