CHADRON, Neb. – The Chadron State volleyball team played two games on Friday at the Eagle Classic, one against Augustana College and the other against Northern State University. The Eagles played a thrilling five-set match against Augustana, taking the first two sets before the Vikings came back for a 23-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20, 15-11 win. The Eagles then fell against nationally ranked Northern State University in three sets, 25-20, 25-11, 25-22.

Augustana and the Eagles were back and forth most of the game, the ending score being within five points of each other for all sets. Augustana won its second straight five-set match after beating Black Hills State in five on Thursday.

Kally Kirkwood led the team against Augustana with 19 kills, followed by Mataya Ward with 13. Kirkwood also led the team with three blocks, tying with Shelbi Hazlitt. 

Augustana opened the first set by scoring three points before an attack error put the Eagles on the board. The set continued to change leads until a four point streak from Chadron put the Eagles ahead 12-10. Kally Kirkwood took over with five kills in the set, with her final one giving CSC a 21-19 lead. With the score tied at 23, an Augustana service error followed by an ace from Avery Lacy ended the set for the Eagles. 

After the Eagles scored the first point of the second set with a kill from Hazlitt, the Vikings answered with their own four point run to lead 4-1. The Eagles tied the score again at 7-7 after a kill from Kirkwood and a bad set from the Vikings. After back-to-back kills from Mataya Ward gave the Eagles a 23-22 lead, CSC's Gibson Beckler scored the last two points with a kill and an ace, ending the set 25-23. 

The beginning of the third set bounced back and forth until the Vikings went on a five point run, making the score 9-3. Augustana continued to lead the rest of the set despite the attempts of Chadron State, including a five point streak from the Eagles that cut the lead to 21-18. Ultimately the Vikings took the third set, 25-20, sending the game into a fourth set. 

The Eagles came into the fourth set fighting, starting with kills from Hazlitt and Kirkwood. The Eagles were able to hold onto this lead until Augustana tied it 7-7 from an attack error. Augustana grew their lead with multiple 4-0 scoring runs, eventually taking the set with a 25-20 finish, tying the set scores. 

Augustana carried the momentum from the past two sets into the finishing set. The Eagles fought hard going on a four point streak to tie the score 7-7. Augustana pulled ahead, winning four of the last five points to win the set 15-11 and win the match 3-2. 

In the Eagles' following game against Northern, the first set began with a kill from Beckler before the Wolves took control, keeping the lead the rest of the set. The Eagles had a four point run with kills from Ward and Beckler and an ace from Shelby Harding, cutting the lead to 18-15. Despite the run, the set ended 25-20, Northern. 

The Wolves came in hot for the second set, scoring six straight points to open. The Eagles tried to respond, but Northern won the second set handily, 25-11. 

CSC fought back in the third set, going on a six point run in the beginning, with kills from Bella Adams and Jillian Donovan and an ace from Beckler to take the lead 8-4. The teams continued to compete, with Northern scoring five points in a row to take the lead before a kill from Hazlitt and another ace from Harding gave the Eagles the lead back at 14-13. The set was neck to neck before Northern pulled away, ending the set 25-22, and winning in straight sets. 

Ward led the team against Northern State with seven kills, followed by Kirkwood and Beckler with five. Harding led the team in serving, scoring three aces. Adams, Ward and Hazlitt all tied with three blocks. 

The Eagles will play their last game of the Eagle Classic on Saturday at 1 p.m. against the University of Mary Marauders.