WAYNE, Neb./SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Following a home stand in which the Bemidji State University Volleyball team went 2-2 and nearly upset nationally-ranked Minnesota Duluth, the Beavers will now travel to No. 1 Wayne State on Friday beginning at 6 p.m. and Augustana on Saturday starting at 5 p.m.
Bemidji State (6-8, 3-3 NSIC) won the first set against No. 11 Minnesota Duluth and then had two close sets in two and three that were decided by a total of five points. BSU opened the homestand sweeping both UMary and Minot State and after falling to Sioux Falls, then went four against the Bulldogs.
This will be the first road matches since Sept. 15-16 when Bemidji State traveled to MSU Moorhead and Northern State. The Beavers enter the weekend with 654 kills, 600 assists, 689 digs and 81 blocks. Ashley Crowl leads the offense with 146 kills, as BSU has four with at least 100 kills. Hallie Mertz adds 133, Rylie Bjerklie with 120 and Zayda Priebe right at 100. Emily Wade has 445 assists, averaging 8.24 per set. Crowl and Mertz both have at least 30 service aces with Crowl leading the way with 32 and Mertz with 30. On defense, Lauren Justesen has 251 digs, with Crowl at 111 and Mertz at 104. Bjerklie has sent back 33 blocks and Priebe has 24.
Bemidji State ranks first in the NSIC in service aces per set (2.06) and overall service aces (111). The Beavers are 35th nationally in service aces per set. Individually, Crowl leads the NSIC and is 16th nationally in service aces per set (0.59) and Mertz is second in the NSIC and 31st nationally at 0.56. In overall service aces, Crowl leads the NSIC and is 20th nationally, while Mertz is second in the NSIC and 30th nationally. Bjerklie is third in the NSIC and 46th nationally in hitting percentage (.365). Justesen is fifth in the NSIC and 58th nationally in total digs.
BSU opens the week playing at Wayne State on Friday night. The Wildcats enter the matchup ranked No. 1 nationally with a 15-1 overall record and 6-0 mark in NSIC play. The only blemish on the record was a five-set loss to Concordia-St. Paul during the Colorado Premier Challenge. Then a week later the teams matched up again in Wayne with the game counting as an NSIC contest and the Wildcats rolled to the 3-0 sweep.
WSC faced Winona State on Tuesday night at home, winning 3-1. Wayne State has 767 kills, 698 assists, 868 digs and 133 blocks this season in 55 sets. Maggie Brahmer leads the offense with 201 kills, with Taya Beller adding 196. Rachel Walker sets the offense with 609 assists. On defense, Jordan McCormick has 241 digs and Kelsie Cada adds 163. Brahmer has sent back 62 blocks, with Beller adding 58.
Wayne State is 29-3 in the series since 1995 and have won the last three meetings. WSC is 16-1 at home in the series with the only BSU win on the road happening in 2003 (3-0). The Beavers won at home in 2019 (3-1) and since then, Wayne State has won the last three matchups by 3-0 scores.
To close the weekend trip, BSU will be in Sioux Falls on Saturday to face Augustana. The Vikings are 5-9 overall and 2-4 in NSIC play, dropping their last two matches on the road to St. Cloud State (3-0) and Southwest Minnesota State (3-1). Prior to that, Augustana defeated Minnesota Duluth on the road in five sets.
Augustana has 664 kills, 624 assists, 799 digs and 99 blocks in 54 sets. Kia Kriener leads the offense with 199 kills. Lucy Bartee sets up the offense with 529 assists. On defense, Erika Bute has 293 digs and Maya Wente has sent back 51 blocks.
Augustana is 18-0 in the series against BSU since 2004 and have gone 9-0 in Sioux Falls. The Vikings have won the last seven meetings by 3-0 scores, with the Beavers claiming a set in 2016.
Both Augustana and Wayne State will return to Bemidji on Nov. 3-4.
Following the road trip this week, Bemidji State will play at Minnesota Crookston next Thursday (Oct. 12) and then host St. Cloud State next Saturday (Oct. 14).
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).
