Bemidji State Women's Volleyball 8-0, Third Best Start In Program History

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The Bemidji State University women's volleyball team has achieved a remarkable 8-0 start to their season, marking the third-best beginning in program history and surpassing previous records set since 1988. This dominant performance is highlighted by an impressive streak of winning eighteen consecutive sets dating back to late August, with only four sets lost throughout the entire campaign. For a program that has struggled to win eight or more matches in a season during the last fourteen years, this turnaround represents a significant leap forward, establishing the Beavers as a formidable force early in their competitive schedule. Head coach Hanni Johnson, who took over as interim head coach after former leader Erica Bute departed for Augustana, credits the team's success to the strong foundation laid by the previous coaching staff and the players' collective response to adversity over the past three years. Johnson emphasizes that the squad has focused intensely on their own abilities rather than external pressures, which has translated into superior serving and passing games alongside improved decision-making on the court. As the roster matures with more experienced players, the team's ability to make smart choices during matches has become a defining factor in their victories, allowing them to maintain composure regardless of the score. Looking ahead, the Beavers are set to face stiff competition within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), starting with a trip to Minot for the "Battle of the Beavers" before heading to Bismarck to play U Mary. Johnson expresses excitement about facing ranked teams and competing in one of the best Division II conferences, noting that the upcoming games will be highly competitive and provide a fun environment for the athletes. The team's strategy remains focused on taking matches one at a time without dwelling on past results or worrying too far into the future, ensuring they stay prepared for the challenges that lie ahead in their conference play.

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Some say perfection is unattainable, but that if you chase perfection, you can catch excellence. BSU women's volleyball has managed to do both so far this season, sporting a perfect 8-0 record. It's their best start since 1988 when they won their first 14 contests and is third best only to a perfect 10-0 season in 1971. But the Beavers aren't just winning, they're dominating, having won 18 straight sets dating back to August 29th and only dropping four sets thus far. It's a massive turnaround for a program that's only won eight or more matches in a season twice in the last 14 years. >> It feels good to see the work we've put in finally kind of translate on the score sheet like we've been talking about. Um, I think we've been working hard through all the adversity these three years. Um, and it's just nice to see that pay off. We keep saying we want to play Beaver volleyball, um, kind of focusing on ourselves and what we know we can do. Um, and that's translating into the score obviously, but we're trying to just stay calm and not not worry about the score too much, just know what we know how to do. >> The 8-0 start is also the best in program history by a first-year head coach, that being Hanni Johnson, who made the jump from assistant to interim after former head coach Erica Bute departed for Augustana in late June. >> We were set up for success with the spring that we had with our previous coach. And then just these girls I think have responded very well and they're working really hard for the program and not just for me, like for each other especially and I think that's what makes a difference right now. I would say on the court our biggest thing is our serving pass game and then our decision making. That was something that last year we really wanted to grow in, we just had a very young team. And so this year people getting a little older, having more experience, like having good decisions on the court has gone a long way for us. We're just very focused on one match at a time, next match. Um, in NSIC everyone's so good. So like not looking too far ahead, not looking behind at what we just did, like we're focused on this next game. A lot of ranked teams through the conference season and I'm excited because those games get really competitive and it's a fun environment to play in and we're really lucky to play in one of the best Division II conferences. So, I'm just grateful to be a part of that and grateful to be a part of the conference. >> Bemidji State begins NSIC play this Friday with a trip to Minot for the Battle of the Beavers before heading to Bismarck to take on U Mary, who they already beat this season in what was their closest match to date going the full five sets. >> Sports on Lakeland News is sponsored in part by Paul Bunyan Communications, celebrating 10 years of the GigaZone, the all-fiber optic network that has transformed how we live and work. >> Lakeland News is a nonprofit news organization. Donate to Lakeland PBS today to support your local news team.