WINONA, Minn. – The Bemidji State University volleyball team dropped its fourth straight match tonight to Winona State University in three sets (25-14, 25-21, 25-23). A slow start doomed the Beavers. Bemidji State got better as the match continued but unfortunately could not get over the hump to gain a set victory.

Notables

- Courtney Volkmann (S, 5-7, Jr., Wadena, Minn.) achieved her fourth double-double of the season with 24 assists and 10 digs.

- Rachel Craig (MB, 6-2, Jr., Wadena, Minn.) had eight kills and had an attacking percentage of .667 on 12 attempts.

- Jessica Yost (OH, 6-3, Fr., Bemidji, Minn.) led the team with nine kills and also had eight digs.

-Kayla DeJong (DS, 5-8, So., Jefferson, Wis.) tied for the team lead with 10 digs.

Turning Points vs. WSU

Set 1: The two teams went back and forth to open the match. After being tied at 8-8, the Warriors got things clicking and went on a 17-6 run to close out the first set, 25-14. Craig had a good first frame when she had three kills and had an attacking percentage of .750.

Set 2: The Beavers got off to a quick start in the second set. After three straight kills by Yost and a service ace by Volkmann, BSU had a 6-2 lead. Bemidji State continued its solid play and had a 15-10 lead, but a Winona State 6-1 run tied the set up at 16. Five of the six points in the run were scored on a Bemidji State error of some kind. The teams exchanged points until the score was tied at 19. From that point, the Warriors went on a 6-2 run to take the set 25-21. Four kills by WSU’s Katie Froehle powered the run. For the Beavers, Yost had six kills and eight digs through two sets.

Set 3: In the third and what proved to be the final set, the Beavers played their best set of the night. BSU outhit WSU .281 to .218, but the Warriors persevered and made key plays when they needed them to take the set and the match 25-23.

Coach’s Take

On Rachel Craig’s performance: “Rachel had a very good game hitting the ball in the first two sets,” said BSU head coach Wayne Chadwick. “Through two sets, she was hitting nearly .900 but due to Winona digging some of her attacks up her percentage dropped.”

On Courtney Volkmann’s performance: “I could not be anymore proud of what Courtney has done this year,” said Chadwick. “She has been so consistent and has really turned into a leader on the court for us.”

Bemidji State 4-8 (0-4 NSIC) returns to action Saturday as it travels to Fayette, Iowa to take on Upper Iowa University 6-6 (2-2 NSIC) at 4 p.m. Upper Iowa is coming off back-to-back wins over Winona State on Tuesday night and the University of Minnesota Crookston tonight.

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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