MINNEAPOLIS -- The Augsburg College volleyball team dropped a 3-1 heartbreaker to Bethel University in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference semifinal action on Thursday night at Si Melby Hall. With the loss, Augsburg will now have to wait until Monday to find out if it receives an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III national tournament. 

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Bethel def. Augsburg 3-1 (25-16, 25-16, 22-25, 30-28)
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 18-10 overall, Bethel 19-10 overall 

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg started slow and struggled offensively in the first two sets, but began to build momentum in the third. After a 14-14 tie, Augsburg was able to take its first significant lead of the night at 24-19 and finished out the third-set win. The fourth set featured 17 tie scores and seven lead changes. Augsburg had set point four times, but just couldn't shake the Royals as the Auggies dropped a 30-28 heartbreaker.
• The Auggie offense was led by Jaelyn Arndt (SR, Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn) who posted a team-high 16 kills on 47 attempts. Jordan Weeding (JR, Greenfield, Minn.) sparked Augsburg in the third and fourth sets, recording seven kills on 10 attempts, with no errors, for a season-best .700 hitting percentage.
• Courtney Lemke (SR, Brownton, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake HS) led all players with 45 assists and 13 digs.
• The Auggie defense finished with four players with double-digit digs, led by Macey Terhell (SO, Osceola, Wis.) and Taylor Linn (JR, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS), who finished with 26 and 23 digs respectively.
• For the match, Augsburg hit .134, while the Royals recorded a .189 hitting percentage. The Auggies picked up 102 team digs, while Bethel posted 98 team digs. The big difference in the match came down to serving and blocking. The Royals posted 11 service aces, compared to just three for the Auggies and Bethel claimed a 9-6 advantage in blocks.

FOR THE FOES
• The Royals were paced by Tina Hoppe, who posted an impressive 24 kills on 51 attempts. 
• Dominique Dabu picked up 33 digs, while the setting duo of Holly Ellwanger and Katie Lubben teamed up for 50 assists.

UP NEXT
• Bethel will now travel to St. Peter, Minn. to take on Gustavus Adolphus College for the MIAC playoff championship and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.