MINOT, N.D. – Augustana volleyball grabbed the Saturday sweep over Minot State 25-11, 25-23, 25-16 to wrap up the opening weekend of conference action in North Dakota.
 
The Vikings currently hold a 6-4 record on the 2024 season with a 2-0 record in NSIC play.
 
Maya Wente led the offensive with 13 kills and a .440 hitting percentage as Reagan Jansen tallied nine and Sydney Tims added eight kills, six block assists and an ace.
 
Lucy Bartee dished out 32 assists alongside five digs and an ace and Gabby Jones and Kiylah Franke each collected 14 digs.
 
Augustana held the advantage over its opponent in digs (60), kills (41), assists (38), aces (11) and total blocks (eight). 
 
Four straight points highlighted by attacks from Wente, Tims, Jansen with an ace from Jones made it an 11-5 lead for the Vikings to open set one. That power from the service line and the front row continued to push the lead for Augustana, as another four straight points capped by an Ellie Walker ace made it 20-9. Two kills from Wente, an ace and a kill from Franke and the final point from Bartee closed it at 25-11.
 
Despite a close start to set two, Augustana exploded out of a Minot State timeout with four straight points to take a 12-5 lead. A kill from Brooke Berens made it 18-9 but the Beavers soon got hot and went on a 7-1 run to cut the lead to three. Another four straight Viking points pushed the score to 23-16, but Minot State again climbed back with another 7-1 run. Jansen cut the comeback early and logged a kill to end it 25-23.
 
Three kills from Jansen opened the third set at 9-6 until a kill from Franke and an ace and a kill from Tims made it 16-10. Minot State responded and cut the difference to three at 17-14, but the Vikings hit back immediately. An 8-2 run—with three kills from Tims—held off any remaining fight to give the Vikings the third 25-16.
 
Augustana will again hit the road for a 6p.m. game at Southwest Minnesota State on Tuesday, Sept. 24 before returning for the home opener weekend with MSU Moorhead at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27 and Northern State at 2 p.m. on Sept. 28.