SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – For the first time since 2023, Augustana volleyball has defeated a nationally-ranked team. And for the first time since 2019, Augustana volleyball has defeated a nationally-ranked team in three straight sets as the Vikings took down the No. 17 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs 25-20, 25-19, 25-21 on Friday night inside the Elmen Center.
The Vikings' last top-25 victory in general came on the road in five sets against the No. 10 Bulldogs back on Sept. 29, 2023 while the last top-25 sweep happened on home court with a straight-set dismantling of No. 8 St. Cloud State on Oct. 18, 2019. Viking volleyball head coach
Erika Bute was also a member of each of those squads
The win moves Augustana to 12-8 overall on the year and an even 6-6 in conference play so far this season while the Bulldogs move to 16-4 and 9-3 in the NSIC.
Abby Gruber led AU with 10 kills, hit .304 and added an ace and a block.
Maya Wente finished with eight kills on .533 hitting and recorded four total blocks.
Kiylah Franke posted 26 assists with seven digs and two blocks while
Gabby Jones collected 14 digs and added two service aces.
As a team, Augustana held UMD to a .027 hitting percentage with 30 attack errors. The Vikings held the edge in aces (5-1), blocks (8-4) and digs (47-46) while the visitors narrowly led in kills (33-30) and assists (33-29).
The Vikings trailed early in the opening set, but not for much longer as Gruber's kill tied it, and Franke served the next five points. A
Lucy Belisle kill and four Bulldog attack errors pushed AU ahead 8-3 before Minnesota Duluth was able to respond. After
Sydney Tims' kill made it 9-4, the visitors clawed back within 9-8, but Gruber stopped the run to rebuild a 13-8 lead. AU stretched the margin to 17-10 on a Wente kill, a
Reagan Jansen ace and a Belisle block, then later reached 21-14. The Bulldogs closed in at 22-18, but a pair of Tims kills late in the set secured the 25-20 win off Jones' assist.
AU built a 7-2 lead in the second set behind kills from Jansen, Wente, Belisle and Gruber, along with blocks by Belisle and the Tims-Gruber tandem. A trio of kills from Gruber, Jansen and Wente again helped push the advantage to 13-6, and after UMD responded in the middle of the set, the Vikings moved ahead 20-12 on a Wente kill. The Bulldogs put together two-point stretches to reach 21-16 and 22-18, but Wente and Gruber answered with kills before a visitor attack error closed Augustana's 25-19 second set win.
After UMD moved in front 6-3 early in the third, AU began the climb with a Belisle kill and an
Alexis Nelson ace before back-to-back Bulldog attack errors later gave the Vikings an 8-7 lead. Jones served consecutive aces to make it 14-11, but UMD answered to tie the set at 14-14 before Augustana moved back ahead 17-14. The visitors stayed close and tied it again at 21-21, but Franke answered with a kill from
Julia Blom. AU than dominated to take the final four points, including a Wente and Franke block, to close the set 25-21 for the top-25 sweep.
UP NEXT
The four-game homestand comes to a close for the Vikings when they host Bemidji State on Saturday at 2 p.m. inside the Elmen Center.
--GoAugie.com--
