Vikings edge out Beavers in five sets

BEMIDJI, Minn. (Augustana) -– Augustana volleyball fought off Bemidji State in a five-set conference battle to hold on for the road victory (26-24, 19-25, 23-25, 25-13, 15-12) Friday night in the BSU Gymnasium.

The Vikings are now 8-6 on the season with a 4-1 conference record while the Beavers fall to 5-6 with a 0-3 NSIC showing.

Leading the charge was Jolie Stecher with 14 kills and 15 digs for a double-double while Reagan Jansen totaled 14 kills off a .314 hitting percentage alongside two aces and Brooke Berens added 10 kills of her own.

Lucy Bartee handed out 41 assists on the night as Ellie Walker and Sydney Tims served out three aces apiece from the service line. Walker also added 12 digs and Maya Wente collected three solo blocks and three block assists.

Action started in a tight back-and-forth contest between the teams, featuring six ties before the midway point of the set. The largest lead of the set came off an error from BSU that gave Augustana the 17-14 advantage but the Beavers clawed back and eventually took control at 23-21. But a 5-1 run capped by a kill from Tims gave the Vikings the set, 26-24.

Set two began with Augustana jumping out to an early 4-1 lead before suddenly falling behind 14-10. And a 7-1 run from the Beavers pushed it to a 22-14 difference. The Vikings scored three consecutive points near the end of the set off attacks from Jansen to close in but fell short, 25-19.

Bemidji State’s momentum carried into the third as it took a 7-3 lead. Augustana fought back with a 5-1 run—featuring two kills from Stecher—to tie it up at eight. The competition remained close, tying at 18, until the Beavers jumped out 23-19. The Vikings hit back with four straight points but an ace and a kill would end it and give BSU the third set, 25-23.

Despite falling behind by four points early on, Augustana responded quickly in the fourth set and exploded to a 16-7 advantage off hot swinging that was capped by a kill from Bartee. Bemidji State closed in at 20-13 but the Vikings would score the final five points of the set off two kills from Jansen, a kill from Berens and two service aces to firmly force a fifth set, 25-13.

Errors from BSU combined with kills from Wente, Stecher and Jansen pushed Augustana ahead 7-3, which quickly turned to a 9-8 game after a run from the Beavers. A bout of hard-fought back-and-forth soon made it 13-12 and the Vikings scored the final two points to win, 15-12.

Augustana will return to the court Saturday afternoon with a tilt against the Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles set for 2 p.m. in the Lysaker Gymnasium.

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