Box Score

WATERTOWN, Wis. – Augustana used a balanced effort Saturday to down Maranatha Baptist in straight sets at the MBU Gymnasium. The Vikings won 25-17, 25-15 and 25-18 to improve to 4-9 on the year. The host Sabercats fell to 2-13 on the season.
 
Freshman Justin Murphy (Glenbard East HS, Lombard, Ill.) led Augustana with nine kills, but Coach Mark Lau's club had  eight players record four or more, including six with at least a half-dozen. Freshman Andrew Housholder (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) put away eight, classmate Dylan Baum (Warrensburg-Latham HS, Decatur, Ill.) and senior Tyler Rubarts (Paxton-Buckley-Loda HS, Paxton, Ill.) seven each and freshman John Cunningham (Hononegah HS, Roscoe, Ill.) six.
 
In the opening game, the Vikings began to pull away midway through. A Jason Szara (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.) kill and consecutive Ryan Hirschel (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) service aces extended the visitors' lead from 12-9 to 15-9. It reached its largest at 22-13 after kills by Baum, Housholder and Murphy. Set point came on a block by freshmen Szara and Joshua Richardson (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Hazel Crest, Ill.).
 
A Richardson ace gave Augustana its first lead in game two at 4-3 and the Vikings wouldn't relinquish it. They pulled away with a late 8-2 run fueled by two kills each from Richardson and Murphy. A Housholder kill provided set point.
 
Maranatha Baptist took an early lead in game three and was still tied with Augustana at 11-all, but kills by Rubarts and Baum and a Hirschel ace put the Vikings on top for good. Baum's kill off of Hirschel's 40th assist of the night accounted for match point.
 
Lau's club hit an efficient .326 for the match with 50 kills and 19 errors in 95 attacks. Hirschel added three aces to his match-high 40 assists. Szara had a match-best five digs and Richardson was in on a team-high two blocks.
 
On Saturday, February 24, Augustana will play three matches at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. The Vikings will take on Illinois Tech at noon, Graceland at 2:00 p.m. and the host Bees at 4:00 p.m. Lau was the head coach at Graceland for two years, leading the Yellowjackets to a 25-8 record and a number four NAIA national ranking in 2016, before accepting the Augustana head coaching position.