BEMIDJI -- A fog descended upon the BHS Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
The Bemidji High School volleyball team had a tough time breaking through that metaphorical haze, losing a 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-21, 25-17) match to Brainerd that never quite felt right.
“You really have to dig deep and focus on the things you can control in those situations,” head coach Alicia Kriens said of playing through a funk. “I always tell the girls that I’m not going to be mad at them for making mistakes, but I am going to be mad at them for not doing the things you can control, which is talking, hustle, effort level. Those are things that have to come from them.”
Though the Lumberjacks didn’t always have their best stuff on Tuesday, neither did the Warriors for many stretches. But Bemidji still couldn’t prevent Brainerd from separating late in sets and controlling the outcome on their terms.
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
“They might score one or two, but somebody’s going to have to step up and say, ‘Enough’s enough,’” Kriens said. “We have to control our emotions and adrenaline, really take a step back and slow it down and play our game versus continuing to rush through the match.”
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The Lumberjacks (9-12) struggled to find a groove in the first set, fighting through a defense that just wasn’t in sync. The Warriors (11-9) charged in front 21-11 behind their attack, and a late run from Bemidji only lessened the final score for a six-point difference.
Early in the second set, senior outside hitter Beth Bolte went down with a scary-looking ankle injury and had to exit the game. Instead of folding, though, the Jacks rallied in her absence and took a lead that they weren’t about to surrender.
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
Brooklyn Saiger filled Bolte’s shoes without missing a beat, and Livia Ritchie added valuable contributions as Kriens reached deeper into her bench. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Oster flashed her versatility on both offense and defense, catching fire in the same stretch.
Bolte returned to the match after missing just 16 points, even recording a kill and a block in key moments of the set. Mollie Rupp ended things with a block for set point, leveling the match at 1-1.
“That was a great opportunity for some of our underclassmen to really step up,” Kriens said of Bolte’s absence. “We got Liv back in there, and then made that switch to have Brooklyn swing out of the middle, where she got those few kills right away. She stepped into that position and did an awesome job.”
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
Bemidji had the edge at 19-15 in the third set, but then momentum took a dark turn. Brainerd scored nine straight points, pulling in front 24-19, and a kill from Abby Paulson a few points later put the Warriors ahead 2-1 on the night and knocked the wind out of the Lumberjacks’ sails.
And Bemidji never got going in the fourth set, unable to stop Brainerd from pulling away and ultimately succumbing to a 25-17 loss in the finale.
Oster and Rupp finished with 11 kills apiece, and Rupp was a menace on the serve with six aces. Margie Anderson tallied 26 set assists, while Rupp and Adie Potratz each had 15 digs. Rupp also had a team-best three blocks, plus Oster and Bolte both added a pair.
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Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
The Jacks won’t have long to dwell on Tuesday’s loss, as it’s just the first of three home matches on this week’s schedule. Still, Bemidji certainly intends to bounce back from it.
“We’ll probably talk about (the loss) at the beginning of practice tomorrow, see where our heads were at and really reflect on it,” Kriens said. “Hopefully the girls will reflect on it tonight, and so will I. … We’ll discuss it and hopefully be able to turn it around.”
Bemidji is back at home to host Detroit Lakes at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, in the BHS Gymnasium.
Brainerd 3, Bemidji 1
BRD 25 20 25 25 -- 3
BEM 19 25 21 17 -- 1
Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer
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VOLLEYBALL: Lumberjacks get stuck in a funk, lose 3-1 to Brainerd - The Bemidji Pioneer
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