Women's Volleyball | 9/28/2026 1:52:00 PM
#TIDBITS
Golden Eagle volleyball will play the fourth of five matches at home against their Highway-2 rivals Bemidji State on Tuesday. The Golden Eagles will look to avenge an earlier season loss to the Beavers, in which BSU swept Minnesota Crookston in California. The Golden Eagles have played much better as of late and will look for some home cookin' on Tuesday night.
· GLAD TO BE BACK. Minnesota Crookston and Madison Carsten will undoubtedly love to be back at home on Tuesday night. Carsten has had three home matches this season and has 38 kills and 45 digs in those three matches. Carsten is a six-rotation player and has proven to be valuable this season.
· STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. It was a tale of two different matches in one last Thursday night against the Dragons of MSU Moorhead. The Golden Eagles allowed 19 kills in the first set and just 21 over the next two sets combined, holding a pretty good Dragon offense at bay for the majority of the match. It was the ability at the net for the Golden Eagles that caused fits for the Dragons on the other side of the net.
· TURN THE TIDE. When Bemidji State swept Minnesota Crookston earlier this season, they were very strong offensively. The Beavers hit .363 as a team and had 15 kills from sophomore Navaeh Carlson and 12 from junior Ella Kratochvil. Minnesota Crookston hit .205 in the match, but allowed the Beavers to do too much offensively. If the Golden Eagles can be strong up front, this could be a very different match inside Lysaker Gymnasium
· HAN IN THE BACK. Freshmen have played all over the floor this season for the maroon and gold this season. Whether it's Jacelyn Crane, Madilyn Dinges, Bella Peters or Brooklyn Gysbers up front and Ava Leingang and Hannah Nesdahl in the back. If you're a freshman, you've played for the Golden Eagles. Nesdahl has taken the libero job and has run with it, starting at that spot ever since the California trip. Nesdahl finished with eight digs against UMD, her second most in conference and had a career-high 17 earlier this year against Chadron State. Nesdahl only gets better and better in the back; a good sign of things to come for the maroon and gold.
Series Quick Look vs the opponents
Minnesota Crookston leads the all-time series, 23-20
How to Follow
Bemidji State @ Minnesota Crookston
Thursday, Sept. 29
6 PM
Crookston, Minn. / Gary Senske Court at Lysaker Gymnasium
Live Stats -- https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wvball/media
Watch Live -- https://midcosportsplus.com/?school=university-of-minnesota-crookston
BEMIDJI STATE. The Beavers will roll into Crookston coming off a win in a five-set thriller against Minnesota State University Moorhead this past weekend. BSU currently holds a record of 11-3, with their three losses coming in conference play. The Beavers rank 7th in the NSIC with a 3-3 record.
ROUND TWO AWAITS. The Beavers and Golden Eagles are no strangers to each other in the high intensity Highway 2 rivalry. The Beavers have the upper hand on the season, as they swept the Golden Eagles 3-0 earlier this year. The Beavers will look to carry their momentum from the first match into round two.
STRENGTH AT THE END LINE. BSU has been a force in the serving department as they rank first in the NSIC in service aces and service aces/set. The Beavers total 97 service aces in 14 matches played, and average 2.20 aces/set. Ava Athman, a senior from Sauk Rapids, Minnesota leads the Beavers with 20 service aces.
TWO IN THE TOP TEN. The Beavers showcase their strong offense with two players in the top 10 in the NSIC in total kills. Ella Kratochvil, a junior from Nisswa, Minnesota currently ranks 6th with 153 kills. A strong second hand is her teammate Ava Athman, who currently ranks 10th with 143 kills.
