DULUTH, Minn. (Romano Gymnasium) - The University of New Haven Chargers built a two set lead upending the Bemidji State University Beavers 3-1 (23-25, 15-25, 25-20, 14-25) in BSU’s final match of the UMD Kraus Anderson Classic.

In the Beavers first match ever with the New Haven Chargers BSU ended up dropping the first, second, and fourth sets to fall to 0-1 all-time versus UNH. The Beavers battled hard and was able to win the third set 25-20, but the Chargers were to much as UNH would close out any hopes of a Beaver comeback with a 25-14 win to take the match in four sets.

The Chargers out hit the Beavers .281 (55k-21e-121at) to just .150 (40k-22e-120at) for the Beavers. UNH compiled 15 more kills in the match than BSU and committed four less errors in the win.

Courtney Bitter (Fr., S, Bemidji, Minn.) and Heather Sampson (So., OH, Brooklyn Park, Minn.) led the Beavers offensive attack as Bitter recorded a career-high nine kills with Sampson chipping in eight.

Defensively, the Beavers were led by Jessi-Beth McCannell (Fr., LB, Brandon, Manitoba) and Bitter. McCannell led the Beavers for the seventh time with 10 digs, while Bitter compiled nine digs in the match. Jennifer Janckila (Sr., MB, Appleton, Wis.) caused havoc at the net with three blocks (0bs-3ba).

Bitter led the Beavers offense with 30 assists in the match.

New Haven had two girls who garnered double-digit kills. Sara Malmlov led the Chargers with 21 kills while Charisse Cotton chipped in with 17 kills. Three chargers notched double-digit digs to lead UNH defensively. Katrina Ali recorded 15 digs while Malmlov and Yael Rosner each had 10 digs apiece. Rosner recorded 48 set assists to led the Chargers offensively.

Rosner, Malmlov, and Ali each recorded double-doubles in the match for the chargers.

In such a close match there were 20 tie scores and nine lead changes. The majority of the tie scores and lead changes came in sets one and three. In set one there were nine tie scores but just one lead change while in set three there were nine tie scores and five lead changes.

The lone set BSU won was a back and forth set as there were nine tie scores and five lead changes in the 25-20 set three win for the Beavers. After being down two sets to one the Beavers tried to mount a comeback but fell short in game four as the Charges ended the match with a 25-14 set four win.

With the loss the Beavers are on a three-match losing skid.

Bemidji State (4-8; 0-0) will open up Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play next weekend when the Beavers will travel to Moorhead, Minn. to take on the MSU Moorhead Dragons at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19 and then will travel to Crookston, Minn. to battle the Minnesota, Crookston Golden Eagles at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Bemidji State University, located in Bemidji, Minn., is an NCAA Division II institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

--beavers--