MANKATO, Minn. — The Augsburg University volleyball team scored a three-game nonconference sweep at Bethany Lutheran on Wednesday. The Auggies finished with 43 kills and a .189 hitting percentage while holding the Vikings to 26 kills and a .085 mark.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Augsburg def. Bethany Lutheran 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 27-25)
LOCATION: BLC Sports and Fitness Center, Mankato, Minn.
RECORDS: Augsburg 7-13 overall, Bethany Lutheran 4-17 overall
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Auggies scored the first three points of the opening set, including a
Lilly Wynn kill from
Jovial King, and stayed in front as
Taliah Triggs and Wynn added kills on the way to a 7-4 advantage. From there, a King kill, an
Elise Uphoff service ace and back-to-back
Maggie Lile aces were part of a stretch that moved the Auggies ahead 14-5 before
Grace Hamilton's kill made it 15-5. The Vikings got points from a Lexi Ashley kill and service ace, and later a Vivian Peplow ace, but the Auggies answered with kills from Uphoff,
Aloaha Ricke and Wynn to remain ahead 19-9. After the Vikings put together late three-point pushes to reach 21-15 and 23-18, the Auggies closed the set on a King kill from Uphoff and an
Elly Bearstail kill from King for a 25-18 win.
The Auggies fell behind 6-1 in the second set after a Bethany Lutheran ace and an Auggies setting error, but
Gwynn Gorter and Ricke had kills during a push that brought the Auggies within 8-6. The Vikings moved back in front 11-6 and later led 18-15, before Wynn, a King-Gorter block and another Gorter kill helped the Auggies work back to 19-18, and a Vikings attack error followed by King's kill put the Auggies ahead 21-20. After the Vikings went back up 22-21,
Lola Pilon tied the set with a kill, Wynn put the Auggies ahead 23-22, and kills by Ricke and Triggs accounted for the final two Auggies points in a 25-23 set win.
The third set stayed tight from the start, but the Auggies used early kills from
Gwynn Gorter, Triggs, Wynn and
Ameerah Rogers, along with a Lile ace, to build a 6-4 lead. The Vikings answered and moved ahead 13-11 on Aubrey Mannery's ace, but Triggs and Wynn kills and a Pilon ace helped the Auggies work back to a 15-14 edge. Pilon has recorded two or more service aces in three straight matches. After the Vikings pushed in front 20-18 on a block by Taylor Helgemoe and a Marti Jacobson kill, the Auggies came back to tie it 21-21 on a Gorter/Wynn block and moved ahead 22-21 on
Ava Carlson's ace. The teams traded points to 25-25 before a Vikings service error gave the Auggies set point, and Ricke finished the set with a kill from King for a 27-25 Auggies win.
AUGSBURG TOP PERFORMERS
•
Lilly Wynn: Team-high 11 kills with 1 error on 20 attempts, .500 hitting percentage, team-high 11.5 points
•
Jovial King: 37 assists, 10 digs, 3 kills on .600 hitting
- Claimed her 15th assist-dig double-double of the season and 36th of her college career
•
Aloaha Ricke: 10 kills, 10.5 points, 1 block assist
- 10 or more kills in back-to-back matches
•
Maggie Lile: 14 digs, 3 service aces, 2 assists
•
Gwynn Gorter: 4 blocks, including 2 solo, 4 kills on .375 hitting, 7 points
UP NEXT
The Auggies host Macalester College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. at Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis.
