Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana fell in straight sets to Mount St. Joseph Saturday at Carver Center. Coach Mark Lau's club fell to 3-9 on the season and 0-2 in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League, while the 11th-ranked Lions improved to 8-3 overall and 2-0 in the MCVL.
 
After Augustana won the opening point of the match on a MSJ attack error, the visitors claimed the next five and never looked back. The Vikings were still within three points as late as 10-7 after a Jason Szara (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.) kill, but Mount St. Joseph won four of the next five points, with a Ben Holt service ace giving his team a 14-8 advantage. Set point came on an Augustana service error as MSJ won 25-14.
 
The hosts jumped in front in game two. A Szara kill put the Vikings up 6-4 and another gave them an 8-6 advantage. The lead was still two (11-9) after a block by freshmen Dylan Baum (Warrensburg-Latham HS, Decatur, Ill.) and Joshua Richardson (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Hazel Crest, Ill.). An Augustana service error gave the Lions their second lead of the game (15-14), but it was one they wouldn't relinquish. A Darien Bradley kill provided set point in a 25-20 MSJ win.
 
An Andrew Housholder (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) kill gave the Vikings a 4-3 lead in set three, but a Zack Stork kill sparked a 6-0 Mount St. Joseph run that was capped by a kill from 6' 11" Andrew Chisholm. Augustana would get as close as two at 12-10, but the Lions eventually won 25-19, with Hayden Wood's kill accounting for match point.
 
Szara led Lau's squad with 10 kills. Freshman Ryan Hirschel (Libertyvile HS, Libertyville, Ill.) had 26 assists and classmate Matthew Schiferl (Wheeling HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) seven digs. Richardson was in on a pair of blocks.
 
The Vikings will be back in action on Friday, February 23, playing Maranatha Baptist in Watertown, Wisconsin at 5:00 p.m.