SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Augustana volleyball team put together one of its most efficient performances of the season on Friday evening, sweeping Minnesota Crookston 25–19, 25–20, 26–24 inside the Elmen Center. 

The Vikings hit a combined .305 as a team and controlled the match from start to finish to improve to 11–12 overall and 5–10 in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles fall to 6-17, 0-15 with a loss. 

Junior Maya Wente led the attack with a match-high 16 kills on an impressive .556 hitting percentage while adding four blocks. Lucy Belisle followed with nine kills while Kelby Opland had eight. Setter Kiylah Franke efficiently directed the offense, dishing out 24 assists in the sweep while helping the Vikings hit above .300 in two of the three sets.

Defensively, the Vikings were anchored by Reagan Jansen's team-high 12 digs to go with seven kills. Lucy Cogan had nine digs while Clara Hoegh had six digs to go with 18 assists.  

Augustana also applied pressure from the service line, totaling five aces—two each from Alexis Nelson and Sydney Tims—to keep the Golden Eagles on their heels throughout the night.

Augustana opened the match with a strong first set, winning 25–19 after overcoming an early 4–1 deficit. The Vikings went on a 14–4 run midway through the frame, fueled by aggressive serving from Alexis Nelson, who delivered two aces to push the lead to 14–9. Maya Wente and Kelby Opland each added key kills to help close out the set, while Augustana hit an efficient .316 as a team. Defensively, Gabby Jones anchored the back row with steady passing and Sydney Tims contributed at the net with a pair of blocks. Minnesota Crookston's Madison Carsten paced the visitors with five kills, but the Golden Eagles couldn't slow down the Vikings' balanced offense.

The second set was Augustana's most dominant offensive performance of the night, finishing with a sizzling .486 hitting percentage in a 25–20 win. The set featured long rallies early on, but Augustana broke an 8–8 tie with a 10–4 surge highlighted by Lucy Belisle's quick swings on the outside and Maya Wente's six kills in the frame. Lucy Cogan added a service ace, and Reagan Jansen sealed the set with a kill from the right side. Setter Kiylah Franke spread the offense efficiently, recording nine assists and helping the Vikings side out at a 70% rate. On the defensive end, Brooke Berens and Wente combined for a pair of key blocks to stall Minnesota Crookston's momentum.

The third set proved to be the most competitive, as Augustana pulled out a tight 26–24 victory to secure the sweep. The set featured 12 ties and multiple lead changes, with neither team leading by more than three points. Early on, Mya Vandrovec and Brooke Berens provided steady offense to help Augustana take a slim advantage, but the Golden Eagles rallied late behind Emma Malek's hot streak to go up 20–19. Down the stretch, Maya Wente once again came through in the clutch, delivering three consecutive kills to turn a 23–23 tie into match point. A Minnesota Crookston attack error ended the night, giving Augustana its 11th win of the season.

The Vikings continue their homestand Saturday afternoon against MSU Moorhead at the Elmen Center. First serve is set for 5 p.m.