BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University volleyball team gets their second look at Minot State University and University of Mary this weekend in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play for its final road trip of the 2022 season.
 
BSU (3-21, 2-14 NSIC) will start their road trip at Minot, N.D., on Friday as they take on Minot State (0-23, 0-16 NSIC). The following day the Beavers head to Bismarck, N.D., to face the Marauders (4-20, 3-13 NSIC).
 
Match one for the Beavers will start at 6:00 p.m. against Minot State, followed by a 2:00 p.m., start against Mary, Saturday. Live stats and stream can be found, here.
 
In the Beavers first meeting with Minot this season back on Sept. 17, BSU took a 3-0 match victory. In the match the Beavers recorded their best hitting percentage as a team hitting .427. Junior Hallie Mertz and sophomore Lauren Sitter led BSU in kills both tallying 10. At the net on defense Rylie Bjerklie and Sitter both recorded five blocks.
 
The Beavers also earned victory against Mary in their meeting earlier this season in another 3-0 victory. On the attack Ashley East and Mertz led the team with nine kills. Rylee Pompa was able to get a hand on six Marauders attacks for blocks. 
 
This season Mertz leads the Beavers with 227 kills this season, with her career best coming in the previous match against the University of Minnesota Crookston where she recorded 18. East and Sitter both are in the triple digits for kills totaling 136 and 113, respectively. Freshman Zayda Priebe leads BSU by hitting .266. Off the serve Mertz leads the team in aces with 21 this season and Ashley Crowl is right behind her with 18.
 
Hally Holker and Emily Wade have been setting up the attack this season. Holker had her best match of the season in the previous match with 30 assists, she leads the team with 363 and Wade is behind her with 326.
 
Mertz is not just the leader in offensive stats she is also leads the Beavers in digs tallying 180 on the season. Crowl and Lauren Justesen round out the top three for BSU with 155 and 154 respectively, despite Justesen only playing in 39 sets.  Junior Rylie Bjerklie leads BSU at the net with 48 blocks while senior Rylee Pompa has been a part of 40. 
 
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) and follow them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversVB)
 
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 hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association 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).
 
--bsu—