MINOT, N.D. – The momentum from last weekend's win against Sioux Falls didn't carry into the first game of this weekend for the Minot State University volleyball team. The Beavers dropped Friday night's match to No. 19 ranked Augustana by a score of 3-0.

"I'm disappointed in how we played tonight," head coach Travis Ward said. "That's not us and I don't think that we played with very much passion."

The Beavers came out in the first set and trailed early, but fought back to bring the score to 20-19 in favor of the Vikings late in the set. The Vikings, though, went on to win the set 25-20 and that was the closest it got for Minot State for the rest of the night.

The Beavers kept the second set close early on but a span of three-straight points by Augustana brought the score to 8-4 and they never looked back. They took the second set 25-18.
The final set proved to be more of the same as the Vikings put their foot down and ended the match with a 25-16 set.

Jen Dixon (Sr., OH, Brandon, Manitoba) was the only Beaver to end up with double-digit kills in the match. She finished with 10. Mallory Sall (Jr., OH, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) finished the match with 9 kills, while Cindy Pelo (Jr., L, Idaho Falls, Idaho) led the way defensively with 10 digs.

Tahlyr Banks did impressive work for the Vikings recording 20 digs in the three set match.

With another ranked opponent in No. 13 Wayne State coming to Minot State tomorrow, Ward said his team needs to be more focused when they take the court Saturday afternoon.

"You've got to plug in," he said. "You play unplugged or you go low energy, it's tough to be invested. Whatever you've got to do to put your heart on the line where this matters right now, that's so key in athletics."

The match against No. 13 Wayne State is set for 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon in the MSU Dome.