Despite a match-high 18 kills and four blocks from senior middle hitter Tarrin Beller, the 12th-ranked Wayne State volleyball team fell in five sets Thursday at Augustana, 13-25, 25-21, 25-19, 11-25, 15-11.
The Wildcats controlled the first set, forcing 11 Augustana attack errors and a minus-.070 attack percentage by the Vikings. Beller and Kelsie Cada paced WSC in the opening set with three kills each.
Augustana rebounded on their home floor to take the second and third sets. In the second set, Augustana produced 16 kills followed by a 17-kill effort in the third set to take the match lead.
Wayne State stormed back in the fourth set with 14 kills while forcing seven Viking attack errors to force a fifth and deciding set. Six different Wildcats had at least two kills in the set win led by Jaci Brahmer with four to go with two blocks.
The fifth set was back-and-forth early, featuring five lead changes and seven ties until the host Vikings closed out the set with the final five points. Trailing 10-9, WSC used consecutive kills from Beller to take an 11-10 lead. But an Augustana block followed by four straight kills to end the set gave Augustana the fifth-set win.
Beller ended the night with a match-high 18 kills and four blocks to lead the Wildcats. Brahmer also hit double digits in kills with 10. Maddie Duffy had a team-high 21 digs followed by Haley Kauth with 19 along with two service aces. Kelsie Cada notched 18 digs followed by Hope Carter with 15 and setter Rachel Walker with 11. Walker also handed out 48 set assists and had three blocks.
The Wildcats (18-5, 9-5 NSIC) will be at home Saturday, hosting Sioux Falls in a 1 p.m. match at Rice Auditorium.
