Volleyball 9/15/06 -- Augsburg 3, Bethel 2 (26-30, 30-17, 24-30, 30-22, 15-12)

BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (9/15/06) -- Claiming its first match victory over Bethel University since the 2000 season, the Augsburg College volleyball team rallied from behind for a win in five games over the Royals in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference volleyball match Friday night at Si Melby Hall.

Augsburg trailed two games to one after three games, but won the final two games. Game scores were: 26-30, 30-17, 24-30, 30-22, 15-12. Augsburg is now 5-5 overall and 1-1 in MIAC play. Bethel is now 8-3 overall and 1-1 in MIAC play. The Royals, an MIAC playoff team last season, received votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III national poll.

Bethel had won five matches in a row over Augsburg, dating to the 2000 season, before Friday's match.

Katie LaGrave (Jr., Okinawa, Japan/Kadena HS) led the Auggies with 19 kills, hitting .432 (three errors in 37 attempts), while contributing two blocks. Dani Boner (So., Omaha, Neb./Mercy HS) had her second straight kill-dig double-double, with 11 kills and 13 digs, to go along with two service aces. Kristina Lurken (Jr., Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) finished with a season-high 10 kills and six digs.

Bethel's Liz Glesne led all players with 22 kills, adding six digs and three blocks (one solo). Amy Anderson had 14 kills for the Royals.

Bethel claimed a 10-6 lead in the fifth game, but Augsburg rallied back with a 9-2 scoring run to win the match. Boner and Barbara Simmons (Fr., Minneapolis, Minn./South HS) had two kills apiece in the fifth game, while Haley Bower (Jr., Brainerd, Minn.) collected two service aces near the end of the final game.

LaGrave had six kills in the first game, four kills in the second game, two kills in the third game, six kills in the fourth game and one kill in the final game.

Shanna Reed (Fr., Eagan, Minn./Holy Angels HS) had 28 assists for the Auggies, while Julie Jenkins (So., Edina, Minn.) had six kills, 18 assists, two service aces, nine digs and four blocks. Simmons collected seven blocks (two solo) to go with five kills. Bower had 27 digs and five service aces, Dani Tanaka (Fr., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) had 15 digs and Emma Sutton (Jr., Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley HS) had 10 digs.

For Bethel, Laura Naig had 45 assists and 15 digs, while Jennifer Stoa had seven kills and five blocks. Alissa Martin had four kills and two blocks. Joslin Geisler had 17 digs, Angie Nies had 16 digs, and Nicole Murphy had 14 digs and Kayla Smith had 13 digs.

Augsburg returns to action with an MIAC match at Concordia-Moorhead on Tuesday (9/19) at 7 p.m. Bethel hosts Crown in a nonconference match on Monday (9/18) at 7 p.m.