MARSHALL, Minn. -- [box score] The Bemidji State University volleyball team battled its way back to .500 overall and within Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play with a dramatic 3-2 (20-30, 30-26, 30-28, 23-30, 16-14) win over Winona State University Friday evening at the NSIC Challenge in Marshall, Minn.

After dropping game one, the Beavers came back to earn wins in both the second and third games before allowing the Warriors to push the match to the fifth game with a 30-23 win in game four. But BSU played a perfect fifth game posting nine kills without recording a single attack error to out hit WSU .333 (9-0-27) to .194 (13-6-36) in the deciding game.

The BSU defense was stellar in the match. Although BSU was out hit in the match and the Warriors posted over 20 more kills than the Beavers, the Bemidji State defense saw six players with at least 12 digs and led by a career-best 22 by Brie Groskruetz (Fr., OH, Reedsburg, Wis.). BSU also turned away a season-high 11 WSU attempts as Jennifer Janckila (So., MB, Appleton, Wis) recorded a match-high five blocks (2bs-3ba).

Chelsea Utzerath (Jr., Opp., Beaver Dam, Wis.) led the BSU attack with a season-high 15 kills while hitting .364. Junior outside hitter Brittney Burns (LeSueur, Minn.), Alaina Adams (Jr., OH, Halstad, Minn.) and Alicia Beaman (Jr., S, St. Paul Park, Minn.) each posted double-doubles for BSU as Burns collected 11 kills and 13 digs, Adams posted a career-high 11 kills and 12 digs and the setter recorded 44 assists and 18 digs.

Megan Pulvermacher led WSU posting 20 kills and hitting .312. Rudi Balich tallied 23 defensive saves.
BSU, 5-5 overall and 11-1 in NSIC play, look to find the positive side of the .500 mark tomorrow as it continues play at the NSIC Challenge with a 12 p.m. match versus league newcomer Upper Iowa University.

-bsu-