ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana rode some key service aces in games three and four Tuesday night to post a four-set victory over Wheaton at Carver Center. Coach Kelly Bethke's Vikings improved to 13-11 on the season and 3-3 in the CCIW, while the Thunder fell to 10-14 overall and 0-5 in the league.
 

Junior Grace Bialobok (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Homewood, Ill.) had two kills as Augustana jumped in front 5-1 in game one. Another by senior Emily Uglem (Moorhead HS, Moorhead, Minn.), off a Madi Glatz (Morton HS, Morton, Ill.) set, gave the Vikings their biggest lead of the set at 9-4. A Victoria Biggerstaff (Broomfield HS, Broomfield, Colo.) kill matched that five-point margin at 15-10, but Wheaton responded by taking seven of the next eight points to go up 17-16. The Thunder led by two at 19-17, 20-18 and 21-19 before a Sierra Erke (Quincy HS, Quincy, Ill.) kill and two more by Bialobok regained the lead for Augustana. Set point in a 25-22 Viking win came on Bialobok's eighth kill of the game.
 
The Thunder came back to even the match at a game apiece with a 25-19 win. An Audrey Gerze kill broke a 4-4 tie and the visitors would hold the lead until a Wheaton attack error eventually created a 15-all tie. However, Deborah Smith and Gerze teamed up on a block and a Gerze ace made it 17-15 and the Thunder wouldn't trail again. A Madeline Moore kill provided set point.
 
The Vikings rallied to pull out game three, keyed by three consecutive aces by senior McKenzie Zambrano (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.). Wheaton used an early 6-0 run to wipe out a 6-2 deficit and take an 8-6 lead. The Thunder would extend the margin to 17-11 and 18-12 and still looked to be in great shape at 23-19 following a Colleen Smith kill. Sophomore Savana Sparks (Maroa Forsyth HS, Maroa, Ill.) cut it to 23-20 with a kill and Zambrano took it from there. Seeing her first action of the match, she played the tape for her first two aces and then added a third to pull Augustana even at 23-all. She set classmate Taryn VanEarwage (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) for a kill that gave the hosts the lead and set point came via a Wheaton attack error. The Vikings claimed the final six points of the game, the last five with Zambrano serving.
 
Augustana closed strong again in set four, winning 25-21 to close out the match. The Vikings led early by as much as 11-4, but behind four Smith kills, the Thunder took 13 of the next 17 points to forge a 17-15 lead. They still led 19-18 following a Kelly Thornton kill, but an Uglem kill tied it and freshman Olivia Doak (Crystal Lake Central HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) delivered consecutive aces to make it 21-19. Van Earwage and junior Brooke Harmon (Lindbergh HS, St. Louis, Mo.) teamed up on a block and VanEarwage and Erke added kills to give Augustana a 24-19 edge. Wheaton claimed the next two points, but Doak set Harmon for a kill and match point.
 
Erke and Bialobok each delivered a match-high 16 kills. Bialobok was also in on a match-best five blocks. Doak dished out 27 assists and junior Brooke Keegan (Hall HS, Ladd, Ill.) added 14. Glatz came through with 25 digs and VanEarwage 21.
 
The Vikings are back at Carver Center on Friday, October 19, hosting North Central in a match scheduled for 7:00 p.m.