MINNEAPOLIS -- The Augsburg College volleyball team advanced to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoff championship match with a three-set sweep of Saint Mary's University in a playoff semifinal match on Thursday evening at Si Melby Hall.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg def. Saint Mary's 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-19)
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 23-4 overall, Saint Mary's 20-13 overall
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Auggies started out slow in each set, but rallied for the three set victories. Augsburg trailed 4-1 (and later 24-23) in the first set, 9-3 in the second set and 11-7 in the second set.
• Ashley Peper (JR, Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) finished with a match-high 13 kills, along with 11 digs and a block.
• Colleen Ourada (SR, Omaha, Neb./Mercy HS) also had a kill-dig double-double, with 10 kills, 11 digs and three blocks (one solo).
• Jessica Lillquist (JR, Sebeka, Minn.) had five kills and a match-best six blocks (one solo). 
• Ellen Sachs (SO, Minneapolis, Minn./South HS) had seven kills and two blocks.
• DeeDee Maier (SO, Middleton, Wis.) recorded a career-high six service aces, to go along with 12 digs. 
• Setter Courtney Lemke (SO, Brownton, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake HS) finished with 36 assists and eight digs. Libero Mackensie Menke (SR, Prior Lake, Minn./Shakopee HS) had 20 digs in the match.
• Taylor Linn (FY, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) had five kills and a block.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• With the victory, top-seed Augsburg will host No. 2-seed St. Thomas for the conference playoff title on Saturday (11/8) at 5 p.m. at Si Melby Hall. The winner of the match will receive the MIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national playoffs. The two teams shared the conference regular-season title, with Augsburg earning the top seed in the playoffs due to its five-set win over the Tommies on Oct. 22.
• Augsburg will be the home of two MIAC playoff championship events on Saturday. In addition to the volleyball title match, the Auggies will host Concordia-Moorhead in the conference women's soccer playoff title game at 7 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field.
• The Auggies, ranked No. 19 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III national poll, have now won 12 matches in a row and 16 of their last 17 contests.
• The victory is the 100th for Augsburg Head Coach Jane Becker, the back-to-back MIAC Coach of the Year, in her five seasons at Augsburg. She is now 100-47 in her Augsburg years, and 160-89 in her eight seasons as a collegiate head coach.
• Augsburg had eight team blocks in the match, its 18th match this season with seven or more team blocks; Augsburg is now 16-2 in those matches.
• Ourada has now recorded 20 kill-dig double-doubles this season and 49 in her career.
• Peper has now recorded 13 kill-dig double-doubles this season and 38 in her career.

FOR THE FOES
• Jenna Sullivan (JR, Woodbury, Minn.) led Saint Mary's with 11 kills and 16 digs.
• Macki Fadness (JR, Eau Claire, Wis./North HS) had seven kills and two blocks, while Mary Nordick (SR, Plymouth, Minn./Providence Academy HS) had six kills and two blocks.
• Tayler MacCey (SO, Dodge Center, Minn./Triton HS) and Brittney Hanson (FY, Janesville, Iowa) had 13 assists each.
• Lex Krogstad (JR, Chicago, Ill./Resurrection HS) had 18 digs and three service aces.