The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Volleyball team played an outstanding all-around match to pick up their first conference win of the season in a 3-1 (26-24, 17-25, 25-23, 25-13) victory over the Bemidji State Beavers in Bemidji.
SET ONE –
Bemidji State came out strong with a couple of kills and a UMC error to jump out to a 3-0 lead. UMC got settled in and scored the next five points. The run started with two BSU attack errors and was followed by a Bailey Teveldal (Fresh. Baltic, S.D.) kill, a BSU error, and a Carizma Muth (Fresh. Randolph, Wis.) for a 5-3 lead. The back-and-forth battle continued, with BSU scoring four points to take a 7-5 lead. UMC battled back with four points of their own, led by a Muth ace and a Maya Jones (Soph. New Braunfels, Texas) kill, along with two Beaver errors for a 9-7 lead. The set was tied at 9-9. Bemidji State built an 18-16 lead before UMC countered with another four-point run with a kill by Jones, a service ace from Muth, and two Beaver attack errors for a Golden Eagle 20-18 lead.
BSU tied the set at 20-20 and the teams were tied again at 24-24. UMC’s Muth took over the match and had two big-time kills to give UMC a 26-24 victory for a 1-0 match lead.
SET TWO
The teams were tied at 1, 2, and 3 before BSU went on a 7-1 run for a 10-4 lead. The Beavers kept the lead around the four to six points with leads at 13-7, 17-10, and 22-17. BSU finished the set with a kill and two UMC attack errors to win 25-17 and tie the match at 1-1.
SET THREE
The teams were tied at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 before BSU rattled off a short rally for a 9-6 lead. The teams continued to battle back and forth, with UMC tying the set at 18-18. After a BSU point, the Golden Eagles regained the lead after a Beaver attack error, followed by a Tevedal ace for a 20-19 lead. BSU bounced back with four straight points with three kills and a UMC attack error, and the Beavers led 23-20. Things weren’t looking good for the Golden Eagles, but a big kill by Jones sparked the team as Muth followed with an ace. UMC kept rolling and got a point after a bad BSU pass and an attack error. Muth continued her outstanding serving with another ace for a 25-23 victory to take a 2-1 lead. “That was a huge win for us,” said UMC Coach Nate Messick.
SET FOUR
Bemidji State scored the first point of the set on a kill before UMC answered with three points with a kill by Jones, a BSU attack error, and a Muth kill for a 3-1 lead. The set was tied at 3 and 4 before UMC took over the match. BSU had a service error, and two attack errors before Madison Carsten (Soph. Wadena-Deer Creek) had a huge kill for an 8-4 lead. UMC led 9-6 when they blew the set open by going on a 6-0 run. Muth started the run with a kill, followed by three BSU attack errors, a Kailee Waasdorp (Soph. West Fargo, N.D.) ace, and an Emma Malek kill for a 15-6 lead. UMC led 17-10 when Carsten and Jones had kills for a 19-10 lead. After a point for BSU, the Golden Eagles’ Jones and Muth had kills for a commanding 21-11 lead. After a BSU point, UMC’s Carsten had a big kill and two errors by the Beavers for a 24-12 lead. UMC had an attack error before BSU had a serve go out of bounds, and UMC won the set 25-13 to win the match 3-1. “We played a good match, and any time you can win a conference match on the road, that is big.”
UMC improves to 4-11 overall and 1-6 in the NSIC and will host #24 University of Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday. Bemidji State drops to 5-10 overall and 0-7 in the NSIC. UMC now leads the series 22-18 over the 40 team meetings.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| Minnesota Crookston | 26 | 17 | 25 | 25 |
| Bemidji State | 24 | 25 | 23 | 13 |
For Crookston
Kills – Maya Jones – 13, Carizma Muth – 13, Madison Carsten – 8
Blocks – Emma Malek – 6, Maya Jones 1.5, Carizma Muth – 1
Digs – Kailee Waasdorp – 21, Carizma Muth – 13, Madison Carsten – 10
Assists- Baily Tevedal – 35
Aces – Carizma Muth – 5
