MINNEAPOLIS — The Augsburg University volleyball team dropped a four-set match to the No. 15-ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Friday at Si Melby Hall. The Auggies took the third set 25-17 but dropped the other sets 16-25, 13-25 and 16-25.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Wisconsin-Eau Claire def. Augsburg 3-1 (25-16, 25-13, 17-25, 25-16)
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 9-16 overall, UW-Eau Claire 17-9 overall
HOW IT HAPPENED
After UW-Eau Claire scored the first two points of the match, the Auggies answered behind an
Ava Carlson service ace and a block by
Lilly Wynn and
Gwynn Gorter to move ahead 3-2. The set stayed within two points until the Blugolds led 10-8, and the visitors created separation with four straight points, including two Norah Erickson kills and a Rachel Johnson kill, before later stretching the margin to 17-9 on a Johnson kill and an Izzy Grace ace.
Taliah Triggs and
Aloaha Ricke added late kills for the Auggies, but UW-Eau Claire reached set point at 24-14 on a Mya Cinnamo kill and closed the set 25-16 on an Auggies service error.
The Auggies answered the opening point of the second set and built an 8-4 lead, getting kills from Ricke, Wynn and
Jovial King along with a
Lola Pilon service ace. UW-Eau Claire worked back to 10-10, then Alex Kiebel served a 12-point stretch that included four aces, three Mya Cinnamo kills and two block-assisted Auggies attack errors to put the visitors ahead 20-10.
Grace Hamilton's kill and a UW-Eau Claire attack error moved the Auggies to 20-12, but the Blugolds took five of the final six points to finish the set 25-13.
The Auggies built an early 12-5 lead in the third set, getting a Ricke service ace, kills from Triggs, Wynn, Gorter and Ricke, and several UW-Eau Claire attack errors. The Blugolds cut into the margin with five straight points, including four Makina Larson kills, and later pulled within 14-12 on a Norah Erickson kill. Ricke's kill put the Auggies back on serve, and King served the next six points as the Auggies pushed the lead to 21-12 behind kills from Wynn, Ricke and
Grace Hamilton. UW-Eau Claire trimmed the score to 22-17, but Triggs and Wynn answered with kills before a Blugolds attack error closed the Auggies' 25-17 set win.
The fourth set opened with swings in both directions, as Wynn and Triggs put away early kills from King and a block by Gorter and Triggs helped the Auggies move in front 4-3. UW-Eau Claire answered to lead 8-5, but the Auggies worked back even at 9-9 on a Hamilton kill and a Blugolds attack error. From there, UW-Eau Claire scored four straight points to go ahead 13-9, and after Triggs' kill and a block by Gorter and King got the Auggies within 18-14, the Blugolds ran off six points to reach 24-14. A Rachel Johnson service error and a Ricke kill made it 24-16 before Mya Cinnamo's kill closed the set for UW-Eau Claire, 25-16.
Triggs totaled seven kills in the match, giving her 205 for the season. King had 40 assists and 14 digs, her 18th assist-dig double-double of the season and 39th of her college career.
AUGSBURG TOP PERFORMERS
•
Jovial King: Team-high 32 assists, 8 digs, 2 kills
•
Maggie Lile: Team-high 23 digs
•
Taliah Triggs: Team-high 11 kills, 3 digs
•
Aloaha Ricke: 10 kills, 2 blocks, including 1 solo, 1 service ace
•
Gwynn Gorter: Team-high 4 blocks, including 1 solo
UP NEXT
The Auggies close the regular season visiting Saint Mary's University on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. at David R. Thies Arena in Winona, Minn.
