ABERDEEN, S.D. – Despite a closely contested third set battle, Augustana volleyball dropped a road contest against Northern State in three sets (25-18, 25-15, 25-22) on Friday night.
 
The Vikings fall to 12-15 on the year with an 8-9 conference record while the Wolves improve to 20-5 and 12-6 in NSIC play.
 
Maya Wente led the offensive attack with eight kills while Brooke Berens, Reagan Jansen and Sydney Tims all added in six apiece. Lucy Bartee dished out 23 assists while Jansen added seven digs and Tims recorded four total blocks.
 
Augustana logged 29 kills to go along with 43 digs, 25 assists, seven total blocks and four service aces.
 
Northern State struck early in the first, jumping out to a 9-4 lead. Kills from Tims and Berens brought the Vikings within four, but the Wolves front row got hot and were soon up 19-10. Wente slammed back-to-back kills and errors seemed to pile up for the home team, allowing the Vikings to come within six, but the set would end 25-18.
 
The second set started with back-and-forth action until the home team went up 8-4 early on. AU clawed back, tying the set up at 10 apiece, until a blistering 10-1 run from the Wolves shut down any sense of a comeback. Despite a kill from Brooke Berens and an ace from Ellie Walker, the set would end 25-15.
 
It was a battle at the beginning of the third as the two teams traded kills and errors and eventually locked up at 11 apiece. Jansen broke the tie, but the back-and-forth continued. Back-to-back blocks from Augustana pushed the visitors ahead 15-13, but the Wolves rattled off four straight to regain control. An ace from Gabby Jones again tied it at 18, and would knot up four more times, until two kills from NSU put them ahead 23-21. Tims slammed one down to make it a one-point game, but would eventually fall 25-22.
 
Looking Ahead
Augustana is set to face MSU Moorhead tomorrow afternoon with a 2 p.m. matchup against the Dragons.