ELMHURST, Ill. - Augustana College women's volleyball (6-13, 1-5) was back in action on Wednesday night as they visited Elmhurst University (13-8). After edging out a set one win, Augie dropped the next three sets to fall 3-1 to the Blue Jays.
Inside the box score
- Carmela Carbone was the lone Viking to hit double-digit kills with her 11.
- Niya Mincheva had 18 assists to lead Augie, but Abby Kirchner was not too far behind with 14.
- Lanah Queckboerner led Augustana defensively with 13 digs.
How it happened
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First set
The Vikings came out strong in set one, taking a quick 3-1 lead. Elmhurst followed that up with three of their own points to jump in front, but Augie responded with another three-point run to briefly take a 6-4 lead. Back-to-back Blue Jay scores tied things up before two points from Augustana put them back in front, 8-6.
After eventually being tied 9-9, Augie rattled off a massive 6-0 run to jump out to a 15-9 lead. Elmhurst responded with two points, but Augie restored their six-point lead thanks to consecutive points of their own. Following the squads splitting the next four points, Elmhurst cut the deficit down to four with back-to-back points, but three straight scores from the Vikings built them a seven-point advantage.
A 4-2 stretch closed the gap as Augie reached set point at 24-19. Elmhurst made a final push, taking four straight scores to make it 24-23, but they then committed an attack error to seal Augie's 25-23 set one win.
Second set
Neither squad found much breathing room to start set two, with the teams being tied 1-1, 2-2, 5-5, 6-6 and 7-7. From there, however, Elmhurst scored eight in a row to build a 15-7 lead. Augie was not deterred, taking six of the next seven points to pull back within three, 16-13.
A trio of Blue Jay scores increased their lead to six. The teams then swapped points until it was 20-15. It was all Elmhurst from there until the end of the set, with a 5-1 Blue Jay run clinching a 25-16 set victory.
Third set
Finding their match lead evaporated, Augie came out firing in the third set as they took an early 5-1 lead. A 4-1 Elmhurst spree closed the gap to one before Augustana scored three in a row to reestablish their four-point advantage. The Blue Jays began to chip into Augie's lead then, not allowing consecutive Viking points until the difference was one again at 12-11.
Augustana managed to build another four-point lead at 16-12. Elmhurst got within one again at 16-15, but back-to-back Augie points held the Blue Jays at bay. The teams then swapped points until it was 20-17. Once more, Elmhurst pulled within one point thanks to back-to-back points before Alyse Murphy-Spiteri got a kill to maintain Augie's multi-point lead. Elmhurst finally managed to tie the set at 21-21, but Taryn Jones delivered a kill to put Augie back in front.
Three quick points from the Blue Jays not only put them in front but also brought them to set point at 24-22. A service error prolonged the set before a final Elmhurst kill won them set three, 25-23.
Fourth set
Needing just one more set win to clinch the match, the Blue Jays established a 7-1 lead to start the fourth set. A Carbone kill ended a 6-0 Elmhurst run, but the Blue Jays tacked on another pair of points to up their lead to 9-2. A 4-2 Augie run cut their deficit down to five before the squads swapped scores until Elmhurst's lead sat at 14-8.
Two straight kills by Augustana pulled them within four of the Blue Jays, but a massive eight-point spree by the home squad built the Blue Jays a commanding 22-10 lead. An Augie kill ended that run before two more Blue Jay scores brought them to set point. Three Augie points in a row kept their match hopes alive, but a final Elmhurst kill won them set four, 25-14, and the match, 3-1.
Up next
The Vikings now get set to host the Augustana Invitational, which begins on Friday, Oct. 23, with a doubleheader against Monmouth and UW-La Crosse. Those games begin at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Augustana women's volleyball by following the team on Twitter at @augieathletics, on Facebook at Augustana Women's Volleyball, and on Instagram at @augie_wvb.
