STORM :LAKE - For the second straight match, freshman Kaitie Serkiz set a new career high, posting 20, while Hannah Smith matched her career-best with 14, but the duo couldn't quite help lift Buena Vista past visiting Minnesota-Morris on Tuesday night, as the Beavers fell in four narrow sets (26-24, 28-26, 24-26, 25-17).

It was a tight back-and-forth battle all night long against a Cougar squad that has posted over 45 wins combined the last two seasons.  Serkiz finished with a hitting percentage of .213 with Smith finishing with only three errors and .344 percentage.  

Sydney McLaren narrowly missed out on a double-double, posting nine kills while finishing with 15 digs.  Taylor Wedemeyer was four kills shy of a triple-double.  She dished out a team-leading 48 assists, added 11 digs and chipped in with six kills.

BVU led the opening set 10-6 before UMM rallied to tie things up at 13-13.  The Beavers again led late, 21-18, but five straight from the Cougars helped them rally and hang on for a 26-24 win.  BVU came out and scored four of the first five points in set two only to see UMM go on to score nine of the next 11 to take a 10-6 lead.  The Beavers held a slim 19-18 advantage late, and it was again a string of five straight points from the Cougars that put them up 23-18.

This time, however, BVU was able to put together its own rally, getting three straight kills from Serkiz to go in front 24-23.  It couldn't quite finish off the Cougars, as Minnesota-Morris overcame set point twice to win 28-26.  The two teams combined for 37 kills in the set and just 14 errors.

BVU appeared in control to win the third set, extending its late lead to 24-19, but UMM did fight all the way back and tie it up at 24-all before Wedmeyer and Serkiz made sure that the Beavers would keep playing after back-to-back kills and a 26-24 triumph.

The Cougars (6-8) led throughout most of the fourth set and pulled away late en route to a 25-17 win.

"Despite the result we are really happy with tonight," said BVU head coach Aubrey Havlichek.  "Our errors were what killed us in that fourth set, but through the first three we were neck and neck with a solid Morris team. Kaitie continues to improve and was a hot hitter tonight.  We got a level of play from Hannah we hadn't seen all season and I'm excited for her to continue on this trend.  Overall we operated at a very high clip, Rosie and I are extremely proud with the grit we played with."

Buena Vista will return to American Rivers Conference play on Thursday night when the team hosts Central College at 7 p.m. inside of Siebens Fieldhouse.