Box Score

WAVERLY, Iowa – Augustana went on the road Tuesday night and came away a winner, downing Wartburg in four sets at the Sports & Wellness Center. Coach Kelly Bethke's Vikings improved to 5-3 on the year, while the Knights, playing their 2016 home opener, fell to 4-3.
 
The visitors took the first set by a score of 25-23. A kill by sophomore Taryn VanEarwage (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) broke a 23-all tie and one by senior Jacqueline Kibir-Evans (Trinity HS, Forest Park, Ill.) accounted for set point.
 
Wartburg scored six straight points early in game two, going from down 2-1 to up 7-2. Augustana came back to achieve ties at 11-all and 13-all, but the Knights won nine of 10 points, including five straight with Lizzy Blough serving, to go up 22-14. The Vikings got as close as 22-18, but Josie Esser's kill clinched the set for the hosts.
 
Augustana bolted to a 6-1 lead in the third and never looked back. Kills by senior Nicole Morrissey (Lake Zurich HS, Lake Zurich, Ill.) and VanEarwage gave the Vikings a 24-16 lead and set point came on an attack error by Esser.
 
In game four, the teams traded the first nine points before Wartburg captured two in a row and took a 6-4 lead. Augustana rallied to tie it at 11, 12, 13 and 14-all on kills by senior Amy Kalkhoff (Clear Creek Amana HS, North Liberty, Iowa), freshman Grace Bialobok (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Homewood, Ill.) twice and Morrissey. Kibir-Evans put away a kill for the Vikings' first lead in the set (15-14) and another one to break an 18-all tie. Augustana won the next three points as well—including kills by Bialobok and junior Peyton Achs (Eastland HS, Erie, Ill.)—to go up 22-18. Match point came on an attack error by the Knights.
 
Kibir-Evans, Van Earwage and Morrissey led the Viking attack with 11, 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Kibir-Evans committed just one error in 25 attempts for a match-best attack percentage of .400. Senior Hannah Lindaman (North Scott HS, Eldridge, Iowa) served up 28 assists and sophomore Mackenzie Zambrano (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) 20.
 
Defensively, four Vikings reached double digits in digs. Junior libero Claire Martin (Mother McAuley HS, Orland Park, Ill.) led the way with 27, followed by Lindaman and VanEarwage with 13 each and Kalkhoff with 10. Kibir-Evans led Augustana in blocks with two solo and one assist.
 
Bethke's squad is back in action this weekend, hosting the Viking Classic at Carver Center. On Friday, September 16, they'll take on Illinois College at 5:30 p.m. and Wisconsin Lutheran at 7:30 p.m.