DULUTH, Minn. The Augustana volleyball team dropped a three-set match to No. 18 Minnesota Duluth on Friday night at Romano Gymnasium, falling 25-13, 25-23, 25-21.

With the loss, the Vikings move to 9-12 overall and 3-10 in NSIC play while the Bulldogs improve to 17-3 overall and 10-3 in the conference.

Kelby Opland led the Vikings with seven kills while hitting .250 and adding two blocks. Reagan Jansen followed closely with six kills on .278 hitting, tallying 10 digs. Maya Wente chipped in three kills and added five blocks.

Setter duo Clara Hoegh and Kiylah Franke combined for 20 assists, with Hoegh distributing 13 and Franke adding seven. Defensively, libero Gabby Jones tallied a team-high 12 digs.

As a team, Augustana finished with 29 kills, 41 digs, and six total blocks, hitting .103 across the match.

Minnesota Duluth took control early with a 5-0 run and never looked back, winning 25-13. The Vikings hit .000 in the opening frame, with Jansen, Opland, and Tims each recording one kill. The Bulldogs' attack, led by Madeline Guetzkow and Kylie Broten, hit .348 to establish early momentum.

The Vikings responded with their best offensive effort of the night, collecting 10 kills. Jansen and Opland powered the offense with three kills apiece, helping Augustana close within one at 24-23 before UMD's Xada Johnson clinched the set with a kill. The Vikings tallied five blocks in the frame, including a pair from Wente and Opland.

Augustana opened the third set trading points with the Bulldogs, highlighted by kills from Wente and Berens. The Vikings hit .206 and posted 11 kills in the frame, but Duluth used a late 4-1 run to close out the match, 25-21. Opland recorded three kills in the set, while Jansen and Wente each added two.

Minnesota Duluth hit .239 as a team, led by Guetzkow's 11 kills and Rupp's 10, with setter Ava Jones dishing out 36 assists. Both teams finished with six total blocks, but UMD's efficiency on the attack proved decisive.

The Vikings continue NSIC play on Saturday, traveling to Bemidji State, Minnesota, to face Bemidji State at 4 p.m.