BEMIDJI, Minn. – Minnesota State volleyball (17-8, 9-8 NSIC) took down the Bemidji State Beavers (8-17, 3-14 NSIC) in four sets, 3-1. After the team dropped the first set, the Mavericks bounced back and won three straight dominant sets. Minnesota State was led by its two All-Conference players; Freshman Avery Klein tallied 13 kills in the match and senior middle blocker Kiya Durant recorded nine kills and five blocks in the win.
 
The opening set was tightly contested. Through the first 20 points, the score was 10-10. Neither team could pull away, as the Mavericks and the Beavers tossed possession back-and-forth again until the score was 20-20. Bemidji State went up 22-20 on an attack error which forced a timeout call from the Minnesota State bench. The Beavers forced a set-point after a service ace and took the set 25-21 after an MSU error.
 
Another close start to set two resulted in a 7-7 tie to begin the set. A 5-1 run for the Mavericks put the away team up 12-8 and forced a Beaver timeout. Junior libero Ellie Kline served two aces out of the break to put MSU up by six. After a pair of points for BSU, the home team committed two attack errors and Toryn Richards had a kill to force another Bemidji State timeout with the score at 17-10.
 
A 4-1 run, capped off by a Richards service ace, put Minnesota State up 21-11. Despite a solid effort from the Beavers, the Mavericks took set two 25-16. A block from Emily Kern and Klein forced a set-point which was followed by a Bemidji State attack error to end the set.
 
After Emma Loveall opened set three with a kill, Bemidji State went on a 6-1 run to go up early in the set. Two more kills for BSU forced a Maverick timeout. Out of the timeout, Durant and Klein combined for a block to make the score 8-4. Slowly but surely, the Mavericks worked their way back into the set, and a block from Kern and Loveall cut the Beaver lead to two, 12-10. A kill from Durant cut the Bemidji State lead to one and forced a timeout from the home bench.
 
Minnesota State took the lead out of the timeout with an immediate 3-0 run thanks to a kill from Klein and an ace from Kline. A 3-1 run caused Bemidji State to take its second timeout of the set, as the home team fell behind 19-16. The two teams scored back and forth until the score was 20-18. Then, the Mavericks closed out the third set on a 5-0 run to go up 2-1 in the match after a 25-18 finish.
 
A solo block from Durant put the Mavericks up 5-2 at the beginning of the fourth set. A 3-1 run that featured kills from Klein and Richards put the Mavericks up by four. Another 3-1 run for Minnesota State put the team up 11-6. Following a Beaver kill, the Mavericks went on a 5-1 run to go up 16-8. Klein had two kills in the stretch, Richards and Loveall each had a kill and Durant had a solo block. After a service error, Minnesota State went up 20-9 after scoring on four consecutive kills from Klein, Durant and Richards. Bemidji State scored on a kill and an ace, but it wasn't enough. Minnesota State closed out the match on a 5-1 run, dominated by Durant. She had two kills and a solo block in the final stretch of the match to give the Mavericks a 25-12 victory in set four.
 
The Mavericks ended with 54 kills and a .292 hitting percentage as a team. The team assisted on 49 of those kills, served up six aces and blocked eight shots at the net. MSU also ended with 58 digs against Bemidji State.
 
Klein was the team's kills leader as she ended the match with 13 kills. The freshman also ended with 10 digs and two block assists. Loveall ended right behind her with 12 kills. The Spirit Lake, Iowa native also recorded a block assist.
 
Durant ended the match with nine kills, four solo blocks and one block assist which brought her total blocks against BSU to five. Kern ended with six kills and two blocks.
 
Both Kline and Kaci Beesecker ended the match with 11 digs. Kline also contributed three service aces for the Mavericks. Brooke Bolwerk ended the match with 41 assists, nine digs and a block solo.
 
"The way we bounced back after the first set was huge," said Maverick head coach Corey Phelps. "We settled into the second set and really asserted ourselves from the service line. Our outside hitters were huge tonight and Kiya had another big match for us. None of that would have been possible without the solid ball control throughout. We look forward to another battle tomorrow."
 
Minnesota State prepares for its final match of the regular season against Minnesota Crookston (7-18, 4-13 NSIC). The Mavericks face off against the Golden Eagles on Saturday, November 16 at 2:30 p.m. MSU looks to extend its winning streak against UMC to 10 with a win tomorrow.