MINNEAPOLIS — The Augsburg University volleyball team won the opening set, but dropped the next three sets in a close Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference loss to Gustavus Adolphus College on Friday at Si Melby Hall.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Gustavus def. Augsburg 3-1 (18-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21)
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 4-8 overall (1-1 MIAC), Gustavus 10-4 overall (3-0 MIAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Auggies built a 6-1 lead in the opening set behind early kills from
Aloaha Ricke and
Lilly Wynn and a block by
Taliah Triggs and
Ameerah Rogers. Gustavus cut the gap to 6-4, but the Auggies answered with a run to 12-5, as Ricke put down three straight kills off assists from
Jovial King. Gustavus later pulled within 19-17 before a block by Triggs and Rogers and Ricke kill helped the Auggies steady the set at 21-18.
Maggie Lile served the final four points, including an ace, and Ricke finished the set with a kill from Triggs for a 25-18 Auggies win.
After the Auggies stayed within 7-6 on
Lola Pilon's ace and a Gustavus attack error, Gustavus scored five straight points on Hannah Baron's serve and later led 15-7. A service error put the ball with Lile, and the Auggies won the next six rallies on her serve, using a Lile ace, two Ricke kills and blocks by
Grace Hamilton and King to close within 15-14. Gustavus stopped the run with a Sophia Deyak kill and pushed the lead back to 19-14, then back-to-back Londyn Bowers kills later gave the Gusties a 23-17 advantage.
Marley Mitchell's kill returned serve to the Auggies, and Hamilton served four straight points, including an
Ava Carlson kill and a service ace, to get the Auggies within 23-22 before Gustavus closed the set 25-22.
The third set opened with neither team gaining separation, as the Auggies countered early Gustavus points with kills from Ricke, Wynn and Hamilton before Ricke's kill from Lile put the Auggies ahead 8-7. The Auggies later went up 13-11 on Mitchell's kill and a block by Ricke and Rogers, but Gustavus tied it at 14-14 and moved ahead 15-14 on consecutive Auggies attack errors before Ricke tied the set at 15-15. After Gustavus led 17-15, the Auggies pulled even at 17-17 on a service error and a Mitchell kill, and Mitchell added another kill to tie the set at 18-18. Gustavus scored the next three points to go in front 21-18, and although Ricke had kills to keep the Auggies within 23-21 and 24-22, Gustavus closed the set 25-22 on Sophia Deyak's kill.
The Auggies traded points with Gustavus through the early part of the fourth set, taking a 9-8 lead on a Gustavus setting error before Gustavus later led 10-9 and 11-10. From there, the Auggies scored four straight points, tying the set on a Greta Tompkins attack error, moving in front on a block by Mitchell and Rogers, and pushing the lead to 14-11 on Mitchell's kill from King and a Londyn Bowers attack error. Gustavus answered with three straight points to tie it at 14-14, and after the Auggies went back up 17-14 on Wynn's kill, a Gustavus attack error and Pilon's ace, Gustavus scored four straight to lead 18-17. Mitchell's kill, a King/Rogers block and Ricke's kill put the Auggies ahead 20-18, but Gustavus tied it at 20-20 and, after Ricke's kill gave the Auggies a 21-20 lead, closed with five straight points for a 25-21 set win.
AUGSBURG TOP PERFORMERS
•
Aloaha Ricke: Team-high 22 kills, team-high 22.5 points, 1 block
- Ricke achieved a season-high of 22 kills and reached a double-figure total in kills for the seventh time in the first nine matches of her college career.
•
Jovial King: Team-high 37 assists, 12 digs, 4 blocks
- King claimed her 10th assist-dig double-double of the season and the 30th of her Auggie career.
•
Maggie Lile: Team-high 14 digs, 2 service aces, 3 assists
•
Ameerah Rogers: Team-high 6 blocks, 5 kills on .300 hitting, 8 points
•
Lola Pilon: Team-high 4 service aces, 12 digs, 5 points
UP NEXT
The Auggies host Carleton College in a MIAC match on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 5 p.m. at Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis.
