MOORHEAD, Minn. — The Minnesota State University Moorhead volleyball team dominated Bemidji State in its home finale on Saturday, sweeping the Beavers, 25-20, 25-12, 25-13 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action at Nemzek Fieldhouse in Moorhead, Minn.

MSUM improved to 15-11 overall and 8-10 in the NSIC with the win while Bemidji State fell to 6-21 and 4-14 in the NSIC. The Dragons clinched a winning season with the victory and moved to within one game of eighth-place Minnesota State for the final NSIC tournament spot with two matches remaining.

Senior setter Casie Baer had 40 set assists and 14 digs for MSUM, while senior libero Amber Krenske had 19 digs.  Senior middle blocker Kaitlin VanWinkle had 14 kills, followed by senior right-side hitter Abby Wolpern with 11 and sophomore outside hitter Claire Grimm with 10.  VanWinkle also had six block assists, a match high.

The Dragons hit .245 for the match, compared to .019 for Bemidji State.

MSUM set the tone early, opening the first set on a 13-4 run,  sparked by four kills from sophomore hitter Carly Masloski and three from VanWinkle.  Bemidji State cut the lead to 24-20 late but Baer recorded a kill off of a battle at the net to give MSUM a 25-20 lead.

It was more of the same in the second set was MSUM built a 6-2 lead, thanks to two kills from Wolpern.  The Dragons led 19-11 and scored five points in a row — thanks to two kills and a block assist from VanWinkle — to push the advantage to 24-11. MSUM was never challenged in a 25-12 win.

The Dragons opened the third set on a 10-2 run, sparked by four kills from Grimm, and were never threatened in a 25-13 win.

MSUM, which finished with a 6-4 mark at home, will be on the road to conclude the regular season, starting Friday at nationally-ranked Minnesota Duluth.