Bemidji State roundup: Beavers volleyball sweeps Minot in NSIC opener
MINOT, N.D. –The Bemidji State volleyball team got the NSIC portion of its schedule underway with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-20) win on the road Friday against Minot State.
The win spoiled MSU’s NSIC conference debut after the team went 3-6 in nonconference play. The win improved Bemidji State’s overall record to 3-5 and marked the third time in the last 10 seasons that BSU won its first NSIC match of the year.
The victory also improved Bemidji State’s all-time record against its Beaver counterpart to 6-0 dating back to 1977. The two teams will meet again on Oct. 27.
“I think we played a smart, controlled game,” BSU head coach Wayne Chadwick said. “We didn’t try to press issues, we just stayed within ourselves and took advantage of our opportunities when they came.”
After a 6-6 start in the first set, BSU went on a 12-2 run that included kills bysophomore Rachel Craig,freshman Chelsea Frison andsophomore Kelly Nilesand service aces by senior Bethany Thompsonand sophomoreElissa Christensen. The 14-point stretch allowed the Beavers to cruise to a 25-17 win.
Bemidji State got off to an even better start in the second set, jumping out to a 7-1 lead and never looking back en route to a 25-19 victory. Thompson and Frison led the way in Game 2 with four kills apiece and Craig added in the final three of her seven kills on the night, while Christensen tallied five of her 13 digs. Following the intermission, Minot State came out strong in the third game an opened with a 4-1 lead. BSU came back quickly, however, knotting the score at seven before going on two four-point runs to close out the game and the match with a 25-20 win.
Thompson led the way in the match with 15 kills, while Craig finished the night with a .400 hitting percentage and sophomore setterCourtney Volkmannhad another strong performance, posting 30 assists.
Today, BSU will look to improve its conference ledger to 2-0 in its second match of the season against the University of Mary, a team the Beavers split two matches with in 2011.
Cross country runs at Minot State
BURLINGTON, N.D. – The Bemidji State cross country team competed at the Wiley Wilson Memorial Run Friday near Minot, N.D.
The 5-000-meter race at the Wildwood Golf Course was hosted by Minot State.
SeniorTina Larson, coming off her first-collegiate win at the Greenwood Run Sept. 7, finished 12th of 51 runners to pace the Beavers. Her time of 20:30 was 2:11 off the pace of the leader, Melissa Agnew of University of Mary.
U-Mary, ranked fourth nationally, placed eight of its athletes in the first eight finishing spots.
FreshmanEmily Turnerfinished the race 22nd with a time of 21:19, while seniorMichelle Ohmancrossed the finish line with a time of 21:30 and finished 23rd.
FreshmanJolynne Denmanran the 5K in 21:39 and placed 27th, followed closely by freshmanMikayla Connell’stime of 21:52 and juniorMackenzie Haupert’s21:54 for 30th and 31st, respectfully.
Next for the Beavers is the Homecoming Road Race at 9 a.m. Sept. 22 in Bemidji to gear up for the Roy Griak Invitational set for Sept. 29 in St. Paul.
