Mystics Volleyball Season Ends with Loss to Muskegon

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Bismarck State College’s women’s volleyball season ended on Friday with a 3-1 loss to Muskegon Community College in the consolation round of the NJCAA Division II National Tournament.

The Mystics finish a highly successful season with a 33-5 record after marching to titles in the Mon-Dak Conference, Region XIII and the Northwest Plains District. They had dropped into the consolation round with a 3-1 loss to Cowley College in Thursday’s opening round.

Against the Jayhawks, BSC lost the first set 25-18 before taking the second 25-22. Muskegon won the third set 25-22 and won the match with a 25-21 victory in the fourth set to improve to 31-7.

Back-to-back losses have been a rare occurrence for the Mystics. Their last back-to-back losses were March 8-9, 2021, during the delayed 2020 COVID-19 season and before that was Nov. 22-23, 2019, at the NJCAA Division II national tournament where they went 2-2 and placed fourth.

Reile Payne, in her last game after three seasons with the Mystics, led the way against Muskegon with 15 kills and eight digs. Morgan Wheeler added 10 kills and 11 digs and Jenna Rust had 10 kills. Cam Beasley had 41 assists, 11 digs, four kills and three service aces and Eden Schlinger had 20 digs.

The Jayhawks were led by Reilly Murphy’s 24 kills, 13 digs and four aces. Elena Vaara had 16 kills and Raegan Murphy added 45 assists and 12 digs.

Bismarck State College 18 25 22 21 Muskegon Community College 25 22 25 25

Bismarck State: Kills – Reile Payne 15, Morgan Wheeler 10, Jenna Rust 10, Paige McAllister 5, Cam Beasley 4, Greta Gibson 3, Madelyn Jennings 1. Assists – Beasley 41, Kiara Johnson 2, Eden Schlinger 1, Payne 1. Digs – Schlinger 20, Wheeler 11, Beasley 11, Johnson 9, Payne 8, McAllister 2, Gibson 1. Blocks – Rust 1. Aces – Beasley 3, Schlinger 2, Johnson 1, Payne 1.

Muskegon: Kills – Reilly Murphy 24, Elena Vaara 16, Raegan Murphy 6, Leah Ellis 6, Kayla Fisk 6, Abby Derks 1. Assists – Raegan Murphy 45, Maggie Evans 5, Kendra Kieft 5, Reilly Murphy 2. Digs – Kieft 31, Reilly Murphy 13, Raegan Murphy 12, Evans 9, Leah Ellis 8, Vaara 3, Derks 2, Fisk 1. Blocks – Raegan Murphy 2, Vaara 2, Reilly Murphy 1, Ellis.5, Derks .5. Aces – Reilly Murphy 4, Ellis 3, Vaara 2, Raegan Murphy 1, Evans 1, Kieft 1.

Records: Bismarck State 33-5, Muskegon 31-7.