ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana split a pair of matches Saturday at Carver Center, falling to UW-Platteville in five sets before bouncing back with a straight set win over Luther. The Vikings moved to 11-13 on the season. The Pioneers improved to 15-7, while the Norse dropped to 6-18. Coach Kelly Bethke's club gets back into CCIW action on Wednesday, October 23, hosting fourth-ranked Carthage.
 
UW-PLATTEVILLE 3, AUGUSTANA 2 (21-25, 23-25, 26-24, 26-24, 15-10)
 
Augustana lets its opening match slip away. After claiming the first two sets against Platteville, 25-21 and 25-23, the Vikings fell by identical 26-24 scores in games three and four. The Pioneers captured the match with a 15-10 win in set five.
 
A Katie Jones kill gave the visitors an early 12-7 lead in game one, but Augustana took six straight points to get back in it. The Vikings eventually took the lead for good at 19-18 on a Pioneer service error. Senior Madi Glatz (Morton HS, Morton, Ill.) set sophomore Olivia Doak (Crystal Lake Central HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) for a kill that provided set point.
 
Freshman Ja'Nya Davis (Narbonne HS, Harbor City, Calif.) had four kills as Augustana jumped in front 7-3 in game two. The Vikings extended their lead to 16-6 behind two service aces by junior Savana Sparks (Maroa-Forsyth HS, Maroa, Ill.) and another by classmate Jessica Nguyen (Kaneland HS, Elburn, Ill.) before the Pioneers staged a furious rally and went ahead 23-21 on a Lita Solbrig kill. A Grace Bialobok (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Homewood, Ill.) kill and another Sparks ace tied it and after a UWP error, freshman Abby Phalen's (Mendota HS, Mendota, Ill.) kill closed out the set.
 
After falling behind 14-9 in set three, Augustana fought back to eventually tie it at 22-all on a Phalen kill. The Pioneers answered with the next two points though and held on, getting set point via a Viking error.
 
Davis had three kills to help the hosts grab a 12-6 lead in game four, but Platteville rallied to take a 23-22 lead on a kill  by Jones. Kills by Bialobok and Taylor Steger (Red Wing HS, Goodhue, Minn.) put Augustana back on top 24-23, but three straight Viking attack errors gave the Pioneers the set.
 
Augustana led 3-0 in the fifth set, but by the turnaround UWP had gone up 8-5. The Vikings would get no closer the rest of the way and an Olivia Kudronowicz kill eventually gave the visitors match point.
 
Bialobok matched a season and career high with 21 kills. Davis added 14, along with three blocks. Doak had a career-best 45 assists and Nguyen (29) led four Vikings with double-digit digs. Nguyen and Sparks each finished with three aces.
 
Jones led Platteville with 14 kills and Stephanie Kalinowski matched Nguyen's match-best 29 digs.
 
AUGUSTANA 3, LUTHER 0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-12)
 
A Doak ace gave Augustana the lead for good at 2-1 in set one against the Norse. The margin reached seven points (21-14) on a Sparks kill and another by Laura Heuermann (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.) closed out a 25-20 Viking win.
 
The hosts lead nearly all the way in the second set as well, although Luther rallied from an 18-9 deficit to get within 22-21 following an Augustana attack error. However, senior Brooke Harmon (Lindbergh HS, St. Louis, Mo.) came through with three kills in the next four points to give her team a 25-22 victory.
 
A Davis block gave the Vikings a 3-2 game-three lead which quickly grew. The margin reached 10 (15-5) on a Norse attack error and another eventually provided set point in a 25-12 Augustana win.
 
Harmon and Heuermann each had nine kills to lead a balanced Viking attack. Steger had seven kills on just 10 swings and Phalen also had seven, along with 12 digs. Davis had six kills and four blocks. Doak added 26 more assists and Nguyen another 23 digs.