SIOUX FALLS - Splitting the first two sets, University of Sioux Falls Volleyball battled with No. 20 Augustana on Friday night, but the Cougars came up short in four sets. The 3-1 (25-20,25-27,25-20,25-20) loss drops USF to 6-4 overall with a 0-2 mark in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Outside hitter
Makenna Rockeman posted her third double-double of the season with 17 kills and 11 digs, finishing as one of four Cougars with double-digit digs.
Abby Folk (19),
Janelle Lam (14) and
Kelli Holloway (11) each recorded season highs in digs.
After a quick start, USF trailed early in the first set before rebounding to draw within one point. The Cougars utilized four Augustana errors to spark their mid-set comeback and Rockeman,
Bria Barfnecht and
Aubrey Milne each hit kills to close the Viking lead to 13-12. Each team went on multi-point runs before the Vikings scored three of the final four points for a 25-20 win.
Like the three previous matches between USF and Augustana, one of the sets has surpassed the 25-point threshold and the second set on Saturday extended the streak as the Cougars pulled out a 27-25 victory to even the match. Sioux Falls trailed by four points then used a six-point run behind a pair of
Jordan Calef kills and a Calef-Milne block for a 17-15 lead.
Augustana tied the set three times then retook the lead for the first set point at 24-23. USF fought off the first set point with a Rockeman kill then used a Barfnecht kill to stave off a second set point. Tied at 25-25, Augustana committed consecutive errors and USF earned the 27-25 win.
Again USF made a mid-set run to take a lead, but Augustana's front line was too big as they posted five blocks to earn a 25-20 win in the third set. Setter
Sydney Schaap teamed up with her middle blockers Calef and
Lexi Scott to register two blocks as USF took a 14-12 lead after a 10-6 run. The Viking defense stepped up and forced three straight error to take back the lead then used their front-line defense to put away the sets.
After trailing by five points, the Cougars made another run at Augustana and drew within one point, but ran out of steam to fall in four sets to the nationally-ranked Vikings. Calef, Milne and Barfnecht led the Cougars' 6-2 run and Scott stuffed two Viking attacks to arrive at four blocks for the match and USF trailed by one, 17-16. Augustana won three of the next four points and would close out the set for their third 25-20 win of the night.
USF heads to the road for three straight matches, facing travel partner and current No. 3 Southwest Minnesota State on Tuesday, Sept. 20, before heading to North Dakota to face Minot State and University of Mary on Sept. 23 and 24, respectively.
