WAYNE, Neb. – Viking volleyball faced its fourth consecutive nationally rated opponent, eventually falling 25-14, 25-15, 25-16 to the No. 8-ranked Wildcats of Wayne State on Thursday night in Rice Auditorium.  
 
Augustana drops to 9-10 on the season with an even 5-5 NSIC record while Wayne State jumps to 15-3 overall and 9-1 in conference play.
 
Reagan Jansen led with a near-double-double of nine kills and 10 digs. Lucy Bartee dished 27 assists and Gabby Jones collected 17 digs. The Vikings totaled 33 kills, 31 assists and 47 digs in the contest.
 
The Vikings and Wildcats tied four times early on in set one before Augustana took a 9-5 lead off two kills apiece from Jansen and Maya Wente. But then the front row attack from Wayne State got hot and quickly hit back with back-to-back lethal runs. The strong swinging helped end the set, 25-14.
 
Set two again started closely with six early ties until the Wildcats established a 14-9 advantage. Jolie Stecher and Jansen teamed up on the attack to close the gap, as Brooke Berens and Sydney Tims would also join in on the offensive, but Wayne State would take it 25-15.
 
A kill from freshman Lucy Belisle opened up a 4-1 lead for the Vikings in set three. The Wildcats would take their first lead at 7-6 and did not look back. Despite swings from Belisle, Wente, Jansen and Berens, errors added up and Wayne State continued to push on the gas, taking the set 25-16.
 
Augustana will return home for a Saturday evening tilt against in-town opponent Sioux Falls. Match time is set for 5 p.m. inside the Elmen Center.