Sports

Beavers lose 4-set battle with No. 16 Mustangs

The Bemidji State volleyball team managed to win a single set on the road against No. 16 Southwest Minnesota State Saturday afternoon, but ultimately lost in four.

MARSHALL – The Bemidji State volleyball team managed to win a single set on the road against No. 16 Southwest Minnesota State Saturday afternoon, but ultimately, the hosting Mustangs proved too much to handle down the stretch. The Beavers kicked things off with a 25-23 victory in the opening set, but the Mustangs rattled off three straight wins to take the game in four.

SMSU dominated the second set 25-6 and closed the game out with a 25-19 win in the third and a 25-22 victory in the fourth. BSU fifth-year senior Rylie Bjerklie earned a team-high 11 kills in the loss, followed by freshman Lily Riese’s seven. Four Beavers notched double-digit dig totals, led by junior Kylie Strubel’s 12.

Seniors Ashley Crowl (11), Emily Wade (11) and Lauren Sitter (10) rounded out the top four. Wade also netted 30 assists for Bemidji State, marking her 15th match with 30 or more assists. BSU 25 6 19 22 – 1 SMS 23 25 25 25 – 3.