BEMIDJI, Minn. — Bemidji State University Volleyball (17-10, 9-10 NSIC) defeated the University of Mary (5-22, 3-16 NSIC) 3-1 on Friday at BSU Gymnasium on Senior Day. Bemidji State finished with 63 kills, a .283 hitting percentage and 17 service aces while holding Mary to 35 kills and a .171 percentage.
BSU also held advantages in service aces, digs and total blocks, with
Anna Paquette recording seven aces. Paquette's seven service aces were a career high and tied the Beavers' all-time record for aces in a four-set match. A 6-0 run in the fourth set moved Bemidji St. from a 9-8 lead to 15-8, adding one of the match's larger sustained scoring stretches.
In the first the Beavers recovered from a 16-12 deficit behind
Anna Paquette's serve, with Paquette delivering three straight aces during a five-point run that put BSU ahead 17-16.
Ella Kratochvil later tied the set at 23-23, and a Mary attack error gave the Beavers a 24-23 edge. Mary scored the final three points to take the set 26-24.
Bemidji State controlled the second set from the start, scoring the first four points and finishing with a 25-14 win.
Ava Boelter's serve pushed the lead from 7-4 to 10-4 with three straight aces, and the Beavers later moved from 19-13 to 24-13 behind kills from
Ava Athman,
Isabella Vander Velden and Kratochvil plus an Athman ace.
The Beavers held off the Marauders' late push in the third set, answering after Mary got within 18-17 and closing out a 25-19 set win.
Nevaeh Carlson helped finish the set with three late kills, including the final point, while
Madison Tripp added a service ace during the closing stretch.
Bemidji State broke open the fourth set with six straight points, turning a 9-8 edge into a 15-8 lead behind two
Katrina Thompson service aces and kills from Carlson. Paquette later added back-to-back service aces as Bemidji St. moved ahead 21-11. Athman and Kratochvil supplied late kills before
Isabella Vander Velden's block helped close the 25-14 set.
Athman finished with 18 kills, hit .350 and added nine digs for Bemidji St. Kratochvil also recorded 18 kills and added one block assist. Tripp posted 50 assists, 11 digs, two kills, one ace and one block.
Ava Boelter collected 21 digs, nine assists and five service aces.
Bemidji State is 17-10 overall and 9-10 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. Mary is 5-22 overall and 3-16 in NSIC play. Bemidji State hosts Minot State University on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. to close out the 2026 season.
For more information on the Bemidji State Volleyball program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversVB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and like 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 and women's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
