Beavers conclude 2021 season at Sioux Falls and No. 17 SMSU

The Bemidji State University volleyball team concludes its 2021 season this weekend and will travel to face University of Sioux Falls and No. 17 Southwest Minnesota State University. The Beavers (2-24, 2-16 NSIC) first face the Cougars (15-11, 10-8 NSIC) Friday, Nov. 12 in Sioux Falls, S.D., followed by the Mustangs (19-7, 11-7 NSIC) Saturday in Marshall, Minn.

The Beavers and Cougars will face-off at 6 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m., start time against the Mustangs.

Bemidji State enters the weekend’s action having lost its last four matches including losing to No. 13 Wayne State College and Augustana University this past weekend in its final home matches of the season. The Beavers fell to the Wildcats and Vikings in two, three-set matches and stand 14th in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference standings, outside of a NSIC Volleyball Tournament bid.

Leading the Beavers this season is senior Anna Averkamp. She has posted a team-high and career-high 234 kills this season and ranks 18th in the NSIC by averaging 2.72 kills per set. She is also hitting at a .154 clip this season which is second on the team. Leading the team in hitting percentage is freshman Lauren Sitter who is hitting .172 with 88 kills, 44 errors and 256 total attacks. Sophomore Rylie Bjerklie follows Averkamp for second on the team with 110 kills while sophomore Rilee Michaelson is third with 95 kills.

Setting the ball for the Beavers’ offense is freshman Emily Wade who has totaled 621 assists in 87 sets to rank 11th in the NSIC with a 7.14 a/s average. Making her return to the court from injury, redshirt junior Maddie Mackinac has started the last four matches at the setters position and has totaled 44 assists in nine sets.

On defense Bemidji State is led by sophomore Madison Weyker who has totaled 255 digs while sophomore Lauren Justesen follows with 230 digs. Justesen is 15th in the conference with a 3.15 d/s average while Weyker is 20th at 2.93. Wade is third on the team and has totaled 189 digs (2.17/s). At the net, the Beavers are led by Bjerklie who has totaled 46 blocks (8s-38a) while Sitter follows with 34 (7s-27a) and sophomore Rilee Michaelson has added 20 (0s-20a).

On the serve, the Beavers are led by Justesen and Weyker who each have totaled 14 aces this season while Wade and Averkamp follow with 11 each.