WINONA, Minn. - After winning two matches Saturday, Bethany Lutheran volleyball now has a three-match win streak over the past 20 hours. The Vikings started the Sugar Loaf Classic with a quick 3-0 win over Buena Vista before a dramatic five-set victory over Coe, improving to 3-4 overall. 

Bethany 3, Buena Vista 0

Buena Vista earned the first point of the game but the Vikings answered with four of the next five and never trailed the rest of the set in a 25-19 win. The second featured a little more back and forth as the lead changed sides twice before the Vikings went on a 7-1 run midway through the set and went on to claim a 25-17 decision. 

The toughest battle came in the third frame as the Vikings trailed 18-10 and later 21-13. Bethany fought all the way back to tie to score with an 11-3 run, fending off the Beavers' set point five times. A Beaver attack error followed by a Maddie Meyer kill gave the Vikings a 28-26 clinching win. 

Meyer paced the offense with nine kills and a .444 attack percentage. Kylie Smidt led the back line with 13 digs and Abby Distad distributed 25 assists along with 11 digs for the double-double. 

Bethany 3, Coe 2

The Vikings won the first two set by identical scored of 25-21 before the Kohawks answered with wins of 25-22 and 25-15 to force a deciding fifth set. 

Coe had the upper hand early in the fifth with a 4-2 lead before the Vikings came back with three straight to gain the lead at 5-4. Coe went back on top with a 7-3 run and later held set point at 14-12, but Bethany continued to fight and tied the game at 14. Coe once again held set point at 15-14 but the Vikings answered with three straight to close out a dramatic fifth set 17-15. 

Maddie Meyer (15), Lilly Mehrkens (12), and Sydney Carlson (11) each reached double-digit kills. Mehrkens added a team-high 19 digs for a double-double. Smidt (17) and Avery Carlson (13) also had double figure digs. Distad dished out 47 assists. 

Bethany continues non-conference action Wednesday night at Carleton. 
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