Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

AURORA, Ill. – Coach Mark Lau's Augustana volleyball team completed a busy weekend of action in the Chicago suburbs on Saturday, falling in three sets to host Aurora and dropping a five-set heartbreaker to Illinois Tech at Thornton Gymnasium. The Vikings are now 1-5 on the year and return to Carver Center on Saturday, February 3 to host Benedictine at 1:00 p.m. and Greenville at 5:00 p.m.
 
AURORA 3, AUGUSTANA 0 (25-19; 25-19; 25-21)
 
The opening set against the Spartans was tight early. After nine ties and four lead changes, Augustana trailed just 14-13 following a kill by freshman Joshua Richardson (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Hazel Crest, Ill.). However, Tyler Turner responded with one of his own for Aurora and the hosts went on a 4-0 run. Consecutive Richardson service aces pulled the Vikings to within two (18-16), but that's as close as they would get. Set point in a 25-19 win came on a Tim Breiter kill.
 
An early 5-0 spurt by Aurora was the difference in game two, as the Spartans took advantage of four Augustana attack errors and a ball handling error to go from down 4-3 to up 8-4. Again, the Vikings would get as close as two (14-12), but could never erase the deficit completely. Daniel Pytel's ace provided set point in another 25-19 Aurora win.
 
There were 10 ties and four lead changes in a third game that was close the whole way. The Vikings' last lead was 18-17 following a kill by freshman Justin Murphy (Glenbard East HS, Lombard, Ill.). They trailed just 22-21, but the Spartans won the final three points, with match point coming on a Josh McKinstry ace.
 
Freshman Jason Szara (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.) led Augustana with nine kills. Classmate Ryan Hirschel (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) had 23 assists and three aces and freshman Matthew Schiferl (Wheeling HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) contributed a match-high 11 digs. Breiter had 10 kills for Aurora.
 
ILLINOIS TECH 3, AUGUSTANA 2 (22-25; 22-25; 25-22; 25-19; 15-9)
 
In their second match of the day, the young Vikings let one slip away. After winning the first two games, Augustana fell in the third, which featured 16 ties and eight lead changes. Illinois Tech then seized on the momentum and took the last two sets by comfortable margins.
 
Lau's bunch was in control from the start in game one, leading the entire way after breaking a 1-1 tie. A kill by freshman Dylan Baum (Warrensburg-Latham HS, Decatur, Ill.) provided set point in a 25-22 Viking win.
 
Augustana led nearly the entire way in game two as well. The Scarlet Hawks managed a tie at 17-all, but the Vikings took the next four points, with Baum and Szara delivering kills. IIT cut the deficit to one on three occasions, but Szara closed out another 25-22 Augustana win with a kill and an ace.
 
A Hirschel kill gave the Vikings a 20-18 lead in the pivotal third set, but the Scarlet Hawks responded with six straight points on two Cinjun Coe kills and four Augustana attack errors. Set point in a 25-22 Illinois Tech win came on a Lukasz Kupiec kill.
 
A Kupiec ace snapped an 8-8 tie in game four. The Scarlet Hawks would take the next two points as well and lead the rest of the way. They evened the match at two games apiece, with a Coe kill accounting for set point in a 25-19 win.
 
Set five was tied at five-all following a Murphy kill, but IIT captured the next six points and the Vikings would get no closer than four the rest of the way. Match point in a 15-9 Scarlet Hawk victory came on a kill by Mihailo Djuric.
 
Baum led four Vikings in double-digit kills with 13. Szara, Richardson and Murphy chipped in with 10 each. Hirschel distributed a match-high 41 assists and equaled Murphy's team-high eight digs. Freshman Andrew Housholder (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) had three aces. Coe had a match-best 26 kills for Illinois Tech.