SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – In rare Tuesday night action, Augustana volleyball battled No. 7-ranked Southwest Minnesota State before falling in four sets (25-21, 19-25, 25-21, 28-26) inside the Elmen Center.
 
The Vikings drop to 9-7 on the season and 5-2 in the NSIC while the Mustangs jump to 15-1 with a 6-1 conference record.
 
Reagan Jansen tallied a double-double in the hard-fought match with 12 kills and 18 digs alongside two service aces. Maya Wente joined her in double-figures with 13 kills to go with her seven total blocks, including two solo, as Sydney Tims attacked at a clip of .429 with six kills.
 
Lucy Bartee dished out 41 assists with 18 digs and two aces as Gabby Jones collected 24 digs and Ellie Walker served out three aces.
 
As a team, Augustana totaled 53 kills and 48 assists to go along with 79 digs, 11 total blocks and 10 service aces.
 
An early 7-1 run from SMSU opened up the first set at 11-3, but an ace from Walker and Mustang errors soon made it a 14-10 game. The Vikings continued to chip away at the difference, closing in at 18-17 off a block from Berens and Tims, but the attack remained hot from the visitors and helped close it at 25-21.
 
Kills from Jolie Stcher tied up the match at eight and again at 11 in the second set. SMSU took the edge at 14-12 but then the Viking attack got hot. Wente and Jansen combined to tie it up again as Stecher once again took the lead as the tight competition continued. But it was a fiery six straight points from the Vikings that ended it. Two blocks, three kills and an ace from the home team pushed it to a 25-19 win.
 
That momentum carried in to set two as Augustana broke out to a 5-1 lead. But the Mustangs went on a quick 7-0 run to regain control at 13-7. SMSU continued to push on the gas, making it 22-12 late in the set, but eight straight points from the Vikings, including four kills, cut the lead to make it a 22-20 difference. SMSU would take three of the final points to win the set.
 
Back-and-forth action was on full display in the fourth set as the two teams tied six times en route to a nine-all score. Wente, Jansen and Walker strung together three points to take a one-point lead but the Mustangs hit back with four straight to make it 17-14. The score would tie seven more times through the set as the Vikings fought to stay in it. Back-to-back blocks from Wente and Berens and then Wente and Jansen tied it at 24 and, despite kills from Stecher, the set would end 28-26.
 
Augustana will return to its home court on Friday with a contest against #5 St. Cloud State at 5 p.m. followed by Saturday action at 2 p.m. against #20 Minnesota Duluth.