Bemidji High volleyball team goes over .500 mark

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Sept. 4, 1998

By Devlyn Brooks

The Bemidji High volleyball team broke the .500 mark again Thursday night, posting a three-set victory over Crosby-Ironton 15-1, 15-5 and 15-10. The win increased their record to 2-1.

In the first game, the Lumberjacks seemed to recover quicker than the Rangers from a 15-minute delay caused by a fire alarm prior to the first serve of the match.

The cooled Rangers managed only one point on a Bemidji error halfway through the game, and gave up double-digit points due to their own errors.

Bemidji had runs of two, four, three, two and three points in the rapid set, with juniors Jenny Frisk and Lindsay Sand recording service aces.

In the second, the Rangers seemed to regroup, playing better defense and lengthening their volleys, while the Lumberjacks slipped a notch. Bemidji's first and second passes were not as sharp, resulting in a less aggressive offense.

Crosby-Ironton sneaked to a 4-0 lead early on several Bemidji errors and a service ace, but the Lumberjacks slowly clawed their way back into the game a point or two at a time.

Bemidji broke the game open when sophomore Alyssa Rasmus served for points three through seven on three Ranger errors and two BHS kills. The Lumberjacks added a few runs of two points each to put the match away 15-5. Erin Winkka had two aces in the game.

The Rangers held tough in the third set as well, making the Lumberjacks work for each point and hanging around long enough for BHS to commit eight errors for points.

At times, Bemidji lost focus and seemed unable to put away the pesky Rangers, letting Crosby-Ironton crawl back into the set twice late in the game.

Senior Heidi Hardwig and juniors Sand and Tara Sande each recorded a service ace in the game, while Sand served for five consecutive points late in the set.

Fifth-year BHS coach Joan McKinnon said she appreciated her team's hustle during the match. Although, she added, they still need to become more consistent with their serve receive and control their passing better.

The BHS squad's next action is Tuesday at Deer River.

"B" Team

The BHS "B" team recorded a swift, two-set win over the Rangers 15-1 and 15-13, according to coach Bruce Manske.

"C" Team

The C-1 and C-2 teams made it a Bemidji High sweep against Crosby-Ironton, with C-1 winning 15-1 and 15-3 and C-2 winning 2-15, 15-7 and 15-13.