KENOSHA, Wis. – The University of Minnesota Crookston volleyball played close sets with NSIC rival Bemidji State University, but the young squad would come up short in a 3-0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-19) loss. The Golden Eagles were led on the day by a strong season debut from Deaira Gresham (So., OH, Maplewood, Minn.), who had 17 kills and a .220 hitting percentage.

The Golden Eagles drop to 1-2 on the season with the loss to Bemidji State. The Beavers improve to 2-1 with Saturday morning's win. Minnesota Crookston will have two more chances at Bemidji State as the teams will meet twice in conference play. The Golden Eagles have one more game left in the 2018 Hampton Inn Invitational in Kenosha, Wis., on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

Minnesota Crookston finished the match hitting .236 as a team, compared to a .276 hitting percentage for Bemidji State. The Beavers had 51 digs compared to 46 for the Golden Eagles.

Key Players
Minnesota Crookston
Deaira Gresham, 17 kills, .220 hitting pct., 7 digs
Kaitlin Sikkink, 8 kills, .571 hitting pct., 2 blocks
Callie Schapekahm, 7 kills, .467 hitting pct.
Sydney Kruisselbrink, 33 assists
Ali Schueler, 13 digs
Lauren Ulibarri, 11 digs

Bemidji State
Anna Averkamp, 18 kills, .419 hitting pct.
Greta Paszek, 9 kills, .300 hitting pct.
Maddie Mackinac, 38 assists, 11 digs
Becka Cronin, 9 digs

Set One
The Golden Eagles got going early in the first set as they started the match off with a quick kill from Deaira Gresham (So., OH, Maplewood, Minn.). Gresham was feeling it early on in her first match of the season as the sophomore put down three kills in the first five points for Minnesota Crookston. The Golden Eagles would lead 10-6 after a kill from Kaitlin Sikkink (R-Jr., MH, St. Charles, Minn.) from her middle hitter position. Bemidji State came within 10-9 following a few mishaps by Minnesota Crookston. The Beavers would continue to hold close. They would tie up the match 18-18 on a service ace from Greta Paszek. The two NSIC foes would stay close and would be knotted up at 24-24 late in the set. Bemidji State would come up with the set one victory 27-25 following a pair of Minnesota Crookston attack errors.

Set Two
Bemidji State held an early 10-7 advantage following an Anna Averkamp kill and a Lauren Wallace (R-Fr., OH, Bloomington, Minn.) attack error. Minnesota Crookston would knot the match up 12-12 on a Wallace kill. Bemidji State would take the lead 18-15 following a Sydney Kruisselbrink (So., S, Rochester, Minn.) attack error. Minnesota Crookston would climb back into the set as they cut the lead to 19-18 following a Maddie Filipiak attack error. Bemidji State took the momentum from there as they moved into a 24-18 lead after a Kruisselbrink ball-handling error. The Beavers would take the set 25-20 with a kill from Emma Hallmann. 

Set Three
The Golden Eagles took the early 7-4 lead with back-to-back kills by Gresham. Minnesota Crookston built their lead out to 17-13. Bemidji State would be able to knot the match up 17-17 with a Becka Cronin service ace. They took the lead from Minnesota Crookston 18-17 as Cronin came up with a crucial kill. Bemidji State would move their advantage to 22-17 following a Mary Campbell kill. The Golden Eagles made a late charge with a kill from Hannah Stark (Fr., OH, Esko, Minn.) and a big block from Stark and Sikkink to cut the lead to 22-19. However, the Beavers came through in the end as they took the set 25-19 and the match 3-0 following a Hallmann service ace.  

Minnesota Crookston returns to action in the afternoon as they take on Saginaw Valley State University at 3 p.m. at De Simone Gymnasium in Kenosha, Wis.