BOXSCORE ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Behind a strong hitting performance in the first two sets and a strong blocking effort late, the Augsburg College volleyball team won its first-ever NCAA Division III national tournament match, a four-set triumph over Pacific Lutheran University (Wash.) on Thursday evening at the University of St. Thomas' Schoenecker Arena.

Appearing in its second-ever national tournament and first since 1982, the Auggies improved to 29-4 overall with the four-set win over Pacific Lutheran (19-6) by scores of 25-16, 26-24, 19-25 and 25-18. Augsburg entered the national tournament ranked No. 13 in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III national poll, while PLU was ranked No. 15.

With the win, Augsburg will advance to play defending national champion St. Thomas, which claimed a 3-1 win over Northwestern-St. Paul in Thursday's final match, on Friday (11/15) at 7 p.m. at Schoenecker Arena. The regional final will be on Saturday (11/16) at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Final Eight in Holland, Mich.

Augsburg sprinted out to a 2-0 lead after the first two sets, hitting .500 (15 kills, one error in 28 attempts) in the first set and .406 (17 kills, four errors in 32 attempts) in the second set. After giving up the third set to the Lutes, the Auggies collected five team blocks and took advantage of 13 attack errors by the Lutes in the final set.

Augsburg hit .339 as a team in the match -- its 11th time hitting .300 or better as a team -- while holding Pacific Lutheran to a .155 team attack percentage. Augsburg also claimed 12 team blocks in the match, compared to three for the Lutes.

The Auggies were paced by their two all-region hitters -- right-side hitter Ashley Peper (SO, Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) and outside hitter Colleen Ourada (SR, Omaha, Neb./Mercy HS). Peper recorded her sixth match with 20-plus kills, collecting 21 kills while hitting .429. She added two blocks (one solo), five digs and two service aces. Meanwhile, Ourada collected 17 kills while hitting .361, along with three blocks (one solo) and eight digs.

In the middle, Jessica Lillquist (SO, Sebeka, Minn.) had a strong blocking effort, with seven block assists, to go along with nine kills. She had just one error in 11 attack attempts, ending up with a career-best .727 attack percentage. Lillquist and Jaelyn Arndt (FY, Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn HS) each had three block assists in the third set. Arndt ended up with five block assists in the match.

All-region setter Emily McCourt (SR, Sun Prairie, Wis.) recorded 47 assists -- her 13th match with 40-plus assists this season, and fifth in her last eight matches -- to go along with eight digs, two block assists and four kills. Katelyn Berens (SR, Jordan, Minn./Prior Lake HS) had 16 digs, while Mackensie Menke (JR, Prior Lake, Minn./Shakopee HS) had six digs and two service aces. Taylor Trautman (FY, Hutchinson, Minn.) had three block assists in the match.

For Pacific Lutheran, Allison Wood (SR, Langley, Wash./South Whidbey HS) had 13 kills and two block assists, while Lucy Capron (SO, Burlington, Wash./Burnlington-Edison HS) recorded 12 kills and added nine digs. Bethany Huston (SR, Kennewick, Wash./Kamiakin HS) had 10 kills and three blocks (one solo). Samantha North (JR, Gig Harbor, Wash.) had 49 assists and 11 digs, and Amber Aguiar (JR, Vancouver, Wash./Skyview HS) had 13 digs.