BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Volleyball team certainly came out ready against No. 11 Minnesota Duluth on Tuesday night. The Beavers won the first set and then came close in sets two and three before the Bulldogs held on for the 3-1 victory (19-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-16) in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.
Bemidji State (6-8, 3-3 NSIC) posted 42 kills to 25 errors in 129 chances (.132), while Minnesota Duluth (11-4, 4-3 NSIC) collected 48 kills to 22 errors in 130 chances (.200). The service game was a struggle for both teams with 32 combined service errors (16 for each team), while the teams combined for just seven service aces.
Ashley Crowl led the offense with 12 kills and spun in three service aces. She was close to a double-double with seven digs. Ryle Bjerklie tallied 10 kills. Emily Wade dished out 32 assists. On defense, Lauren Justesen had 19 digs and both Lauren Sitter and Zayda Priebe sent back three blocks.
Bemidji State surged out of the gate with a 4-1 lead. Priebe and Sitter started the night for the Beavers with a block and then Priebe posted a pair of kills around an attacking error. UMD pulled ahead at 12-9 and still held a slim lead at 13-12 when the Beavers pushed back. Priebe and Sitter hit back-to-back kills, before a solo block by Bjerklie moved BSU to the 15-13 lead. With the Beavers holding a 19-18 lead, Crowl posted three kills around an error for the 23-19 advantage. Bemidji State closed strong with Priebe and Sitter combining for a block and a service ace by Crowl ended the set at 25-19. BSU hit .235 in the opening set and held UMD to a .069 clip.
BSU carried that momentum into the second set pulling ahead at 7-4 with early points from Hallie Mertz, Priebe and Sitter around four errors by the Bulldogs. Minnesota Duluth won seven of the next eight points to pull ahead at 11-8. Bemidji State evened things at 13 and then again at 14 on a kill by Bjerklie. Down the stretch it was anyone's set. BSU took the lead at 21-20 with kills by Priebe and Mertz. Then ahead at 22-21, UMD fought back with three straight points to move to set point. BSU extended the set with a kill by Mertz before the Bulldogs closed the set out at 25-23.
Minnesota Duluth jumped out to the 5-0 lead in the third set. Still holding the 18-10 lead, Bemidji State started to string some points together. Off a service error, Lilly Bandle tallied a kill and after two more errors, Bjerklie capped the 5-0 run with a kill at 18-15. BSU got to within two at 23-21 on a double block by Mertz and Bjerklie and then had one last rush at 24-22 on a kill by Bjerklie before Minnesota Duluth closed the set at 25-22.
BSU tallied the first point of the fourth set and were within one at 4-3 on a kill by Crowl. Following a double block by Priebe and Sitter at 10-6, Minnesota Duluth scored seven of the next eight points for the 17-7 lead. The Beavers tried to get back into the set with points from Priebe, Wade and Crowl, but the Bulldogs held onto the lead for the 25-16 fourth set win and 3-1 match victory.
It was the first time since 2019 that BSU had won a set against UMD and just the second time including tonight to win a set against the Bulldogs since 2011.
Bemidji State will hit the road the rest of this week traveling to Nebraska to face No. 1 Wayne State on Friday night starting at 6 p.m. The week ends on Saturday night at Augustana starting at 5 p.m. Wayne State defeated Winona State in four sets tonight. Augustana fell in four sets at Southwest Minnesota State.
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)
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University 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).
