Vikings win the last home game of the season!

Augustana Vikings face off against the Lakeland Rustlers for the final home game of the season. Both teams are full of energy and ready to go with the 6 pm game time. For the first set, the Vikings come out victorious with a score of 25-20. 

For the second set Rustlers, #9 Brooklyn Boehm, makes a great block sending away fans to their feet. Vikings #13 serves multiple serves in the row, many of them being aces. #4 Rebecca Petrie, and #7 Karen Wagner, both from Vikings make a block off of a powerful attack from a Rustlers player helping their team secure the point. With a set score of 9-12 for the Rustlers, Steve Enright, Head Coach for the Vikings, calls a timeout to refocus his team. Rustlers #2 Bailee Weiler, scores a point of the jump attack hit!  Enright calls out encouragement to his team on the sideline as the set score is 13-17 for the Rustlers. Austin Dyer, Head Coach for the Rustlers congratulated his team on their hard work in winning the second set. The second set finished with a score of 25-21. 

With the game score 1-1, both teams start the third set ready. The stakes are heightened and both of the teams become more careful with what hits the ground as back to back points are scored. With a gap of 7 points, Vikings really need to begin talking to be able to come back from this set. Enright calls another time out in hopes to figure out a way for his team to close the gap of 8 points. Vikings #20 Addi Wolosuk makes a kill off the time out starting the momentum needed for her team to catch up. Rustlers #3 Belle de Vries hits a kill making the set score 21-11 for them. The Rustlers take the third set with a score of 25-14. 

With a game score of 2-1 for the Rustlers, Vikings need to win a set to stay in the game. Vikings #7 Karen Wagner makes a dig that sends the crowd to their feet in excitement, and scores Vikings the point, which further helps them keep the gap. The game tension increases at the set score was 18-16 for Vikings. After two back to back points for Vikings making the score 20-16, Head Coach for the Rustlers Dyer, calls a time out. The final score of the set is 25-18 for the Vikings making the game score 2-2 going into a 5th set.

With the game outcome on the table, both teams came out ready to play. The home crowd is on their feet at the switch between for the 5th set. Vikings are leading the set with a score of 8-6. With every point that each team scores, the perspective fans cheer very loudly. With this set only going to 15, both teams know that every point counts. Vikings #4 Rebecca Petrie serves an ace that makes the set score 12-7 for her team. A power hit with the point from Rustlers #4 Jenay Varga. With the score 13-8, Rustlers Head Coach, Dyer calls a timeout to strategize with his team. Back to back hits and digs create a long rally for the last few points of the game. Head Coach for the Vikings Enright calls a timeout with a score of 14-11 hoping his team can score the last point that needs to be victorious. The game ends with a score of 15-11 and the home fans are cheering.

Players of the game were awarded to Vikings #7 Karen Wagner, and Rustlers #4 Jenay Varga.