BEMIDJI, Minn. — Bemidji State University Volleyball lost to University of Minnesota Duluth 3-0 on Thursday. Bemidji State was held to 34 kills and a .224 hitting percentage, compared with 41 kills and a .326 percentage for Minnesota Duluth.
Bemidji State built a 12-8 lead in the first set, with
Madison Tripp setting up kills from
Isabella Vander Velden,
Ella Kratochvil,
Grace Hoffard,
Nevaeh Carlson and
Ava Athman during the opening stretch. Minnesota Duluth answered with four straight points to tie the set at 12-12, and Bemidji State later got back within 21-19 on a Hoffard kill from Tripp. The visitors scored the final four points to take the set 25-19.
The Bulldogs broke open the second set after an 8-8 tie, scoring seven of the next eight points to put the Beavers behind 15-9. Bemidji State answered with kills from Athman, Hoffard, Kratochvil, Carlson and Vander Velden during the back half of the set, most of them set up by Tripp. Minnesota Duluth finished the set 25-18.
BSU fell behind 9-3 after UMD scored four straight on Paige Decker's serve, leaving the Beavers chasing the third set early. Kratochvil and Carlson had kills in a response that brought Bemidji State to 9-6, and Hoffard later added a kill and a block, but Minnesota Duluth closed the third 25-18.
Carlson led BSU with 11 kills on 33 attacks. Tripp recorded 31 assists, five digs and one service ace.
Ava Boelter collected 11 digs. Hoffard finished with five kills while hitting .357 and added two blocks.
Bemidji State is 10-3 overall and 2-3 in NSIC play, while Minnesota Duluth is 12-1 overall and 5-0 in the NSIC. Up next, BSU travels to Moorhead, Minn., to face Minnesota State University Moorhead on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 3:30 p.m.
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).
