BOX SCORE
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Northern State rallied from a 2-0 deficit and won the matches' final three sets to beat Augustana 3-2 (16-25, 20-25, 25-21, 28-26, 15-11) Saturday afternoon in Northern Sun Intercollegiate volleyball in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Northern State improves to 13-10 (5-9 NSIC). Augustana is now 11-12 (7-7 NSIC).
Chantel Tengwall led all players with a career-high 18 kills.
Three other Vikings posted double-figure kills, including
Brianna Erickson (15),
Brooke Lewko (14) and
Jordan Spatenka (13).
Dani Haley passed out a career-high 65 assists in the afternoon.
Grace Sanders had 31 digs.
Two kills for Augustana and a NSU attack error got the Vikings off to a 3-0 lead in the first set. At 7-4 Augustana won a string of five points to secure an eight point lead. Tengwall's six kills paced the 25-16 victory for the Vikings.
The Vikings dropped the first point of the second set but easily recovered with a kill by Spatenka. After the 1-1 tie, the score would tie again at 3-3 and 4-4 before Augustana ran away with the set off 19 kills to hit .283 and hold the Wolves to a .051 hitting percentage.
NSU regained strength in the third set, while the Vikings suffered with errors. The score remained tightly knit throughout the set until two consecutive Viking attack errors at 22-20 turned a two-point deficit for Augustana in a four-point difference and drowned any hope for a comeback.
The fourth set was kept very even with a total of ten ties. Neither team was able to gain a lead and keep it, but at 26-26 NSU was able to win a pair of points to take the set. Augustana led the set in kills with 15 but also led in errors with 10 to hit .100. The Wolves hit .130.
Errors were still troublesome for the Vikings in the final set. Although the score remained close, the Vikings trailed during most of the set. At 12-11 the Wolves won three points to finish off Augustana and take the match.
Jordan Schaffer led NSU with 17 kills.
The Vikings take to the road on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. match against Concordia-St. Paul.
