Bemidji State volleyball team falls to Winona State

The Bemidji State volleyball team never seemed to find a rhythm in the 3-0 loss to Winona State Friday night.

The Beavers lost by set scores of 25-20, 29-27 and 25-22 at BSU Gymnasium. The two teams split the meetings this season.

BSU failed to have a lead in the first and third sets.

BSU made a comeback in the first set to trail Winona State 19-17, but a service error proved costly and Winona State closed out the win.

Winona State rallied from a 7-2 deficit in the second set and took the 2-0 lead into halftime after pulling away from a 22-22 tie.

Despite falling behind 7-0 in the final set, the Beavers charged back to a 21-21 tie before losing four of the next five points.

Nicole Olson had a team-high 10 kills and a .308 hitting percentage. Junior Brie Groskreutz posted 17 digs to lead the squad.

Sophomore Courtney Bitter had 32 kills, 11 digs and six kills in her 13th double-double of the season. Junior Nicole Solum posted 14 digs and five kills, with a .294 attacking percentage.

The Beavers close out the 2009 season against Upper Iowa at 3 p.m. Saturday at BSU Gymnasium.