BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University volleyball team dropped a match to Northern State University Friday evening, 3-0 (26-24, 25-12, 25-15). BSU has lost the past five meetings between the two schools dating back to October 16, 2009.  

The Beavers came out playing well in the first set. BSU got out to its largest lead of the set, 20-15, on block assists by Courtney Volkmann (S, 5-7, Jr., Wadena, Minn.) and Chelsea Frison (MB, 6-1, So., Whitewater, Wis.). The Wolves came back with five straight points to tie the first frame at 20-20. The two teams exchanged points and BSU tied the score again at 24 all with a kill by Volkmann. However, NSU ratled off back-to-back points and took the first set, 26-24. Jessica Yost (OH, 6-3, Fr., Bemidji, Minn.) had seven kills in the first set alone but it wasn’t enough.

BSU and NSU battled in the beginning stages of the second set. Molly Monahan (OH, 5-11, So., Hutchinson, Minn.) had a kill to cut Northern State’s lead to 13-12 but Northern State went on a 12-0 scoring run to end the set and take a 2-0 lead in the match, 25-12. Six of those points were because of BSU attack errors. NSU’s Drew Smith served for the final 10 points in the set.

Unfortunately for the Beavers, it was more of the same in the third set. Northern State had almost double the amount of kills that BSU had (16 to 8). After it was 7-7 in the beginning stages, Northern State lengthened its lead slowly but surely and eventually winning the set by its largest lead in the frame, 10 points.

The Beavers had a tough time slowing down the Wolves’ offense all night. As a team, NSU hit .368 while BSU hit .090. The highest attacking percentage by BSU came in the first frame when it hit a combined .237, but that is over a hundred points lower than NSU’s lowest attacking percentage in a set, .343.

Bemidji State (5-11 overall, 1-7 NSIC) will return to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday at 5 p.m. versus Minnesota State University-Moorhead (10-6 overall, 3-5 NSIC). The Dragons have hit the skids lately has they have lost four straight games after beginning the season, 10-2.

For more information on the Bemidji State athletic programs, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeavers), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) or sign up for the TXTUpdates from BSUBeavers.com text-messaging system through the "Multimedia" pull down menu on the main page of BSUBeavers.com.

Nestled in Northern Minnesota’s wooded region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

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