Volleyball 10/6/04 -- Augsburg 3, Hamline 1 (27-30, 30-22, 30-21, 30-25)

BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (10/6/04) -- Linnea Evans * (Jr., Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) recorded her third double-double of the season with 16 kills and 16 digs, while Billie Painschab (Jr., Howard Lake, Minn./Howard Lake-Waverly HS) had career highs of 16 kills and eight blocks (three solo), as Augsburg College rallied for a four-game Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference volleyball victory over Hamline University on Wednesday night at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall.

Alexis Johnson (Jr., Oakdale, Minn./North St. Paul HS) recorded a career-high 50 assists and 13 digs for the Auggies, who claimed the victory by scores of 27-30, 30-22, 30-21 and 30-25.

Augsburg broke a four-match losing streak to improve to 8-10 overall, 1-5 in MIAC play. Hamline drops to 8-10 overall and 0-6 in MIAC play, losing its seventh match in its last eight starts.

After giving up a 26-23 lead in the first game loss, Augsburg jumped out to a big lead in the second game and cruised to the victory. Augsburg led 18-11 at one point, and the Pipers could not close the lead under five points after that in the second game. Augsburg hit .368 in the second game (18-for-38, four errors).

Evans went 6-for-8, hitting .750 with no errors, to lead the Auggies in the second game, while Sarah Bradley (Fr., International Falls, Minn.) had four kills, hitting .500, with two aces and six digs.

Bradley finished with a season-high six service aces, as Augsburg recorded 11 aces in the match. She also had 11 kills, two blocks and 15 digs. Kristy Larson * (Sr., Pine Island, Minn.) had 11 kills and five blocks (two solo).

The third game was a back-and-forth affair early, until a 10-run Augsburg run, with Bradley and Tina Quick (Fr., Blaine, Minn./Centennial HS) serving, gave the Auggies a commanding 27-16 advantage. Painschab had two kills and Quick had two service aces in the run. Painschab had four kills and five blocks (one solo) in the fourth game.

Augsburg slowly pulled away in the final game, thanks to the play of Painschab in the middle. She went 8-for-15 with an error, hitting .467, with a solo block in the fourth game to lead Augsburg.

Hamline finished the first game on a 7-1 run, with Joan Sheedy (Sr., Austin, Minn./Pacelli HS) and Kelly Lines (Jr., North Branch, Minn.) recording two kills each in the closing run.

Dana Luiken (So., Chatfield, Minn./Chosen Valley HS) recorded five kills, hitting .667 (5-of-6, one error), in the first game, as the Pipers hit .233 as a team.

Lines led the Pipers with 14 kills and 13 digs, while Luiken had nine kills and three blocks (two solo). Laurisa Ewert (Jr., Andover, Minn./Anoka HS) had nine kills and five blocks, while Shelby Hyllengren (Fr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) had 10 kills.

Hamline's Angie Asmus (Fr., Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) had 41 assists and 14 digs, while libero Jenna Witt (So., Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) had 24 digs and Tina Cherland (Fr., New Brighton, Minn./Irondale HS) had 10 digs.

Augsburg returns to action with a nonconference match against North Central (Minn.) on Friday (10/8) at 7:390 p.m. at Si Melby Hall, and return to conference play on Wednesday (10/13) at 7:30 p.m., hosting Gustavus at Si Melby Hall. Hamline also returns to action on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., with a conference match at St. Benedict.