Huskies persevere for 3-2 win at Bemidji

Saturday, September 8

Bemidji, Minn.

1 p.m.

St. Cloud State

6-2 (2-0NSIC)

Bemidji State

3-7 (0-2NSIC)

St. Cloud State

Bemidji State

Three underclassmen led the Huskies in kills, including Erin Navratil with a career-high 18.

Photo by: Maddie MacFarlane

9/8/2018 4:20:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

BEMIDJI, MINN. – A win is a win, at least, that is how the saying goes. On Saturday, the St. Cloud State volleyball team learned exactly how true that statement is.

Though it wasn't the prettiest win of the season, St. Cloud State fought its way to the team's second Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) win of the year thanks to a 3-2 (10-25, 25-14, 25-27, 25-15, 15-13) win over Bemidji State Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies did not get off to the greatest start, as they dropped the opening set 25-10. However, St. Cloud State wasn't down for the count, as the team made a big statement in the second, winning 25-15. Erin Navratil(Albany, Minn. / Albany) got things going offensively for the Huskies, tallying five of her career-high 18 kills in the set, including two big kills early to tie the set at 7-7.

After Navratil's kill, the St. Cloud State attack was too much for Bemidji State to handle, as the Huskies rattled off three straight points to take a 10-7 lead. Maddy Torve (Loretto, Minn. / Heritage Christian Academy) was strong behind the service line for St. Cloud State, as her tough serve forced the Beaver hitters out of system and resulted in an ace for the setter. Even when Bemidji State finally managed to stop the bleeding with a point of its own, Rachel Houle (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) regained control for the Huskies with a kill, which led to yet another three-point run.

The highlight of the set came at the very end, as Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake) went on a five-point serving run to close out the set for a 25-14 St. Cloud State victory. Navratil tallied two kills during the run, while Micah Nier (Hatley, Wis. / Wittenberg-Birnamwood) and Torve recorded a huge block on the penultimate point.

After the big win in set two, the Huskies were looking to take a 2-1 advantage in the match with a victory in the third. Unfortunately, St. Cloud State was unable to win the final point despite holding a 24-22 lead in the latter stages of the set. In fact, the Huskies led the Beavers 24-22 and held two set points after a kill from Rachel on the outside. However, Bemidji State won the next three points to take a 25-24 lead over St. Cloud State. The Huskies managed to tie the set at 25-25 on a sneak attack by Torve but were unable to score again, as the Beavers went on to win the set 27-25.

Just like in after the first set, St. Cloud State had the perfect answer for the defeat, as the team won the fourth set resoundingly, tying the match at 2-2 and forcing a decisive fifth set. Again it was Navratil who led the way for the Huskies with six kills and just one error on 13 attempts from the outside, while Rachel added three kills from the same spot. St. Cloud State was also sound defensively, as Marah Mulso (Marshall, Minn. / Marshall) recorded a solo block, while Rachel and junior libero Clara Krenz (Oakdale, Minn. / North St. Paul) combined for 11 of the team's 17 digs in the set en route to the 25-15 victory.

Despite the final 15-13 score, the Huskies controlled the fifth and final set from the get go, jumping to a quick 3-0 lead with an ace from Taylor Olstad (Eagan, Minn. / Eagan) and kill from Rachel. Although the Beavers scored to make it 3-1, a service error gave St. Cloud State a 4-1 lead and eventually swung the momentum back in the Huskies direction. In fact, St. Cloud State had an answer for everything Bemidji State seemed to throw in the decisive fifth set, and the team led 8-3 midway through.

Mulso and Navratil rattled off three kills to win three of the next four points, extending the Huskies lead to 11-4. Slowly but surely, though, the Beavers chipped away, whittling the lead to 11-7 with a three-point run of their own, forcing St. Cloud State head coach Chad Braeglemann to call a timeout. The Huskies won the point out of the timeout on a kill by Navratil before Bemidji State again cut the led to 12-9.

Fotunately, junior middle blocker Halle Hughes (Mankato, Minn. / West) was there to stop the bleeding, as she came up with a big kill to extend the lead to 13-9. She and Houle then assisted on a big block to extend the lead to 14-9 and give the Huskies four opportunities to win the match. It proved St. Cloud State needed all four points, as the Beavers used a kill and two blocks to get within one of the Huskies. Unlike the third set, though, St. Cloud State managed to close out the set with a kill from Rachel, cementing the 3-2 (10-25, 25-14, 25-27, 25-15, 15-13) victory.

Navratil led the team in kills, recording a career-high 18 in the five-set marathon while Rachel added 16 of her own. Torve once again captained her team to victory, as she led the way with 41 assists.

Three Huskies tallied double-digit digs, led by Rachel's 17 and Krenz' 16. Olstad also added 12 digs of her own in the win.

With the victory, St. Cloud State improves to 6-2 on the season and is 2-0 in NSIC play. The Huskies will return to the court on Tuesday, September 11 when they host the No. 6 Univeristy of Minnesota-Duluth at 6:30 p.m. in Halenbeck Hall.