BISMARCK, N.D. -- Bismarck State volleyball took a set off No. 7 Bellevue (Neb.) but fell 3-1 (25-10, 25-19, 25-14, 25-18) on Saturday at the Bavendick Center.
The loss drops BSC to 7-11 overall and 5-8 in Frontier Conference play. Bellevue improves to 17-2 overall and 13-0 in the Frontier and extends its win streak to 14 matches. The Mystics are 0-4 all-time against the Bruins but have won a set in both meetings this season, after winning two sets in a 3-2 loss on Sept. 4.
Set One: Bruins Pull Away
Bellevue led 10-9 before scoring 13 straight points to lead 23-9, then closed out a 25-10 win. The Mystics had seven kills against seven errors in the set for a .000 hitting percentage, and Bellevue hit .385. The set was tied once, at 1-1, and BSC never led.
Set Two: Errors Prove Costly
The set was tied three times early, and the Mystics led 2-1, but Bellevue scored five straight to go up 8-3. Trailing 13-8, BSC scored four straight to pull within 13-12, with an ace from Aubrey Flynn and back-to-back Bellevue attack errors blocked by Ellie Baumstarck and Jordyn Rossow. The Bruins answered with three straight to lead 16-12 and held on for a 25-19 win. BSC hit .000 in the set (nine kills, nine errors), and Bellevue hit .171.
Set Three: Mystics Take Control at the Net
Bismarck State won the third set 25-14, behind 14 block assists. The set was tied four times in the first 12 points before the Mystics scored eight of the next 10 to lead 14-8. They led 18-10 and closed the set with five straight points, four of them with Reese Duchsherer serving, including an ace. Bellevue was held to nine kills against 15 errors for a -.125 hitting percentage in the set, and BSC hit .147.
Set Four: Bruins Close It Out
The Bruins scored 11 of 12 points to turn a 6-4 lead into a 17-5 lead and led 19-5 when Ashlee Stanger and Aspen Roaldson entered the match. The Mystics answered with five straight points to cut it to 19-10. Down 24-14, they scored four straight to get within 24-18 before Bellevue closed out the 25-18 win.
Mystics Key Performers
- Reese Duchsherer led the way with a team-high 11.0 points on 10 kills and an ace, adding 11 digs
- Ellie Baumstarck finished with 10.0 points on 6 kills and a team-high 8 block assists
- Jordyn Rossow added 8 kills and 4 block assists for 10.0 points
- McKenna Brendel contributed 7 kills and 5 block assists for 9.5 points
- Jordyn Rood chipped in 3 kills, 4 block assists and an ace for 6.0 points
- Piper Harris paced the defense with a team-high 23 digs
- Aislyn Hogan ran the offense with 33 assists, adding 3 block assists
Game Notes
- Bismarck State's third-set win snapped Bellevue's streak of seven straight sweeps
- Bismarck State hit .071 as a team (37 kills, 26 errors, 154 attempts). Bellevue hit .145 (51 kills, 28 errors, 159 attempts)
- The Mystics out-blocked the Bruins 12.0 to 5.0, with all 24 of their block assists coming from six players
- The match featured 10 ties and four lead changes, with two of the lead changes in each of sets two and three
- The Mystics drop to 4-3 at home this season
Upcoming Home Games
Bismarck State wraps up its home stretch at the Bavendick Center with three more matches:
- Wednesday, Oct. 14 -- vs. Dickinson State (N.D.), 7 p.m. -- "Volley for the Way Night." Dickinson State is 6-14 overall, 5-8 Frontier.
- Friday, Oct. 16 -- vs. Montana Western, 6 p.m. Montana Western is 9-11 overall, 8-5 Frontier.
- Saturday, Oct. 17 -- vs. Montana Tech, 3 p.m. Montana Tech is 15-4 overall, 10-3 Frontier.
See the volleyball schedule for more information on how to watch, follow and attend the upcoming matches.
Be sure to visit BSCMystics.com and download the MysticNation app to continue to stay up to date with everything going on in Mystic Athletics.
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