Volleyball 9/26/01 -- Augsburg 3, Gustavus Adolphus 2

BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (9/26/01) -- Amy Degner (Fr., Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins HS) had a solid all-around game, wtih 35 assists, six blocks (three solo), seven digs and six service aces, and Laura Wagner (Fr., West Bend, Wis./West Bend West HS) had 13 kills to lead Augsburg to its second-straight five-game match victory, a marathon win over Gustavus Adolphus College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference volleyball match Wednesday night at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall.

Game scores were 30-13, 30-25, 23-30, 22-30, 15-9 in favor of the Auggies, who improved to 5-8 overall and 3-2 in the MIAC, winning their second match in a row and third in the last four. Gustavus dropped to 5-7 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

Degner, the conference's leader in service aces, had two in a crucial four-point serving run in the decisive fifth game, as Augsburg built an 8-5 lead from which the Gusties could not recover. She added two blocks and four assists in the fifth game, while Wagner notched two kills in the final frame.

The Auggie victory spoiled a near triple-double by Gustavus setter Rachel Batalden (Fr., Lamberton, Minn./Red Rock Central HS), who had 40 assists, 12 digs and nine kills to lead the visitors.

Nicole Neseth (So., Windom, Minn.) led the Gusties with 15 kills, while Betsy Starz (Sr., Atwater, Minn./A-C-GC HS) had 10 kills and Jessica Schaetzke (So., New Ulm, Minn.) had nine kills, 11 digs and four blocks (one solo). Pat Lawton (So., Mahtomedi, Minn.) had eight kills, 11 digs and three blocks (one solo).

Augsburg's Lisa Miller (Jr., Buffalo, Minn.) had another solid hitting night for the Auggies, connecting on 11 kills for a .304 attack percentage (four errors in 23 chances). She also had four blocks.

As a team, Augsburg notched a season-high 15 blocks (five solo). Kristy Larson (Fr., Pine Island, Minn.) had six blocks and five kills, and Kelly Larvick (Jr., Good Thunder, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial HS) had four blocks (one solo) and six kills. Denise Foster (Jr., Little Canada, Minn./Roseville HS) contributed six kills and nine digs; Anna Piermantier (So., Afton, Minn./Stillwater HS) had 21 digs and Alli Burgess (So., Sudan, Minn./Tower-Sudan HS) had 14 digs.

Miller had seven kills in the first two games, as the Auggies built a commanding lead, hitting .269 as a team in the first frame. But the Gusties pulled away in the third game, using a 6-0 scoring run midway through the game to build a 14-10 lead, an advantage they would not give up the rest of the way. Gustavus took advantage of 11 Augsburg hitting errors in the fourth game to win easily and force the decisive final game.

Both teams return to action on Friday night (9/28) in nonconference play. Augsburg will compete in the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Tournament over the weekend (Friday and Saturday), while Gustavus plays Luther (Iowa) at 5:30 p.m., as part of a triangular at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.

Augsburg (5-8 overall, 3-2 MIAC) def. Gustavus Adolphus (5-7, 2-3) 30-13, 30-25, 23-30, 22-30, 15-9
Sept. 26, 2001 at Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.

Augsburg leaders:
Kills -- Laura Wagner 13, Lisa Miller 11, Denise Foster 6, Kelly Larvick 6.
Assists -- Amy Degner 34.
Blocks -- Amy Degner 6 (3 solo), Kristy Larson 6, Kelly Larvick 4 (1 solo), Lisa Miller 4.
Digs -- Anna Piermantier 21, Alli Burgess 14, Denise Foster 9, Laura Wagner 8.
Service Aces -- Amy Degner 6, Laura Wagner 4.

Gustavus Adolphus leaders:
Kills -- Nicole Nesseth 15, Betsy Starz 10, Rachel Batalden 9, Jessica Schaetzke 9.
Assists -- Rachel Batalden 40.
Blocks -- Jessica Schaetzke 4 (1 solo), Pat Lawton 2 (1 solo), Sheila Rodel 3 (1 solo).
Digs -- Chrissy Homeier 17, Rachel Batalden 12, Pat Lawton 11, Jessica Schaetzke 11.
Service Aces -- Pat Lawton 2, Stephanie Siekman 2.