SIOUX FALLS- The University of Sioux Falls volleyball team fought tooth-and-nail with the Bemidji State Beavers on Saturday, but the Cougars were able to defend Ron Eiesland Court and the Stewart Center from the pesky Beavers in straight sets (33-31, 25-16, 25-21), putting the Cougars at 13-5 on the season and 6-5 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate action.

Leading the Cougar pride was the trio of seniors Abby Feyereisen, KaSandra Springer, and sophomore Kenzie Byers. Feyereisen lead the team in hitting percentage, hitting a spectacular .500 (13K-2E-22TA). Springer recorded another double-double this time recording 17 kills, a game-high, and 12 digs. Byers joined the double-digit club on the night with 13 kills.

Junior Krista Goerger assisted on 42 kills, putting her at a career total of 2,087, just 52 shy of the USF Division II program record (2,139).

USF was dominant as a team, outhitting the Beavers .326-to-.158, while also recording six blocks and six service aces.

The Cougars will now have until Friday to rest before going on the road to No. 7 Minnesota Duluth and No. 8 St. Cloud State.

Set one was a set to remember, as it included 18 ties and 10 lead changes and went into extra rallies. To start the set, neither team was able to gain much ground to a 10-9 Beaver lead. The Cougars were able to take four straight rallies, but were quickly met with a 7-0 Beaver run. BSU was able to ride that run to a 23-18 lead, but were not ready for the Cougars to roar back like they did, surging to a 25-24 lead on a 7-1 run. 

With a roaring crowd at the Stewart Center, the Cougars and Beavers were locked into a battle, trading blows to a 27-26 Beaver lead, but the Cougars did not fret and got the point that started a back-and-forth affair. A kill from Feyereisen and a Beaver error gave the Cougars a 31-30 lead and set point.

The Beavers were able to tie the set for the 18th time before freshman Nicole Jacobson and Feyereisen got back-to-back kills to end the marathon of a set with a 33-31 win for the Cougars.

The Cougars were able to ride their set one thriller momentum in set two, riding along to an 11-1 lead, and never looked back in a set that ended on a Byers kill for the 25-16 set two win and a 2-0 match lead for the Cougars heading into intermission.

First point of the third set went in favor of the Cougars, but the Beavers rattled off an 8-2 run to get a sizable lead early. Down 11-7, the Cougars were able to get into an offensive grove, taking eight of the next 11 rallies to take a 15-14 lead over the Beavers. Later in the set, a service ace by the Beavers tied the match 19-19, but it was the Cougars who were able to shutdown the Beavers with kills by Springer, Feyereisen, junior Krista Goerger, as well as service aces by sophomore TiaRose Nagami and Feyereisen to cap off the set 25-21 and give the Cougars the straight-set victory at home.