MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Bemidji State University volleyball team dropped both of its games on the final day of the Wildcat Open on the campus of Northern Michigan University, Saturday afternoon. The Beavers (3-5, 0-0 NSIC) fell to Northern Michigan 3-0 (18-25, 22-25, 23-25) and Lake Superior State University, 3-2 (25-19, 18-25, 21-25, 25-20, 8-15).

Bemidji State 0, Northern Michigan 3
Bemidji State hit .273 as a team and committed just nine attacking errors against the Wildcats but couldn’t slow down NMU, who received votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches’ Association weekly poll, after they totaled 53 kills and hit .374 as a team.

Sophomore Anna Averkamp led the Beavers’ attack for the third consecutive match after totaling nine kills and hit .562 with no attacking errors while freshman Mary Campbell added eight kills on .250 hitting efficiency. Freshman Maddie Mackinac led the Beavers in assists with 30 while also contributing seven digs on defense. Junior Emma Hallmann led the Beavers’ backcourt with 10 digs followed by Mackinac with seven.

Lake Superior State 3, Bemidji State 2
The final match of the tournament would be the Beavers’ most competitive by taking the Lakers to five sets. BSU would take the first set 25-19 but fell in sets two and three before rallying back in the fourth set to tie the match, 2-2. The Beavers struggled in the final set totaling just three kills to fall to the Lakers 15-8 and 3-2 in the match.

Averkamp led the Beavers’ offense once again and totaled 14 kills while also hit .257 in the match while junior Julie Touchett hit a season-high nine kills with just one attacking error for a .500 efficiency. Senior Maddie Filipiak contributed eight kills on .571 efficiency to lead the team while freshman Mary Campbell added seven kills.

The Beavers’ wrapped up non-conference play with the tournament and set their eyes on conference play next weekend when they travel to face No. 1 University of Minnesota Duluth Thursday, Sept. 6. The Beavers then return to Bemidji for their first home match of the season when they host St. Cloud State University Saturday, Sept. 8.

The Beavers continue play at the Wildcat Open by facing host school Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State University at noon and 4 p.m.

For more information on the Bemidji State volleyball program, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeaversVB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers and Volleyball Facebook) 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 wooden region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, BSU 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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