BEMIDJI, Minn. — Bemidji State University Volleyball starts its season Friday as the Beavers head to Bismarck, N.D. to take on four opponents at the University of Mary Marauders First Serve Invitational.
The Beavers start the year with a 9 a.m. matchup Friday against Western New Mexico University. This will be the first time the two teams have met. Last season, WNMU went 12-17 overall and 6-11 in the Lone Star Conference. The Mustangs averaged 11.4 kills per set in 2025, led by now sophomore Dephne Posthumus who averaged 2.55 per set. WNMU's lead setter is junior Hannah Haggard who finished her sophomore campaign with 531 assists, averaging 5.11 per set.
BSU gets its first taste of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference opponents in match two Friday, taking on host UMary at 2 p.m. in a non-conference match. BSU is 21-14 all time against UMary, currently holding a four-match win streak after defeating the Marauders in three sets last fall. The Marauders went 6-22 overall last fall and 3-17 in the NSIC. Now entering her junior year, Judith Burke led UMary last season with 3.08 kills per set. The Marauders return one of their two top setters from last season, Natalie Boehmer, who averaged 4.74 assists per set and marked 18 service aces.
Saturday morning starts bright and early again for BSU as the Beavers take on the Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets at 9 a.m. The Beavers and Yellowjackets have met four times prior to this weekend, most recently in 2021, with the Yellowjackets holding the 3-1 advantage. Last season, MSUB went 2-22 overall, winless in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Allie Dorman led MSUB in kills per set in her inaugural campaign last year, totaling 176 with 2.35 per set. Her classmate, Kenzie Allen, led the team from the setter's spot with 4.46 assists per set.
Rounding out the weekend, Bemidji State takes on Black Hills State University at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The Beavers hold a 3-2 advantage over the Yellowjackets in the pair's all-time series which began in 1986. In 2025, BHSU went 6-20 overall and 2-12 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Carsyn Mettler led the Yellowjackets with 2.77 kills per set last season, marking 292.5 points over 93 sets. Elena Atkinson led the team in assists with 403 total, averaging 4.58 per set.
Next week, BSU heads back on the road to go to San Marcos, Calif. for the Fall Cougar Classic, hosted by Cal State San Marcos Sep. 3-5. There, the Beavers will take on CSUSM, Saint Michael's College, University of California Merced and fellow NSIC member team University of Minnesota Crookston. The Beavers start NSIC play on Sep. 11 at Minot State University.
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).
