Volleyball rolls to 3-0 sweep of Bemidji State

Saturday, November 2

Bemidji, Minn.

3 p.m.

St. Cloud State

18-5,10-5NSIC

Bemidji State

7-16,4-11NSIC

St. Cloud St.

Bemidji St.

Erin Navratil once again had the Beavers number, as she recorded a team-leading 13 kills in the Huskies victory.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

11/2/2019 4:36:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

BEMIDJI, MINN. – When things are rolling for St. Cloud State University volleyball, the team looks really, very, amazingly, fantastically good at everything in the sport.

Saturday afternoon, the Huskies looked really, very, amazingly, fantastically good.

St. Cloud State certainly didn't suffer a hangover after beating Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) rival and #3 Minnesota-Duluth Thursday, as the team cruised to a 3-0 sweep of Bemidji State University Saturday afternoon, earning its fourth straight win against a conference opponent.

The good times started rolling early for the Huskies, as they jumped out to an 18-6 lead in the opening set thanks to the combined serving efforts of Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake) and Kobie Dills (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Washington). Even with a seemingly comfortable lead for St. Cloud State, Bemidji State decided to make things interesting, as the Beavers cut the lead to 21-18 by winning 12 of the following 15 points.

The Huskies didn't panic and instead proved why they are the #11 ranked team in the nation in the closing moments, taking the first set 25-22 on a kill from Rachel. After the tight opener, St. Cloud State wasted no time proving its dominance in the second, as the team cruised to a 25-17 victory for a 2-0 lead in the set. This time around, the Huskies were nearly impossible to stop offensively, as they tallied 20 kills in the set and committed just three errors for an impressive hitting percentage of .427. St. Cloud State also was a force behind the service line, as the team tallied three aces in the second set alone to clinch the 25-17 victory.

The dominance in the second was nothing compared to the third, as the Huskies wasted no time taking a 6-1 lead, thanks in large part to strong serves from senior libero Clara Krenz (Oakdale, Minn. / North St. Paul). The senior opened with three near aces, one of which turned into overpass kills for Phebie Rossi (Rapid City, S.D. / Stevens) to help St. Cloud State open with a 3-0 lead.

Though Bemidji State managed to win a point and stop the bleeding, the tone was already set for the Huskies, who went on to win the set by a final score of 25-14, earning their 12^th sweep of the 2019 season and fifth over an NSIC opponent.

Three student-athletes for St. Cloud State recorded double-digit kills, including Erin Navratil (Albany, Minn. / Albany), Rossi and Rachel. Navratil led the team with 13 in the match, while Rossi and Rachel recorded 12 and 10 kills respectively.

Maddy Torve (Loretto, Minn. / Heritage Christian Academy) was again masterful as the team' starting setter with 45 assists and 10 digs for a double-double, while Krenz was again the team's top defensive player. The senior libero recorded 20 digs in the victory, bringing her career total up to 2052 and her season total to 490, a number that already ranks eighth all-time in single-season digs.

With the win, St. Cloud State's overall record improves to 19-4, matching the team's highest win total since it went 19-12 in 2004. The Huskies also recorded their 11^th win in NSIC play, matching the highest conference win total since rejoining the conference in 2008.

St. Cloud State will return to action on Tuesday, November 5 when it hosts Minnesota-Crookston at 6 p.m. in Halenbeck Hall. The match against the Golden Eagles will mark the first of three volleyball matches hosted in St. Cloud, Minnesota next week, as the Huskies will also host perennial volleyball powers Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul the weekend of November 8-9.