ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Behind a career-high 26 kills from Kirstin Cotter, the No. 23-ranked Bethel University volleyball team earned a crucial MIAC victory over St. Olaf in five sets Friday evening inside the Robertson Center, 25-21, 25-16, 19-25, 25-27, 15-6.
 
Along with Cotter in the double-digit kills column was Danielle Friedges with 11 and Emily Rossing with 10. Setter Hannah Wilhite was one assist shy of her career-high with 52.
 
A wild opening set saw BU come out on top 25-21 after 13 ties and four lead changes later. Wilhite shared the wealth to BU's hitters where they hit .484 behind five kills from Cotter. BU came away with the lead for good on a Oles attacking error at 18-17 while a kill from Wilhite put on the finishing touches.
 
Another tight opening in the second only saw 11 ties. BU used a four-point run turning a 13-12 deficit into a 16-14 lead. Another five-point run capped by a pair of kills form Friedges all but sealed Bethel to a two set advantage.
 
Despite four service aces and nine kills from Cotter, Bethel dropped the third set hitting a mere .182. On the other side St. Olaf had its best set of the night coming away with a 25-19 decision on a .519 attacking percentage.
 
A four-point run for the Oles gave them a 10-6 lead in the fourth. BU clawed its way back into it scoring seven of the next eight points that ended with back-to-back aces from Allie Fauth. A late run by the Oles erased BU's lead tying it up four times until coming away with two straight points in the 27-25 set.
 
BU brought it in the fifth setting up Cotter whose three kills got them out to a 7-3 lead. Things kept clicking for the Royals scoring the final four points and capturing their 10th service ace of the night from Wimmer, who tallied a career-high four aces herself.
 
The Royals, now 6-1 in the Robertson Center, kick off a four-match road trip at St. Catherine Saturday night at 7 p.m.