NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings women's volleyball team fell on the road in five sets on Tuesday, dropping to the North Central Cardinals in a CCIW clash.

Augie squeaked out the opening set by a score of 25-23 to take an early 1-0 advantage in the match. The Vikings played catch-up for most of the frame until finally take the lead at 17-16. The two teams battled back-and-forth until finding themselves in a 23-23 deadlock. A kill from Emily Schipper and service ace from Syd Krueger proved to be the difference maker as the Vikings grabbed the opening-set triumph.

North Central bounced back with a 25-18 victory to even the match at one win apiece before earning a 25-23 victory in the third to flip the momentum in their favor. North Central stormed back from a two-point deficit to score the final four points in a row and grab a 2-1 match lead. 

The Vikings evened the score with a win in set four, holding onto a slim lead for a majority of the game. After the Cardinals pulled within a point at 20-19, consecutive kills from Jaden Julius and Kira Nelson gave them some breathing room, eventually holding on for a 25-21 victory to force a fifth and deciding set. North Central took the finale by a score of 15-10 after building an early lead.

Julius and Schipper were the team leaders with 23 kills apiece, while Amelie Baehr-Ross posted a career-best 48 assists. 

With the loss, Augustana drops to 10-2 on the season and 1-1 in the CCIW. The team will be back in action on Friday, September 22 when they visit undefeated and No. 7 ranked UW-Whitewater.