SAINT PAUL, MINN.—Midweek matches haven't been kind to the Hamline University women's volleyball team this season. The Pipers nearly debunked that trend as they came back from a 2-0 deficit to force extra points in the fifth set, but dropped their fourth-straight midweek match with a 3-2 (25-21, 25-21, 19-25, 18-25, 19-17) loss to Bethany Lutheran at Hutton Arena on Tuesday night.

The Pipers registered a season-high 66 kills in the match, the most since their 66 in a 3-2 win over Whitman on September 10, 2021. In addition to having the upper hand in kills 66-43, the Pipers outlasted the Knights in digs 98-80, total blocks (15-10), and service aces (14-11). Hamline's 52 combined errors were too much to overcome in the five-set loss.

Hamline falls to 8-14, while Bethany Lutheran improve to 11-12.

Bethany Lutheran 3, Hamline 2 (25-21, 25-21, 19-25, 18-25, 19-17)

The opening set was a slug fest as both squads combined to hit .286 and muster 30 kills, and trade the lead on seven occasions. The Pipers got kills from six different individuals, which included four from Lindsay Eckelman that propelled them to a 17-14 lead in the opening frame. This ignited a Bethany Lutheran squad that responded with an 11-4 run that included six kills, one service ace, and four combined Hamline errors that sealed a 25-21 victory for the Vikings.

Hamline managed just a .075 hitting mark and led for just one rally in set two, where they erased an eight-point 16-8 deficit with an 11-2 run that put them in front 19-18. Maddie Meyer's three kills engineered a Vikings 7-2 run that secured them another 25-21 win.

The Pipers improved their hitting percentage from the third and fourth sets .216 to .282, while Bethany Lutheran decreased that mark .054 -  -.029. A whopping seven lead changes and six Lauren Wilborn kills highlighted Hamline in set three, where they broke a 15-15 tie with a 10-4 run that locked a 25-19 win. 

The fourth set saw Hamline in a 6-3 hole behind four combined errors and a Bethany service ace. A pair of kills each from Britta Lund and Lauren Wilborn commanded Hamline's 7-1 run that put them in the driver's seat for good at 10-7. Three more kills from Melby, as well as two apiece from Bathurst and Lund locked a 25-18 win to force a fifth set.

The Vikings managed just three kills in the fifth set, but a combined 14 Hamline errors put each team toe-to-toe with a combined five match points. Bethany Lutheran's 4-1 run at the tail end included two match points and three Hamline errors that secured them the 19-17 win and 3-2 match victory.

Lindsay Eckelman was the player of the game for Hamline as she finished with six service aces, five assisted blocks, 10 kills, and eight digs.

Wilborn paced Hamline with 16 kills, while Britta Lund played the match of her life with a career-high 15 kills on a .342 hitting percentage as well as four total blocks. The Pipers, who out hit the Vikings .164 - .126 in the match, got a combined 57 assists from Kaitlyn Kotek (31) and Kayli Starkey (26). Riley Melby and Grace Bathurst round out the five Pipers to eclipse double digit kills with 13 and 10, respectively.

Jenna Rubbelke had 33 digs, three aces, and two assists for the Pipers. 

Hamline will travel to Saint Benedict on Friday, October 25 at 7 p.m.