Eighth-seeded Augustana upset NSIC regular season champion and top-seeded, 2
nd-ranked Wayne State College Friday evening in the opening round of the NSIC Volleyball Tournament in St. Paul, Minnesota. Scores of the match were 23-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-23 and 15-8. #2 Wayne State is now 29-2 on the season while Augustana is 20-9.
The Wildcats started the match strong, posting 15 kills and just one attack error in the first set, as WSC opened the match with a 25-23 first set win. WSC had a 16-11 lead with Augustana rallying to tie the score at 23-23. But a kill from Taya Beller and a Viking attack error gave the Wildcats the first set win.
Augustana came back in the second set, holding the 'Cats to a .054 hitting percentage with just seven kills, as the Vikings registered a 25-18 set win.
Wayne State never trailed in the third set, building an early 5-1 lead while forcing eight Augustana attack errors, as the Wildcats took a 2-1 match lead with a 25-21 third set win.
The Vikings built a big lead in the fourth set, then held off a late WSC rally while sealing the set with back-to-back aces, giving Augustana a 25-23 set win. Augustana held a 9-4 lead early and was in front 17-13 when WSC rallied to even the score at 19-19. WSC took a late lead in the set at 23-22 following a block by Baller and Taylor Bunjer, but the Vikings closed the set with three straight points for the win.
The fifth set saw Augustana post 11 kills and built an early 6-2 lead as the Vikings completed the rally with a 15-8 victory.
Augustana hit .263 in the match compared to .191 for Wayne State. The Vikings held an 82-50 edge in kills, but had twice as many attack errors as the 'Cats (30-15). WSC held an 11-9 advantage in blocks.
Sophomore Maggie Brahmer had 17 kills for Wayne State followed by Taya Beller with 16 and Kelsie Cada had a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs.
Brahmer accounted for a team-high six blocks while Beller had five. Libero Jessie Brandl accounted for 21 digs while Jordan McCormick had 13. Junior setter Rachel Walker had a double-double with 14 digs and 42 assists.
Wayne State now awaits the NCAA selection show Sunday evening at 9:30 p.m. to see where the Wildcats will be seeded for the NCAA Division II National Tournament as WSC entered the NSIC Tournament ranked #1 in the Central Region.
