BEMIDJI, Minn. -- [box score] The Wayne State College volleyball team outlasted Bemidji State Friday night at the BSU Gymnasium, evening the Beavers NSIC record at 2-2 with a 3-0 (31-29, 30-22, 30-19) loss.

The Beavers battled back in each of the first two games to come within striking distance late, but Wayne State proved itself too tough and took games one and two forcing the sweep to move to a perfect 4-0 in league play and 12-2 overall.

The Wildcats woke up BSU early, opening the match by scoring seven of the first eight points (7-1).

BSU would answer by rattling off eight of the next 11 points to close the score to 10-9 on the first of a team-high kills from freshman Brie Groskreutz (OH, Reedsburg, Wis.).

Wayne State sprung back into the lead using a four-point string and a streak of seven of eight to take a 23-15 advantage before BSU setter Alicia Beaman (Jr., St. Paul Park, Minn.) carried the team on her jump-serve. The junior served for six consecutive points to spark a 10-1 run that knotted the score at 29-29. But WSC would steal the first game, 31-29, using a pair of kills by Michelle Eckhardt.

Game two was more of the same.

Wayne State took an early 10-5 lead, but the Beavers would compose themselves and whittle away at the WSC advantage to knot the game at 20-20 as Groskreutz recorded five kills in a 7-2 run.

The Wildcats countered with by mounting a five-point scoring streak and scored eight of the last nine points to go up 2-0 with a 30-22 game-two win.

The Wildcats scored first in game three and would not turn back. Despite BSU tying the game on occasions early (3-3, 4-4 and 5-5), WSC would hold off every Bemidji State charge and complete the three game sweep winning the final game of the match, 30-19.

The Beavers have now lost the last matches versus WSC and nine consecutive matches. The Wildcats own the all-time series with a 14-2 record versus BSU.

Despite the disappointing loss, BSU had many things to be proud of the most glaring being the play of Groskreutz. The newcomer posted a career-best kill total (16) while hitting a team-best .293 (16-4-41) in the match. She combined her attack numbers with 10 digs to coral her third career double-double.

Fellow freshman Allison Kunde (S, Burnsville, Minn.) equaled her career-high of 14 digs in the match to lead the Beavers from the back row.

Brittany VanBeek topped the Wildcat offense leading all players with 17 kills and a .368 hitting percentage (17-3-38). Eckhardt added 14 kills while Brittney Coleman posted a double-double combining 47 assists with 12 digs.

Bemidji State falls to 6-7 on the year and 2-2 within the NSIC. The Beavers will jump back into Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action tomorrow when they host No. 25 Southwest Minnesota State at the BSU Gymnasium at 3 p.m.

-bsu-