MOUNT VERNON, Iowa – Augustana stepped out of College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play on Saturday, September 22 and ventured to Mount Vernon, Iowa for the

Cornell Classic. The Vikings picked up a pair of wins with victories over Grinnell (3-1) and Nebraska Wesleyan (3-0). Head Coach Kelly Bethke's team is now 9-6 on the season and has won four of its last five matches. The Vikings will be in action again on Wednesday, September 26 at home against Coe in what has been designated as "High School Night".
 
AUGUSTANA 3, GRINNELL 1 (21-25; 25-19; 25-20; 25-16)
 
Junior middle hitter Grace Bialobok (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Homewood, Ill.) exploded for 18 kills to help lead Augustana to a 3-1 victory over Grinnell in non-conference volleyball action on Saturday, September 22 in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The Vikings lost the first set 25-21 to the Pioneers before bouncing back and winning there straight by scores of 25-19; 25-20 and 25-16.
 
Bialobok was nearly unstoppable as she hit .444 for the match with 18 kills in 36 attempts and just two hitting errors. She also had three blocking assists. She was joined in double figures in kills by senior Taryn VanEarwage (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) with 10. VanEarwage compiled those 10 kills against just three errors in 33 total attempts and she also had 15 kills. Senior Emily Uglem (Moorhead HS, Moorhead, Minn.) contributed nine kills and 11 digs. Freshman Sierra Erke (Quincy HS, Quincy, Ill.) picked up eight kills and three blocking assists.
 
Senior McKenzie Zambrano (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) led the team in setting assists with 26 while freshman Olivia Doak (Crystal Lake Central HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) contributed 14. Junior Madi Glatz (Morton HS, Morton, Ill.) tied VanEarwage for the team lead in digs with 15 and she also served three aces.
 
After losing the first set 25-21, the Vikings broke away from a 3-3 tie in set two with a 9-3 run that put them up 12-6 and then were able to maintain that momentum throughout to tie the match 1-1 with a 25-19 second set win. In the third set Augustana trailed 19-17 before outscoring Grinnell 8-1 down the stretch to pick up a 25-20 win. VanEarwage served four straight points to take the Vikings from a 19-18 deficit to a 22-19 lead.
 
Head coach Kelly Bethke's team left no doubt in game four, sprinting out to a 10-1 lead and never letting up en route to a 25-16 win in the clincher.
 
Augustana moved to 8-6 with the win while Grinnell fell to 9-8.
 
AUGUSTANA 3, NEBRASKA WESLEYAN 0 (25-17; 25-22; 25-15)
 
It didn't take long for Augustana to dispatch of Nebraska Wesleyan and complete a perfect 2-0 sweep on the day at the Cornell Classic. The Vikings rolled past the Prairie Wolves 3-0 by scores of 25-17; 25-22 and 25-15. Coach Bethke used 13 players as her team took just over 70 minutes to pick up its ninth win of the season against six defeats.
 
Freshman Sierra Erke (Quincy HS, Quincy, Ill.) led the team in kills with nine in just 15 attempts with two errors for a .467 hitting percentage. She also had one assisted block. Junior Grace Bialobok (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Homewood, Ill.) had eight kills, one error in 15 attempts and an identical .467 hitting percentage. Bialobok also had two solo blocks and five assisted blocks.
 
Senior Emily Uglem (Moorhead HS, Moorhead, Minn.) contributed eight kills and five digs while junior Brooke Harmon (Lindbergh HS, St. Louis, Mo.) picked up five kills and a blocking assist. Senior Taryn VanEarwage (Rock Island HS< rock="" island,=""> had a team high 13 kills and also added three kills and three setting assists.
 
Freshman Olivia Doak (Crystal Lake Central HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) led the team in setting assists with 17 and also had seven digs and two service aces. Senior McKenzie Zambrano (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) picked up 14 assists and  six digs. Junior Madi Glatz (Morton HS, Morton, Ill.) contributed nine digs with two service aces, two kills and one setting assist.