ELMHURST, Ill. – Unable to follow through on a promising start Tuesday, Augustana suffered its first CCIW loss of the year, 3-1 to Elmhurst at Faganel Hall. The Vikings dropped to 8-10 overall and 2-1 in the league, while the Bluejays improved to 7-11 on the season and 2-0 in the conference.
 
Augustana rallied to take game one 25-22. Kayla Mast's three kills helped stake Elmhurst to an early 6-1 advantage. The Bluejays still led 21-16 after another Mast kill, but the Vikings answered with seven straight points to take a 23-21 lead. Mast's eighth kill pulled her team to within a point, but a Grace Bialobok (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Homewood, Ill.) kill and an Elmhurst attack error gave the set to Augustana.
 
The hosts evened the match with a 25-16 win in game two. A kill by freshman Ja'Nya Davis (Narbonne HS, Harbor City, Calif.) tied it at 2-2, but one by Emily Duis sparked a 4-0 Bluejay run and they would lead the rest of the way. Payton Froats and Taylor Zurliene each had a pair of kills in a 10-2 spurt that extended the margin to 16-6. Behind a kill and a service ace from senior Brooke Harmon (Lindbergh HS, St. Louis, Mo.), the Vikings took three straight points to get within 24-16, but a Mast kill provided Elmhurst with set point.
 
Bialobok had three kills as Augustana jumped in front 6-2 in game three, but Froats answered with three of her own as the Bluejays took nine of the next 11 points to lead 11-8. Trailing 24-19, the Vikings claimed three straight points to get as close as 24-22, but Elmhurst closed out the set with another kill by Mast.
 
After the Bluejays took an 11-4 game-four lead behind five Ellie Burzlaff kills, Augustana responded with a 6-0 run. Junior Laura Heuermann (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.) had two kills in the spree. The hosts gradually stretched the margin to 19-13 and the Vikings would get no closer than four points the rest of the way. Fittingly, match point came on Mast's 19th kill of the night.
 
Bialobok finished with 16 kills and a pair of blocks. Harmon added nine kills, an ace and three blocks and Heuermann had nine kills as well. Sophomore Olivia Doak (Crystal Lake Central HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) had 38 assists and an ace. Junior Jessica Nguyen (Kaneland HS, Elburn, Ill.) led Augustana with 15 digs, while seniors Madi Glatz (Morton HS, Morton, Ill.) and Brooke Keegan (Hall HS, Ladd, Ill.) chipped in with 14 and nine, respectively.
 
In addition to Mast—who also had a match-high 18 digs—Froats contributed 13 kills, Zurliene 11 and Burzlaff 10 for Elmhurst. Hannah Horn had a match-best 51 assists.
 
Augustana is back in action on Friday, October 4, taking on Illinois Wesleyan in a 7:00 p.m. match in Bloomington, Illinois.