Box Score
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Minnesota State University volleyball team battled back to force a fifth set, but Augustana captured the decisive fifth set to earn a 25-22, 19-25, 26-24, 21-25, 15-11 win over the Dragons in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Friday night in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The Dragons fell to 14-11 overall and 7-10 in the NSIC with the loss, while Augustana, which is receiving votes in the latest AVCA Division II poll, improved to 19-6 overall and 11-6 in the league. It is the third straight time the two teams have battled to five sets, with the Vikings prevailing in all three.

Freshman Brianna Atkins had a career-high 15 kills for MSUM. Sophomore Kaitlin VanWinkle had 12 kills had a match-high six block assists, while junior Annie Palmquist had 10 kills. Junior setter Sam Sullivan had 30 set assists while sophomore Casie Baer had 22. Sophomore libero Amber Krenske had 25 digs while sophomore Morgan Gradishar had 19.

The Dragons hit .179 for the match, compared to .184 for the Vikings.

MSUM faced a 2-1 deficit in the match after losing a tough 26-24 decision in the third set. The Dragons jumped out to a 7-3 advantage in the fourth set, thanks to two block assists each from VanWinkle and fellow sophomore Abby Wolpern and kills from Atkins, Palmquist and Wolpern. Augustana cut the lead to 16-15, but MSUM responded by scoring four of the next five points to push its lead to 20-16. VanWinkle, Wolpern and Baer each had a kill during that stretch for the Dragons.

Augustana climbed back within 21-19 but got no closer. Moments later, an Atkins kill sealed a 25-21 Dragon win, forcing a fifth set. Atkins had five kills in the fourth set alone.

The Vikings stormed out to a 6-1 lead in the fifth set, forcing MSUM to play catch-up the rest of the way. MSUM battled back to within 9-8 after a Sullivan service ace, but the Vikings scored the next two points to take an 11-8 lead. An Atkins kill brought MSUM within 12-11 but the Dragons got no closer as Augustana scored the final three points to secure a 15-11 win and a 3-2 win in the match.

The first set was close as Augustana prevailed 25-22. In the second set, MSUM trailed 10-7 but went on a crucial 8-0 run to surge into a 15-10 lead.  Sullivan served seven points in a row, including an ace, while Gradishar had three kills and a solo block during that run. The Dragons led by as many as nine and rolled to a 25-19 win to even the match at a set apiece.

The third set was tied at 6-6 before MSUM scored five points in a row to take an 11-6 lead. Freshman Kara Ziemer had two service aces during the run while VanWinkle and Gradishar each had a kill and a block assist. MSUM led 18-12 at one point but the Vikings battled back to tie the set at 22-22. The Dragons served for the set up 24-23 but could not finish as Augustana scored the final three points to earn a 26-24 win, leaving MSUM in a 2-1 deficit entering the fourth set.

Sophomore Maggie Gruber had eight kills and five block assists for the Dragons, while Gradishar and sophomore Abby Wolpern had seven kills each.  Wolpern had four block assists while Palmquist had one solo block and an assist.

MSUM will play its final road regular-season match on Saturday against Wayne State. The match begins at 4 p.m. in Wayne, Neb.