SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- The Augustana volleyball team put on a show for the home crowd inside the Elmen Center on Friday night, besting Bemidji State in three sets (25-9, 25-19, 26-24).
The Vikings move to 7-5 on the season and 2-2 in the NSIC, while the Beavers go to 0-12 and 0-4 in the loop.
The Vikings were amped to be playing in front of the home crowd for the first time this season and it showed in the first set.
Augustana jumped out to a quick start, scoring six of the first eight points, to give the Vikings a 6-2 lead.
After a Bemidji State timeout was taken at 12-5, Augustana had kills on three of their next five points, with junior Kate Reimann having one, and the other two kills coming from junior Maddy Guetter.
The Vikings' offense was too much for the Beavers as Augustana went on a five-point run with junior Erika Bute accumulating back-to-back service aces to put the Vikings up, 23-7.
Bemidji State would score two points but not before the Vikings would counter with two points of their own to claim set one, 25-9.
Despite being down 3-0 to start the second set, the Vikings once again found a hot streak offensively scoring six unanswered points, capped off by a kill by senior Avery Thorson to make it 10-6 in favor of AU.
The Beavers would pull to within three after scoring two points to make it 22-19, but the offensive ran out for the Beavers, with Thorson scoring two of the three final points to give the Vikings a chance at the sweep, taking set two, 25-19.
The third set did not have a deciding leader well into the set, heading into a Bemidji State timeout, the Vikings led 17-15.
Augustana had its backs against the wall when a Beaver kill made it match point in favor of Bemidji State, 24-23.
From that point, the Vikings scored three straight with two kills coming from Payton Rosendahl and the final blow from freshman Jolie Stecher, 26-24.
Three Vikings led the team in kills with Guetter, Stecher and Reimann all accounting for six kills, Thorson had 21 assists and Bute garnered 11 digs.
The Beavers were led by Maddi Siedenburg with 12 kills, Emily Wade had 25 assists and Lauren Justesen had 10 digs.
Up Next
The Vikings will host Minnesota Crookston inside the Elmen Center on Saturday slated for a 2 p.m. start.
--GoAugie.com--
