Volleyball 10/14/06 -- Augsburg at Cornell (Iowa) Quadrangular

BOXSCORES

MT. VERNON, Iowa (10/14/06) -- Katie LaGrave (Jr., Okinawa, Japan/Kadena HS) and Haley Bower (Jr., Brainerd, Minn.) earned spots on the all-tournament team, as the Augsburg College volleyball team went 2-1 in its matches at the Cornell College (Iowa) Quadrangular on Saturday, finishing second among the four schools at the meet.

Augsburg opened with a five-game victory over host Cornell (20-30, 30-22, 27-30, 30-21, 17-15), then topped Clarke (Iowa) in four games (30-23, 23-30, 30-23, 30-21). In the final match, Augsburg fell in five games to Coe (Iowa) (30-24, 23-30, 28-30, 30-26, 15-12). Coe is ranked No. 25 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III national poll and No. 4 in the latest NCAA Division III Central Region ranking.

Augsburg is now 9-15 overall -- 8-8 against nonconference opponents this season.

"This was a great weekend for our team," said Augsburg coach Jessica Rinehart. "We have worked a lot on mental toughness and stepping it up down the stretch. The team certainly displayed those characteristics in the Cornell match. We were down 13-7 in Game 5, but fought back to win 17-15. That showed sheer determination, heart, and solid mental toughness to pull it out."

LaGrave was named to an all-tournament team for the fourth time this season. She led the Auggies with 52 kills and a .374 attack percentage on the weekend, also contributing a team-high 11 blocks (six solo) and four service aces. Bower, Augsburg's libero (back-row specialist), contributed 58 digs on the weekend to earn her first all-tournament team honor of the season.

Dani Boner (So., Omaha, Neb./Mercy HS) contributed 30 assits and 24 digs on the weekend, while Julie Jenkins (So., Edina, Minn.) had 27 kills, 68 assists, 29 digs, five service aces and two blocks (one solo). Breann Woelfel (Fr., Annandale, Minn.) had 25 kills and 16 digs, while Barbara Simmons (Fr., Minneapolis, Minn./South HS) had 15 kills and seven blocks (four solo).

Kristina Lurken (Jr., Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) had 14 kills; Shanna Reed (Fr., Eagan, Minn./Holy Angels HS) had 74 assists, 11 service aces and 24 digs; Dani Tanaka (Fr., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) had 38 digs and four service aces; and Tina Quick (Jr., Blaine, Minn./Centennial HS) had 24 service aces.

Against Cornell, LaGrave led the way with a career-high 23 kills, hitting .463 (four errors in 41 attempts), while Boner had 16 kills and two blocks. Jenkins fell just one kill short of recording a triple-double, with nine kills, 19 assists and 12 digs. Woelfel had nine kills, while Simmons had seven kills and three blocks, Reed had 27 assists, Bower had 21 digs, and Tanaka had 11 digs.

Against Clarke, 15 Auggies saw action in the match, with LaGrave leading the way with 14 kills and four blocks (three solo). Jenkins had eight kills, 23 assists and seven digs, Woelfel and Bradley also had eight kills apiece, Reed had 22 assists, Bower had 12 digs, Tanaka had 19 digs, and Boner had six kills and eight digs.

Against Coe, Jenkins recorded her second triple-double in the last week, with 10 kills, 26 assists and 10 digs, to go along with two blocks (one solo). LaGrave had 15 kills and six blocks (three solo). Lurken, Woelfel and Boner had eight kills apiece, with Boner adding 11 digs. Simmons collected seven kills and four blocks (four solo). Bower had 25 digs, Quick had 10 digs and Reed had 25 assists and 15 digs.

"We played great volleyball this match (against Coe). The girls competed hard, and the match could have gone either way," Rinehart said. "It's a shame that we are not getting the 'Xs' in the win column, because the girls have played solid volleyball this year. They continue to work hard and play with the best in the country. As a coaching staff, we are not one bit disappointed, because we know we are moving in the right direction for the future. We are laying the foundation this year, getting the experience that we need, and then carrying it into next season, in which we will be a force to reckon with."

The Auggies return to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday (10/18) with a 7 p.m. match at St. Benedict.