Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Wittenberg captured six of the final seven points Friday to pull out a five-set win over Augustana at Carver Center. The match was the 2018 Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League opener for both teams. The Tigers improved to 9-6 on the year, while the Vikings dropped to 3-9.
 
The fifth set started out tight. Neither team had led by more than a point when Wittenberg took an 8-7 advantage at the change. A Tiger attack error eventually pulled Augustana even at 9-9, but Justin Luby followed with a kill and the visitors had the lead for good. With Luby serving, Wittenberg added the next four points as well to go up 14-9. Match point in a 15-10 Tiger victory came on a Jackson Tyler kill.
 
The Tigers took set one by a score of 25-21. The teams traded points early on and it wasn't until an Ashton Sellers service ace that made it 11-9 Tigers that either side led by more than a point. The Vikings came back to forge ties at 16, 17, 18 and 19, but an Alex Losada ace and a block by Ross Russell and Isaiah Brock gave Wittenberg a two-point cushion and the Tigers were able to finish off the game. Set point came on an Augustana attack error.
 
Freshman Jason Szara (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.) had a pair of aces as the hosts jumped in front 10-2 in game two. Wittenberg would get no closer than six points the rest of the way and game point in a 25-13 Viking win came on a kill by freshman Justin Murphy (Glenbard East HS, Lombard, Ill.).
 
The Tigers took a 17-9 advantage in set three. Augustana twice got as close as five points on kills by Murphy (20-15) and freshman Dylan Baum (Warrensburg-Latham HS, Decatur, Ill.) (21-16), but a Brock kill eventually gave Wittenberg a 25-18 win.
 
The Vikings came back to force a fifth set by winning game four 25-21. The Tigers took their only lead at 2-1, but a kill by freshman Andrew Housholder (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) and a block by classmate Joshua Richardson (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Hazel Crest, Ill.) gave Augustana a lead it wouldn't relinquish. A Murphy kill provided set point.
 
Murphy finished with a match-high 17 kills, one more than Szara, who also had four aces. Freshman Ryan Hirschel (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) distributed a match-best 47 assists. Baum led the way with 10 digs and Richardson had five blocks, including two of the solo variety.
 
Sellers led Wittenberg with 15 kills and Luby added 13. Troy Boucher had a match-high 11 digs.
 
Augustana is back in MCVL action on Saturday, February 17 when 11th-ranked Mount St. Joseph visits Carver Center for a 2:00 p.m. match.