The best shots from Bethel’s MIAC semifinal loss to Augsburg on Wednesday By Katie Viesselman Bethel women’s soccer faced Augsburg University on Wednesday afternoon at Ona Orth. After falling behind 3-0, Bethel scored twice in the second half but couldn’t fully mount the comeback, and the Auggies prevailed 4-2. Bethel finishes their season 13-4-1, their best mark in program history. Keep Reading
Bethel starts hot, but Augsburg rallies from two sets down to stun the Royals in round one of the MIAC playoffs. By Sam Johnson In an electric atmosphere Tuesday night at the Robertson Center gym in Arden Hills, the fourth-ranked Bethel Royals volleyball team began its postseason taking on the fifth-ranked Augsburg Auggies. From opening serve, the Royals supporters made their presence known, with thunderous applause and roaring cheers for their squad in what most likely would be their final home game of the year. As the match commenced, the Royals wasted no time getting out to a quick lead. Sophomore right side hitter Macie Gavic pounded two kills back-to-back to get the crowd fired up and bring energy to her teammates. Sophomore setter Ellie Hoyt also contributed to that momentum, landing two consecutive aces in the set. Freshman setter Hannah Wilhite provided three straight kills in the middle of… Keep Reading
Check out the best shots from the Royals’ win over Concordia-Moorhead this week! By Carlo Holmberg The Bethel women’s soccer team closed out their regular season home slate of games on Wednesday with a 4-0 shutout victory over Concordia-Moorhead. Senior forward Sydney Wight led the way with two goals. The Royals are 13-2-1 on the season and can clinch a MIAC title with a win over St. Thomas on Saturday! Keep Reading
Royals play a clean game to clinch a Family Weekend victory By Jared Martinson The Bethel University football team knocked off Concordia-Moorhead by a score of 41-13 on Saturday. The win pushed the Royals to 6-1 on the season with three games remaining. A breezy day with clear skies was the perfect atmosphere for a game Bethel desperately needed to stay in the NCAA tournament at-large bid hunt. A great turnout from Bethel fans and community—thanks to Family Weekend at the university—helped cheer on the Royals to a lopsided victory. Defense was the star of the game for the home team. Concordia was limited to 136 total yards on the day and committed three turnovers, all fumbles forced by the Royals. Linebacker Drew Ragsdale led the way with eight total tackles and a sack. Defensive lineman Cam Monson added six tackles. When the offense stalled on multiple drives in the… Keep Reading
By: Sam Johnson Tommies knock off Royals on sentimental Senior Night As spectators filled the Robertson Center gymnasium Friday evening for the final time this regular season, the Bethel Royals volleyball team looked to add one more home win to their resume. This time, it was against MIAC conference foe St. Thomas. Coming into the match, the Royals and Tommies shared the same 5-2 conference record, with this match determining the sole owner of third place in the MIAC. Early in the first set, the Tommies came out to a roaring start. They opened the match on a 9-4 run, and eventually led 18-8, fueled by wide-open kills and sloppy Royals defense. With more errors and a lack of energy, Bethel looked completely outmatched. They didn’t salvage another point the entire set, with the score ending 25-8 in favor of the Tommies. But, as this week has been for the… Keep Reading
Bethel contingent is safe; fatalities on other side of the crash By Jared Martinson A crash involving the bus carrying the Bethel University volleyball team killed two people in the other vehicle on Saturday night. The volleyball team, on their way home from weekend matches in Naperville (IL) and Whitewater (WI), hit the car around 8:10 p.m., seven miles west of Whitewater in Rock County. None of the passengers in the Bethel bus were injured. Bethel University athletic director Bob Bjorklund has been in constant communication with coach Gretchen Hunt and the team. “Praise God that our team members, coaches and bus driver were spared serious injury in this horrific accident,” Bjorklund’s faculty-wide email read. The crash occurred when the opposing car, heading east, swerved across the dividing stripe on County Road N near Lima Township, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The Bethel party was able to find lodging in… Keep Reading
Committed Royals fan brings energy to matches By Zach Walker Justy Larue leaps from the bleachers as the sound of leather hitting wood spreads throughout the Robertson Center gym. Holding a poster board adorned with colored marker, he celebrates like a Super Bowl attendee. And just as the Super Bowl has cheerleaders, Bethel volleyball has Justy. Larue, a senior RA, has been to almost every game over the past two years. He makes it a point to spread the good word to his friends and residents. “Volleyball is definitely the most hype event at Bethel,” Larue said while standing near the front of a living room crowded with over 20 of those residents. As many students and spectators simply watched as the Royals competed against the UW-Stout Blue Devils on Sept. 21, Larue dove headfirst into the experience. With his cheer signs held high, he led chants to encourage the… Keep Reading
Crushing defensive pressure and a roaring offensive attack give Royals a chance, but Johnnies prevail By Jared Martinson The Bethel University football team (4-1, 2-1 MIAC) ran out of chances in Saturday’s homecoming game against St. John’s University (5-0, 4-0 MIAC), falling by a score of 34-16. Bethel came into the game with a week’s worth of high spirits, many players getting excited for what would be “the biggest game of the year”. The Johnnies entered Saturday as the no. 9 team in the nation across Division 3. Things started rough as SJU took a 71-yard pass to the end zone barely 60 seconds into the game, but the story of the first half was Bethel’s defense. They held strong throughout the rest of the frame, and the Royals trailed just 10-3 at the break. Linebacker Drew Ragsdale and defensive linemen Kyle Kilgore and Cameron Monson forced Johnnie quarterback Jackson… Keep Reading
Snapshots of Bethel athletics excitement throughout the first month of school By Carlo Holmberg Keep Reading
For freshman volleyball player Hannah Wilhite, finding a place where she belongs wasn’t too tough. By Jared Martinson Louisville, Kentucky. That’s a long way from Bethel University. More than 700 miles. So how does someone from the Bluegrass State end up in Arden Hills? “I heard of Bethel thanks to family that lives close by,” freshman Hannah Wilhite said. “I was looking for three main things in a school: a great volleyball program, a great nursing program, and a Christ-centered environment.” Wilhite is a setter for the Bethel volleyball team, a group that is off to a winning start in 2018. She’s played in all 57 sets so far. She is sixth on the team in kills, but first in smiles—even after hitting a few serves out of bounds against Wisconsin-Stout on Saturday. There’s a reason for the smile, one that goes beyond the lines of a volleyball court. “Everyone… Keep Reading