MINNEAPOLIS -- The Augsburg University volleyball team nearly pulled off an incredible comeback, but the Auggie rally fell just short as they dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker to the University of Minnesota-Morris in nonconference action on Monday night at Si Melby Hall.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: UM-Morris def. Augsburg 3-2 (25-22, 29-27, 17-25, 24-26, 15-11)
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 11-4 overall, UM-Morris 14-4 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Auggie volleyball team dropped the first two sets in a back-and-forth affair, but was able to score 10 of the last 11 points to post a convincing 25-17 victory in the third. In the fourth, Augsburg spotted Morris a 5-0 lead but fought its way back, tying the game 19-19 before claiming the hard-fought 26-24 victory. In the final set, Augsburg never gave up but came up just short, falling 15-11 in the decisive fifth set.
• Augsburg outhit Morris, attacking at a .176 clip, while holding the Cougars to a .113 hitting percentage. The Auggies also outdug and outblocked Morris, posting a 117-112 advantage in team digs and a 20.5 to 8.0 advantage in team blocks. The Auggies 20.5 team blocks is the most for an Auggie volleyball team in the rally scoring era, while the 117 team digs are a season-high.
• The Auggies were led by Taylor Linn (SR, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS), who posted a career-high 29 digs, and a team-best 17 kills, to go along with eight blocks (two solo). The kill-dig double-double is her eighth of the season and 14th of her career.
• Morgan Malley (JR, Harmony, Minn./Fillmore Central HS) and Corrina Evans (FY, Blaine, Minn./Blaine HS) also posted double-doubles for Augsburg. Malley finishing with 49 assists and 19 digs, while adding five kills and a block assist, while Evans continued her standout first year, posting 12 blocks (one solo) and 10 kills, while adding three digs.
• On the outside, Jordan Weeding (SR, Greenfield, Minn./Rockford HS) posted a season-high 16 kills on 51 attempts. 
• Megan Quam (SO, Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) and Ellie Schwartz (SO, Woodbury, Minn.,/Hill-Murray HS) added eight and seven kills respectively for the Auggie attack, while combining for 13 blocks on the night.

FOR THE FOES
• Marissa Ekness, was a force for the Cougars, posting 30 kills on 91 attempts, while adding 14 digs and three blocks.
• Layne Hermann posted 62 assists for Morris, while Kaite Reitsma finished with 28 digs and Bekah Morris added 24 digs.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg returns to action on Wednesday (9/27) at 7 p.m., when the Auggies travel to St. Paul, Minn. to take on St. Catherine.