ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The No. 25-ranked Augsburg College volleyball team improved to 19-4 overall (7-1 MIAC) with a five-set victory over No. 7 University of St. Thomas in a critical Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match at Schoenecker Arena on Wednesday. The Auggies ralled from a 2-1 set deficit, winning the fourth-set, 25-20 and the fifth, 16-14. The Auggies were led by Ashley Peper (JR, Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS), who recorded 17 kills, 19 digs and three blocks (one solo).
 
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg def. St. Thomas (19-25, 25-16, 18-25, 25-20, 16-14)
LOCATION: Schoenecker Arena, St. Paul, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 19-4 overall (7-1 MIAC), St. Thomas 19-6 overall (7-1 MIAC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Peper recorded 17 kills with an attack percentage of .245, as she only committed four errors in 53 attack attempts.
• Colleen Ourada (SR, Omaha, Neb./Mercy HS) finished with 15 kills, while commiting six errors in 54 attack attempts. Ourada also finished with 19 digs and two blocks (one solo).
• Setter Courtney Lemke (SO, Brownton, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake HS) claimed 50 assists and 14 digs, while libero Mackensie Menke (SR, Prior Lake, Minn./Shakopee HS) finished with 34 digs and two service aces. 
• Middle hitter Jessica Lillquist (JR, Sebeka, Minn.) tallied 12 kills and a match-high four blocks (two solo).
• Taylor Linn (FY, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) recorded eight kills and two blocks.
• As a team, Augsburg recorded 9.5 blocks to St. Thomas' four.
• Neither team recorded high attack percentages. Augsburg hit .147 in the match, with 56 kills against 27 attack errors in 197 attempts, while the Tommies hit .142, with 62 kills, 32 errors, 212 attacks.
 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
•  Augsburg and St. Thomas now share the conference lead with three regular-season matches to play.
•  The 2013 season ended with the two teams sharing the MIAC regular season title. Last year, St. Thomas won the regular season tie-breaker to earn the No. 1 playoff seed.
• The win marks Augsburg's first win over St. Thomas since a 3-2 win at Si Melby Hall on Oct. 3, 1997, snapping a 23-match losing streak to the Tommies.
• It was also Augsburg's first win at St. Thomas since a 3-0 win on Oct. 7, 1985, snapping a 17-match losing streak at St. Thomas.
 
FOR THE FOES
• Kelly Foley led the Tommies with 18 kills and hit .457, Jill Greenfield had 12 kills, 27 digs and four blocks.
• Taylor Lewis had nine kills and 23 digs, while Maddie Reese had 27 assists and 11 digs.
 
UP NEXT
• Augsburg travels to Winona, Minn. for a match against Saint Mary's at 3 p.m. on Saturday (10/25).
• St. Thomas travels for a match against Hamline at 5 p.m. on Saturday (10/25).