SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana volleyball pushed Jamestown to the brink in a back-and-forth five-set marathon but ultimately dropped a 3–2 decision (20-25, 25-20, 25-13, 21-25, 15-10) Saturday afternoon inside the Elmen Center. The Vikings close the season 14-14 on the year.
Augustana battled behind strong attacking from senior
Maya Wente, who delivered 19 kills on .341 hitting, adding a team-best 23.0 points across the five frames.
Brooke Berens provided a major spark with 14 kills and a .250 performance offensively, while
Mya Vandrovec chipped in 11 kills and nine digs in a steady two-way showing.
Defensively, libero
Gabby Jones anchored the back row with 13 digs and a perfect 1.000 reception percentage, while setter
Kiylah Franke piloted the offense with 47 assists and three digs.
Sydney Tims contributed six total blocks, helping the Vikings tally nine team blocks on the night.
Augustana opened the afternoon hitting .158 behind 12 kills but couldn't overcome an early Jamestown run. Berens and Vandrovec each posted early kills, and the Vikings sided out at a 52% clip, but Jamestown claimed the opener.
The Vikings responded with a composed second set, using eight kills from four different attackers and steady defensive pressure to even the match. Franke distributed the ball with rhythm while Wente and Berens capitalized in transition. Augustana hit .031 but held Jamestown to an identical percentage, flipping momentum with timely blocking and serves.
A tough third frame saw Jamestown limit the Vikings to a .000 hitting percentage as AU struggled to generate clean swings. Wente and Jansen steadied the scoring, but a 10–25 sideout deficit kept the Vikings from finding offensive rhythm.
In the most dramatic set of the night, Augustana surged late behind Wente's shot-making and a pair of key defensive stands. The Vikings hit .186 with 17 kills—one of their most efficient sets of the match—and out-blocked Jamestown 4–1 to force a decisive fifth set. Berens, Wente, and Vandrovec each added critical points down the stretch.
Jamestown jumped ahead early, and despite kills from Wente, Berens, and Jansen, the Vikings couldn't close the gap. Augustana hit .080 in the final frame and sided out at 50%, but Jamestown's late serving run sealed the match.
