Box Score

WHEATON, Ill. – Wheaton rallied from a 0-2 deficit Tuesday to defeat Augustana in five sets at King Arena. The Vikings fell to 22-7 overall and 4-3 in the conference, while the host Thunder improved to 11-15 on the year and 4-2 in the league.
 
After dropping the opening two sets 28-26 and 25-21, Wheaton rebounded with 25-23 wins in games three and four. Augustana took a 2-1 lead in the fifth set, but the Thunder won 10 of the next 11 points to take control. Match point in a 15-5 set victory came on a kill by Meghan Lacey.
 
A nip-and-tuck first game saw 11 lead changes. Each team fended off a set point opportunity for its opponent before an Emily Westermeyer (Huntley HS, Huntley, Ill.) kill finally finished off a 28-26 Viking win.
 
In set two, Augustana won nine of 10 points to extend a 4-3 lead to 13-4. Westermeyer and freshman Grace Bialobok (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Homewood, Ill.) each had two kills in the run. The Thunder eventually cut the deficit to 23-21 before junior Maissie Musick (Camp Point Central HS, Camp Point, Ill.) closed things out with a kill and a service ace.
 
The Vikings jumped out to an 8-3 lead in set three, but the hosts wouldn't go away. A Lacey kill capped a 25-23 Wheaton win.
 
The Thunder took a 12-8 lead in the fourth game, but the Vikings battled back to eventually go up 16-15 on an ace by junior libero Claire Martin (Mother McAuley HS, Orland Park, Ill.). The teams alternated the next eight points, leaving Augustana with a 20-19 advantage. A Westermeyer kill made it 21-19 and the visitors still led 22-20 after a kill by Jacqueline Kibir-Evans (Trinity HS, Forest Park, Ill.). Wheaton took the next three points to regain the lead before a Musick kill tied it a 23-all. However, a kill by Lacey and an ace by Sara Reiskytl closed out a 25-23 Thunder win that forced a fifth and deciding set.
 
Wetsermeyer and senior Nicole Morrissey (Lake Zurich HS, Lake Zurich, Ill.) led the Vikings with 13 and 11 kills, respectively. Kibir-Evans added nine and Bialobok and sophomore Taryn VanEarwage (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) seven each. Morrissey was the most efficient Augustana attacker, hitting .241 for the match.
 
Setters Hannah Lindaman (North Scott HS, Eldridge, Iowa) and McKenzie Zambrano (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) recorded 25 and 23 assists, respectively and Lindaman added a pair of aces.
 
Defensively, sophomore libero Sierra Rood (Lena-Winslow HS, Lena, Ill.) led the Vikings with 25 digs, followed by VanEarwage (13), Zambrano (11) and Westermeyer (10). Kibir-Evans was in on seven blocks and Bialobok and Musick five each.
 
Shelby Knowles led Wheaton with 22 kills. Lacey added 12, along with 25 digs.
 
Augustana hosts its Pumpkin Bash on Friday and Saturday, October, 28-29. Nine teams are slated to compete at Carver Center. The Vikings opener, at 5:00 p.m. Friday, will be a crucial conference match with Millikin. The Big Blue are currently 22-8 overall and lead the CCIW with a perfect 5-0 mark.