Beavers travel to U-Mary and Minot State to begin road slate
The Bemidji State University volleyball team begins a three-match road trip this weekend and will travel to University of Mary and Minot State University looking for its first wins of the season. The Beavers (0-19, 0-11 NSIC) opens the weekend’s action by traveling to Mary, N.D., to face the Marauders (3-17, 0-11 NSIC) Friday, Oct. 22. BSU will then travel to Minot, N.D., to face the Beavers (0-17, 0-11 NSIC) Saturday. Friday’s match will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m., start time Saturday.
Bemidji State hits the road after falling to (RV) Northern State University and Minnesota State University, Moorhead at home this past weekend. The Beavers were downed by the Wolves in three sets in the first match of the weekend before falling in four sets to the Dragons. BSU has fell in the first 19 matches of the season and are tied for 13th in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with an 0-11 league record.
Mary prepares to host the Beavers after traveling to St. Cloud State University and University of Minnesota Duluth this past weekend. The Marauders began the weekend with a four-set loss at the Huskies but then fell in three sets at the Bulldogs. Mary has lost nine consecutive matches and are 3-17 on the season and 0-11 in conference play to tie for 13th in the standings.
Minot State enters the weekend’s action also winless on the season with an 0-17 record and 0-11 record in conference play. The Beavers traveled to Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State this past weekend and fell in two, three-set matches. Minot State’s last set win occurred on Sept. 4 in a 3-1 loss at William Jewell College in the first tournament of the season.
Leading Bemidji State this season is senior Anna Averkamp. She has posted a team-high 160 kills in 62 sets for a 2.58 k/s average which is 21st in the conference. She is hitting at a .125 clip this season with 160 kills, 96 errors and 514 attacks which is fourth on the team. Leading the team in hitting percentage is freshman Lauren Sitter who is hitting at a .143 clip with 55 kills, 30 errors and 175 total attacks. Sophomore Rylie Bjerklie is hitting .131 and is second on the team with 82 kills while junior Meeghen Dahlager has totaled 77 kills and is hitting .103.
Setting the ball for the Beavers’ offense is freshman Emily Wade who has totaled 461 assists in 63 sets this season and is 11th in the conference with a 7.32 a/s average.
On defense Bemidji State is led by sophomore Madison Weyker who has totaled 194 digs while sophomore Lauren Justesen follows with 163 digs and Wade follows her with 131 digs. At the net, the Beavers are led by Bjerklie who has totaled 32 blocks (2s-30a) while Sitter follows with 24 (6s-18a) and sophomore Rilee Michaelson has added 15 (0s-15a).
On the serve, Justesen leads the way with 11 service aces while sophomore Maddie Siedenburg follows with 10 and Averkamp has added nine.