DICKINSON, N.D. –  Bismarck State College dropped its Frontier Conference opener Wednesday night, falling in straight sets to in-state rival Dickinson State (N.D.) at Scott Gymnasium. The Blue Hawks won by scores of 25-18, 25-23 and 25-21.

Sophomore opposite hitter Emerson Carufel led the Mystics with nine kills on an efficient .412 hitting percentage, while McKenna Brendal added eight kills and Reese Duchsherer chipped in seven. Chelsa Krom was also a spark with six kills, hitting .333.

Setter Kate Zimmer paced the offense with 20 assists and contributed two service aces. Defensively, Piper Harris tallied a team-high 21 digs, while Duchsherer added 11. At the net, Krom registered two solo blocks and two block assists.

BSC battled throughout the night, nearly forcing a fourth set in the second frame before Dickinson State pulled away late. The Mystics finished with 37 kills and a .126 hitting percentage, compared to 42 kills and a .254 percentage for the Blue Hawks.

Carmen Pallone led Dickinson State with 13 kills on a .571 hitting clip, while Cate Floy had 10 kills and three blocks.

The loss drops Bismarck State to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Dickinson State improved to 5-1, 1-0 in the Frontier Conference.

The Mystics return home Friday for their home opener as they welcome the No. 3 Bellevue Bruins to Bismarck for the first NAIA competition at the BSC Armory. Game time is set for 6 p.m. CDT and tickets can be purchased at the door upon arrival.