BOX SCORE SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Augustana suffered its first loss of the season when No. 10 Southwest Minnesota State beat the Vikings in four sets, 25-12, 25-23, 21-25, 25-21 on Thursday night. Augustana's first loss drops their record to 8-1, 0-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference competition and the Mustangs' win improves their record to 6-3, 1-0 in the NSIC.
The Vikings were held to a season-low .158 attack percentage due to 16 errors and 97 digs by SMSU. The Vikings still managed 42 kills, but 68 percent of their total attempts resulted in either errors or SMSU digs.
Augustana continued to play defense well at the net, recording 10 blocks which drew them back into the game after a sluggish start. Freshman
Brittany Cech set a career-high in digs with 24 to lead the Vikings' back-row defense.
A slow start to the match put the Vikings in a hole they couldn't climb out of as they would fall in the first set 25-12. Augustana only managed four kills and they hit four errors while Southwest Minnesota State team picked up nearly every Viking attack, finishing the set with 26 digs.
The Vikings still couldn't get over a set win as they let a three-point lead late in the second set disappear in a 25-23 loss. Cech recorded back-to-back kills to give the Vikings a 22-19 lead, but Abbey Thissen led a 6-1 run to close out the set for SMSU.
After facing a 9-6 deficit in the third set, the Vikings responded with an 11-4 run following a timeout to give them a 17-13 lead. Augustana then answered a later Mustang charge with five straight points to carry them to a 25-21 third-set win.
The Vikings held a brief lead early in the fourth set, but SMSU's six-point, mid-set charge was too much for Augustana and the Mustangs took the deciding set 25-21. Three consecutive errors by the Vikings fueled the SMSU run. Augustana drew within one point late, but errors cost the Vikings crucial points late in the set.
Courtney Ysker responded after a rough first set with 14 kills and 17 digs to tally her fourth consecutive double-double this season. No other Viking reached double figures in kills and
Marissa Johnson ended the night with 39 assists in four sets.
The Vikings look to respond with a Saturday match at the University of Sioux Falls at 4 p.m.
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