SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Playing in a conference loaded from top to bottom with talent is no easy task as the University of Mary Volleyball team took on #21 Augustana University in the afternoon for U-Mary's sixth ranked opponent in the last four weeks.
 
The Marauders (9-14, 4-10 NSIC) stumbled coming out of the gate as the Vikings (16-6, 9-5 NSIC) kept the pressure up throughout the match and U-Mary fell in the match in straight sets as they prepare to return to Bismarck.
 
Augustana opened up the match with a 4-1 lead in the first set, but the Marauders responded will with a Lauren Randall kill and two Viking errors to narrow the score down to 5-4 in favor of the home team. The Vikings, unfortunately, found the groove early and rallied off a 14-3 run that extended their advantage to 19-7 midway through the set.
 
U-Mary's offense started to come to life late in the set with a 6-2 run off four kills, three from Randall and another from Alexis Jacobs, along with two Viking errors for a last-second gasp to narrow the score to 21-13, but it made little difference as Augustana held on for the 25-16 win in the first set.
 
The second set sung a similar tune early on as the Vikings methodically built up a 11-4 lead off timely kills, but the Marauders battled back midway through off a 6-1 run thanks to three kills, two from Elizabeth Garcia and one from Thayna Silva, two Viking errors, and a team block from Jacobs and Rachel Astrup to climb back into the set at 12-10. Augustana responded in kind, however, with a 5-1 run that re-extended their lead back out to 17-11 later on in the set.
 
The Vikings appeared to be running away with the set at that point, but credit to the Marauders as they would not give up and clawed their way back into the set. First, U-Mary narrow the gap back down to 19-15 off a kill each from Silva and Randall followed by two errors. After Augustana put U-Mary on the brink at 22-15, the Marauders battled right back with two kills from Jacobs and three from Silva to close in at 24-20, but it was too little too late as Augustana took the second set 25-20.
 
U-Mary tried to keep the momentum going into the third set with an early 4-3 lead, but the Vikings chipped away with a 5-1 run that swung the lead back into their favor at 8-5 and kept the cushion as the Marauders first faced a 16-8 deficit that become a 20-12 deficit later in the set. U-Mary started to climb back into the match thanks to a team block from Garcia and Katelyn Olson, a kill each from Silva and Olson, combined with two Viking errors and a Casey Reamann service ace to cut Augustana's lead down to 22-18.
 
The Vikings would get the last say of the match, though, as they fired off three quick points to close the door on the set at 25-18 and sent the Marauders back home empty handed.
 
Thayna Silva led the offense with 10 kills on 28 attacks for a .321 hitting percentage in addition to go with nine digs on the match.
 
Lauren Randall worked back into the groove with eight kills and four digs on the afternoon, while Alexis Jacobs rounded out the trio with seven kills, one dig and one block assist.
 
Katelyn Olson spent most of the match as the primary driver of the offense and finished with 26 assists, three digs, two kills and one block assist.
 
Casey Reamann again anchored the back line as she recorded 14 digs along with two service aces and three assists on the match.
 
The Marauders will return to Bismarck for the final home stretch of the season starting next week with their High School / Middle School Night on Friday, October 30 against the University of Sioux Falls, followed by Halloween night on Saturday, October 31, against Southwest Minnesota State University.
 
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