BISMARCK, N.D. - The University of Mary Volleyball team played host to Bemidji State University today, and the Marauders lost a heartbreaker in five sets to the Beavers.
 
Bemidji State took control of the first set from U-Mary; after going up 5-1 early, the Beavers held a comfortable two point lead all the way until 11-9. From there, Bemidji State slowly extended their advantage to 13-10, then 18-14, and had U-Mary on the ropes at 23-16 before putting the set away at 25-16.
 
The Marauders turned the tables in the second set; after an early 5-2 lead, U-Mary kept a cushion at 8-6 before pulling of a 9-2 run thanks to six kills, an ace from Casey Reamann, and two team blocks to go up 17-8.
 
The Beavers made things interesting, however, as they rallied off six of the next seven points from three kills, two aces, and an error from the Marauders to close the gap at 18-14.
 
After swapping points to keep the lead at 20-16 in favor of U-Mary, the Marauders put the pedal to the floor and finished out the set on a 5-1 run from two kills, one team block and two Beaver errors to take set two at 25-17.
 
Set three saw the Beavers ahead early again; Bemidji State held a 5-1 lead before extending the gap at 12-5. Unfortunately for the Beavers, U-Mary shifted into overdrive and rallied off seven of the next eight points from two kills, two team blocks, an ace from Janell Finkbeiner and two errors from Bemidji State to narrow the deficit at 13-12.
 
U-Mary tied the set at 14-14 and the teams traded off points from there as the score was tied seven times en route to a 22-22 score. The Marauders jumped ahead at 24-22 and Bemidji State had one last scare at 24-23 before U-Mary closed the set at 25-23.
 
The fourth set is where the offense ran out of gas for the Marauders.
 
Bemidji State owned a 5-1 lead and kept that cushion at 11-7. Then something went wrong for U-Mary as the Beavers fired off a 14-1 run from five kills, three team blocks, two aces and four Marauder errors to easily take the set at 25-8.
 
Now the game was down to the fifth set and both teams were running out of options.
 
The Beavers took an early 6-2 lead, looking to close out U-Mary quickly. The Marauders fought right back with a four point burst off three kills from Kelsey Boyd, and another from Finkbeiner off a contested pass at the net. With the score tied at 6-6, the teams fought back and forth to keep the score tied at 8-8. Then something took the wind out of the sails for U-Mary as three errors, an ace, and a solo block gave Bemidji State a commanding 13-8 lead in a set that only goes to 15. The Marauders had a last gasp at 14-10, but it was too little too late as the Beavers took game, set, match against U-Mary at 15-10.
 
Lauren Boldt and Allison Adams led the attack for the Marauders tonight. Boldt finished with 13 kills, 32 attacks, a .250 hitting percentage, four block assists and two digs. Adams earned 11 kills, 17 attacks, a .471 hitting percentage, one ace and two block assists. Lauren Randall had a quiet night with nine kills, 27 attacks and one dig.

Finkbeiner was the primary driver for the offense as she finished with 31 assists, three digs, one ace, and one kill. Katelyn Olson got some reps as well with 14 assists, one kill and one block assist.
 
Alex Brown anchored most of the back line tonight with 21 digs and one assist.  Reamann helped out when she could with 12 digs, two aces and one assist.
 
Paige Smith helped out Boldt and Boyd on the front line in the match with five block assists while adding seven kills off 23 attacks. Boyd finished with five kills, 21 attacks, 10 digs, one assist and two block assists.
 
The Marauders (4-20, 1-14 NSIC) begin their final road trip of the season with a visit to Minot State University on Tuesday, Oct. 28.