University of Minnesota Crookston Athletics

Bemidji, Minn. -- Minnesota Crookston commenced their three-match road trip to start the week on Tuesday for a date with Highway-2 rivals Bemidji State.

 

Minnesota Crookston would win the first two sets, have leads in sets three, four and five, but fall in a five set thriller on the road (25-21, 25-22, 22-25, 22-25, 14-16).

 

Set One

The Golden Eagles would come ready to rock in the BSU Gymnasium, never trailing the first set.

 

Lexi Scharold (Jr., MH, Alexandria, Kent.) and Bella Peters (Fr., MH, Altona, Manitoba) would collect a pair of kills for an early 2-0 lead.

 

An Adrienne Venditto (So., DS, Bovey, Minn.) service ace and a Madison Carsten (Sr., OH, Wadena, Minn.) kill would make it 5-1 in favor of the Golden Eagles.

 

BSU would cut the first set lead to just two at 9-7, but Brook Orazem (So., S, Onamia, Minn.) would collect a kill to push the lead back to four at 11-7.

 

With Carizma Muth (Sr., OH, Randolph, Wis.) at the service line, the Golden Eagles would go on a run to make it 15-9.

 

Later, a Carsten service ace would make the lead 20-12, forcing a BSU timeout.

 

The Golden Eagles would win the first set on a service error by BSU.

 

Minnesota Crookston would hit .452 in the set, led by five kills from Carsten and four from Scharold.

 

Set Two

Set two would be the polar opposite of set one, as the two teams would feel each other out and neither team would gain a lead of two, until BSU led 11-9.

 

That's when the Golden Eagles would get another service run from Muth, highlighted by a massive, earth-shattering kill from Carsten, forcing a Beaver timeout with the Golden Eagles leading by four. Muth would collect a pair of service aces in that run, as well.

 

The run would continue to a 9-0 run, as the maroon and gold would take an 18-11 lead, forcing another BSU timeout.

 

The Beavers would try and chip away and would fight off three set points, but Scharold would say enough of this and end the set with a block and the three point win.

 

Set Three

The Golden Eagles would start fast once again in the third and potential final set, as Muth would finish off her fourth kill of the match for an early 1-0 lead.

 

Scharold would later finish another kill following an Ellery Ehresmann (So., S, Albany, Minn.) service ace for an 8-5 lead.

 

BSU would flip the script and take a 15-12 lead, which would force a Golden Eagle timeout.

 

Out of the timeout, Muth would get a kill and a Beaver attacking error would make it 15-14.

 

BSU would take their largest lead of the match at 19-15, but another one of those Muth service runs would force a timeout with the Golden Eagles leading 20-19.

 

The Golden Eagles would lose the third set by three, 25-22.

 

Set Four

In set four, it would be very similar to set three, as the Beavers and Golden Eagles would be tight throughout.

 

BSU would take a 14-10 lead, forcing a Kathleen Rustad timeout.

 

Out of the timeout, the maroon and gold would get rolling again and use a 7-0 run, behind the left arm of Orazem at the service line for a 17-14 lead.

 

The run would force the first Beaver timeout of the set.

 

The set would be tied at 20, 21 and 22, but BSU would score the last three to take set and we would head to a fifth set.

 

Set Five

The two teams would trade the first four points of the set, before Venditto would collect the 11th Golden Eagle service ace for a 3-2 lead.

 

On the next rally, Carsten would collect her 19th kill of the match for a 4-2 lead.

 

In the race to 15, the Golden Eagles would force a timeout and a 9-4 lead with the help of Brooklyn Gysbers (Fr., OH, White Bear Lake, Minn.) and her eighth kill of the match.

 

The Golden Eagles would stretch their lead to 12-4, but the Beavers would crawl back and force a timeout trailing 12-8.

 

Bemidji State would  fend off four match points and win 16-14.

 

Individual Stats

What a match it was for Carsten, who would finish with 21 kills on 50 total attacks and 23 digs, tying a career-high. Scharold added 15 kills and four blocks and had just three errors. Muth finished with a double-double as well, adding 11 kills and 16 digs, as well as tying a career-high with five service aces.

 

The big number was the 13 service errors that the Golden Eagles had on the evening.

 

What's Next

Minnesota Crookston will head to North Dakota for a pair of matches at Minot State and UMary.