Erin Navratil’s career-high 18 kills led St. Cloud State (6-2, 2-0) past Bemidji State (3-7, 0-2) in 5 sets on Saturday afternoon.

The sophomore Albany product added a dig while hitting .289 on the day.

True freshman Linsey Rachel added her fourth double-double in her past six matches, going for 16 kills, 17 digs, 2 aces, and 2.0 blocks. Fellow first year Rachel Houle tied her career high in kills with 5 to go with a career-high 3.0 blocks. Junior Halle Hughes solidified the Huskies’ defense with a career-high 3 block assists.

Anna Averkamp led the way for Bemidji State with 13 kills, while Julie Touchett and Becka Cronin each added 10 kills. Beavers libero Emma Hallmann led all defenders with 26 digs.

The Huskies struggled early on in the match, dropping the first set 25-10. SCSU stormed back in the second to earn a 25-14 victory, followed by an exhilarating 27-25 loss to the Beavers in set number three. With their backs against the wall, St. Cloud State took set four 25-15 and the decisive fifth by a 15-13 final.

St. Cloud State allowed just 12 kills over the final two sets. Serve receive was a significant issue for both sides, as the Beavers’ Haley Stolt picked up 3 aces in a single service run to open the first set. SCSU recorded 7 aces to Bemidj’s 4, and the two teams struggled mightily to stay in system.

The Huskies return to Halenbeck Hall on Tuesday, September 11 at 6:30 p.m. to take on #6 UMD. The match will be found on the KVSC Sports Stream, with Husky Den Pregame at 6:15 p.m.

Box Score