CLAREMONT, Calif. -- The Augustana Vikings women's water polo team concluded their stay at a competitive Claremont Convergence this weekend as they took on two nationally ranked NCAA DIII teams and two DI opponents.

On Friday, the Vikings played in their first true road game of the year at host school La Verne. The two teams met earlier this year in St. Paul, Minn., resulting in a four-point Leopards victory. This time out the No. 6 ranked Leopards jumped out to a 4-0 lead after a quarter of play to help offset a balanced game the rest of the way. Augie and La Verne played to a tie in the second and third quarters, but the Leopards were plus-one in the fourth to hang on with the 12-7 triumph. Alyssa Fricker tallied five goals for the Vikings in the first game of the weekend.

Closing out Friday's action, Augustana took on NCAA DI foe Santa Clara. The Broncos successfully jumped out to a quick lead, pushing seven goals into the net after eight minutes of play. The remainder of the game was closely played, but the five-point, first-quarter margin for the Broncos allowed them to continue to cushion their lead and prevent any comeback effort from the Vikings. Santa Clara won with a final score of 15-7. Fricker led Augie with three goals, while Ocean Akau had two.

The competitive stretch of games continued on Saturday, with the Vikings squaring off with the No. 9 ranked Redlands Bulldogs. After one quarter of play, the Vikings trailed just 3-2, but endured back-to-back 4-1 deficits in the second and third periods alone. The one-point differential turned into a 11-4 hole and despite a positive fourth quarter Augustana, they were unable to get within striking distance and fell to the Bulldogs 13-7. Fricker had three goals, all coming in the second half.

In the final game of the weekend, the Vikings were defeated by NCAA DI opponent California Baptist, who are receiving votes in the latest DI top 25 poll. The Lancers led wire-to-wire, holding a 9-2 lead at halftime before blanking Augie in the second half en route to their 19-2 victory. Olivia Hillhouse and Fricker had the lone scores for the Vikings.

With the weekend results, Augustana drops to 1-8 on the season. The team will host McKendree on Saturday, March 12 for their home opener. Start time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. from inside the Anne Greve Lund Natatorium.