MATCH BOXES:
AUGSBURG VS. NORTHLAND (WIS.)
AUGSBURG VS. ST. SCHOLASTICA
AUGSBURG VS. WISCONSIN-SUPERIOR

DULUTH, Minn. -- Augsburg College opened its 2010 volleyball season with two victories in its three matches at the College of St. Scholastica Quadrangular on Wednesday at CSS' Reif Gymnasium.

After sweeping Northland (Wis.) in three sets in the opening match, the Auggies dropped their second match to host St. Scholastica in four sets. Augsburg finished the day with a four-set victory over Wisconsin-Superior.

On the day, outside hitter Katie Christensen (SR, North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West HS) led the way, collecting a team-best 23 kills, to go along with three aces, 14 digs and four blocks (one solo). Amanda Unze (SO, Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska HS) claimed 16 kills and four blocks on the right side in the three matches.

Colleen Ourada (FY, Omaha, Neb./Mercy HS) had 14 kills and 12 blocks in her collegiate debut matches, while Lauren Butler (SO, Burnsville, Minn.) had 14 kills and three blocks on the day. Michelle Barum (JR, Prior Lake, Minn.) had 13 kills and six digs in the middle, while Nikolene Miller (SO, Tomahawk, Wis.) had a team-best 14 blocks (two solo) on the day, to go along with 12 kills.

Denielle Johnson (SR, Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park HS) had 41 assists and 23 digs on the day, while setting counterpart Emily McCourt (FY, Sun Prairie, Wis.) had 45 assists and eight digs. Both Johnson and McCourt had seven service aces each. Libero Jessica Hilk (SR, Waconia, Minn./Mayer Lutheran HS) had 31 digs and six aces.

Augsburg competes at the St. Mary's University Sugarloaf Classic this Friday and Saturday (9/3-4) in Winona, Minn.

Augsburg 3, Northland 0 (25-8, 25-9, 25-19)
In a match that took just an hour to complete, the Auggies dominated in a 25-8, 25-9, 25-19 victory. Fourteen Auggies saw action in the match, led by Ourada, who hit .625 with five kills in eight attempts, along with two blocks. Miller had four kills and two blocks, and Barum had four kills in seven attempts, hitting .571. As a team, Augsburg had seven blocks in the match.

Johnson collected 14 assists and nine digs, to go along with a team-best four service aces. Christensen had three aces and two blocks, and Hilk had three aces and seven digs.

The match marked the debut of new Augsburg head coach Jane Gibbs, who claimed the 61st victory of her coaching career.

St. Scholastica 3, Augsburg 1 (21-25, 25-10, 25-19, 25-14)
Despite nine kills from Christensen and seven from Unze, the Auggies dropped a four-set match to host St. Scholastica. The Auggies scored the first set win, but dropped the remaining three sets, as the Saints hit .364 as a team.

Newcomer Ourada collected six kills and five blocks for the Auggies, while Miller also had five blocks. Hilk had 10 digs, and McCourt had 17 assists and two service aces. Johnson had eight assists, five digs and two aces. Augsburg had eight team blocks in the match.

Anna Zyvoloski had 12 kills for St. Scholastica, hitting .474. Paige Hardy had eight kills and Taylor Tyllia hit .545 in collecting seven kills.

Augsburg 3, Wisconsin-Superior 1 (24-26, 25-18, 25-19, 25-19)
Augsburg rebounded from a first-set loss to win the remaining sets, led by Christensen's 13-kill, nine-dig, one-block performance. Miller dominated on the inside, with six kills and seven blocks (two solo).

Butler had eight kills, five digs and two blocks, hitting 533 in the match. Barum had eight kills and four blocks, hitting .389. Unze had seven kills and two blocks, and Ourada had five blocks to go along with three kills. As a team, Augsbug hit .307 and claimed 12 team blocks.

McCourt had 21 assists, five service aces and four digs, and Johnson had 19 assists and nine digs. Hilk collected 14 digs to go with two aces.