BOXSCORE ST. JOSEPH, MInn. -- Ashley Peper (FY, Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) recorded a team-high 13 kills and hit a team-best .470, but the Augsburg College volleyball team dropped a hard-fought, five-set match to the College of St. Benedict (25-15, 25-23, 18-25, 18-25, 15-8) Wednesday evening at Claire Lynch Hall. The match marked the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener for the two teams, who each made the conference postseason tournament a season ago.

The Blazers (7-3 overall, 1-0 MIAC), who were ranked as high as No. 18 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division III Poll earlier this season, jumped out to an early lead in the first set and pulled away to win by a score of 25-15. The Auggies (7-3 overall, 0-1 MIAC) responded in the second set, taking a 19-13 lead late in the set, but the Blazers scored 13 out of the last 16 points win 25-23. 

The third set featured some solid play by the Auggies, who led by as many as eight points, and cruised to a 25-18 win. The Auggies continued their dominance in the fourth set, leading all but one point of the game to win by a final score of 25-18 and force a decisive fifth set.

After Augsburg jumped out to an early 5-3 lead, the Blazers went on a 7-0 run to take a 10-5 lead, and eventually pulled away late to win by a score of 15-8 and earn the victory.    

Peper, who ranks 10th in the MIAC in overall kills-per-set (2.97), added 10 digs and three blocks to lead the Auggie offensive attack. Jamila Lee (SR, Richfield, Minn.) also recorded double-digit kills with 10 and added two blocks.

Nikolene Miller (SR, Tomahawk, Wis.), Colleen Ourada (JR, Omaha, Neb.Mercy HS) and Micah Sater (SR, Fridley, Minn./Centennial HS) recorded nine kills apeice, while Miller added a team-high four blocks (one solo). Ourada recorded a team-high 16 digs, while defensive specialist Emma Sievers (SO, St. Paul, Minn./Certin-Derham Hall) added 15.

Setter Emily McCourt (JR, Sun Prairie, Wis.) recorded 42 assists and eight digs in the match.

The Auggies return to action this weekend, as they travel to Mt. Vernon, Iowa to participate in the Cornell College Invitational. Augsburg faces Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Friday (9/14) at 4 p.m. and Wisconsin-Platteville on Friday at 8 p.m., then plays Northwestern-Roseville on Saturday (9/15) at 1 p.m. and Wartburg (Iowa) on Saturday at 3 p.m.