Bulldog Volleyball Dominates Bemidji State
UMD's defense was on display September 23 as the Bulldogs faced the BSU Beavers in a three-set match. Photo by Zada L. Cardinal
On Tuesday night, the UMD Bulldogs swept the Bemidji State University (BSU) Beavers in a three-set volleyball match. With the game scheduled to start at 6 p.m., the UMD starters, #4 Mollie Rupp, #5 Paige Decker, #9 Ava Jones, #13 Xada Jonson, #16 Kylie Broten, and #17 Madeline Guetzkow took the court as Defensive Specialist #8 Madison Reed quickly stepped into her place in the back row after the referee gave their nod of approval.
Coached by Jim Boos, the Bulldogs suffered a slow start as the BSU offense presented themselves with strong attacks at the net. However, halfway through the set, UMD gained points and was leading 14-12 when BSU called their first timeout. Following the timeout, the set continued to be full of rallies and heart-stopping plays, with both teams using up their respective timeouts for the first set. The first set concluded after a BSU attacker made contact with the net, which is considered a net violation, and the refs awarded the set point to UMD making the final score of the first set 25-21.
The second set began with UMD’s own Ava Jones serving the ball into play to win the first point. While the set settled into a back and forth rhythm, exchanging points between the two teams, the Bulldogs eventually pulled away 11-7 with BSU calling their first timeout of the second set a moment later. Following the timeout, UMD continued their pressure, bringing the score to 16-7 before BSU called their second timeout of the set. The ball only paused once more in the second set for the BSU captain to discuss a call with the head referee. The second set finished with a score of 25-12 in UMD’s favor.
Falling behind, the BSU volleyball team served the ball to begin the third set of the game with the first point going to UMD. A notable moment of the game, BSU took the lead for the first time since the first set. However, it was not to last as UMD quickly retook the lead, scoring four points in a row. BSU called their first timeout, but the damage was done. UMD conquered the rest of the set, blowing through BSU’s second timeout, and reaching the match point of 24-17 quickly. UMD closed out the game from a BSU net violation, resulting in the final score of 25-17.
Overall, Tuesday’s night game was a reflection of the Bulldog’s consistency in their passing and communication. The offense and defense work simultaneously, resulting in a well- coordinated team which dominated the volleyball court in Romano Gym.