BOXSCORE ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Augsburg College volleyball team moved into a tie for first-place in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings with a sweep of Macalester on Saturday afternoon at the Leonard Center. Augsburg (26-3 overall, 9-1 MIAC) claimed its 21st sweep of the season with set scores of 25-17, 25-21, 25-15 over the Scots (13-13 overall, 4-6 MIAC). 

Augsburg, the No. 13-ranked team in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III national rankings, moved into a tie for first place with St. Thomas (24-2 overall, 9-1 MIAC) and Concordia-Moorhead (18-8 overall, 9-1 MIAC) in the conference standings, with one round of games remaining in the league season. Augsburg travels to face Concordia on Wednesday (10/30) at 7 p.m., while St. Thomas' final MIAC match is at Saint Mary's next Saturday (11/2). Saint Benedict is in fourth place in the MIAC standings at 23-2 overall and 8-2 in league play, with its final league match coming at Macalester next Tuesday (10/29).

Augsburg's career leader in kills, Colleen Ourada (SR, Omaha, Neb./Mercy HS), was on fire in the three-set match recording 14 kills, with a hitting percentage of .591. Ourada added four digs, one block and an ace. Ourada claimed a double-digit kill total for the 24th time this season, and her season-high .591 attack percentage marked the sixth time in her career that she has hit .500 or better. 

Ashley Peper (SO, Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS), picked up her 10th kill-dig double double of the season with 12 kills and 10 digs. Peper also hit double-digits in kills for the 24th time this season, hitting .375. Peper's 4.53 kills per-set average is tops among MIAC players in overall statistics, while Ourada stands third with a 3.82 kills per-set average.

The Auggies had the upper hand for the majority of the match, only trailing for a brief moment early in the second set. Augsburg had a strong hitting performance, with a .379 team attack percentage -- its 10th match with a .300-or-better attack percentage and fifth in its last seven contests. The .379 percentage was bolstered by a blistering .652 effort (17 kills, two errors in 23 attempts) in the third set on Saturday. Macalester strikers finished with a percentage of .087 with 16 errors and 6 blocks by the Auggies. 

Emily McCourt (SR, Sun Prairie, Wis.) finished with a match-best 41 assists -- her 11th match with 40 or more assists this season -- and added eight digs, a season-best four blocks, and one kill. Jessica Lillquist (SO, Sebeka, Minn./Sebeka HS) recorded the match's highest hitting percentage with a career-best .800 in her eight kills. Lillquist also chipped in three blocks and two digs, while Taylor Trautman (FY, Hutchinson, Minn.) recorded five kills and three blocks. 

Laura Avena had nine kills, eight digs and two block assists to lead Macalester, with Brooke Hunter and Arianna Hesterberg adding four kills each. Kasey McMaster had 16 assists and four digs, and Cora Trout added seven digs and a service ace.