DUBUQUE, Iowa – Augustana men's volleyball went on the road Sunday and captured a pair of victories at Loras College. The Vikings opened with a four-set neutral-site win over Aurora and then came back to knock the host Duhawks from the ranks of the unbeaten, winning in four sets again. The Vikings improved to 3-4 on the year and will be in action next in Naperville, Illinois on Friday, February 8, taking on

California-Santa Cruz and host North Central.
 
AUGUSTANA 3, AURORA 1 (28-26, 25-23, 14-25, 25-20)
 
Augustana trailed for much of its first game with Aurora before rallying for a 28-26 win. The Vikings' largest deficit was five points, but sophomore Dylan Baum (Warrensburg-Latham HS, Decatur, Ill.) had two kills in a 9-3 run that gave them an 18-17 lead, their first since 2-1. The Spartans came back to take a 24-21 lead, but Augustana fought off five set points before a block by freshmen Luis Zavala (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.) and Mark Wroblewski (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.) broke a 26-all tie and a kill by sophomore Justin Murphy (Glenbard East HS, Lombard, Ill.) delivered set point.
 
The Vikings won the last six points to post a 25-23 win in game two. Augustana led for much of the early going, but Tim Breiter assisted on a block and had two kills in a 6-2 Aurora run that gave the Spartans a 23-19 advantage. The Vikings' closing push started with an Aurora service error and included a pair of kills by sophomore Jason Szara (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.). Set point came on a Spartan attack error.
 
A 7-0 Aurora run wiped out an early 7-4 Augustana lead in set three. The Spartans had another run of four straight points and finished off a 25-14 win by winning the final five. Set point came on a Cade Harrison kill.
 
Except for ties at 1-1, 2-2 and 5-5, the Vikings led the entire way in the clinching fourth set. Freshman Sanchit Khaitan (Glenbard North HS, Bloomingdale, Ill.) set Wroblewski for a kill that gave them the lead for good at 6-5 and sparked a 5-0 run. Szara had two kills in the spree and Aurora would get to within two points just once (21-19) the rest of the way. Match point came on a kill by Murphy, as Augustana claimed the set 25-20.
 
Szara finished with a match-high 18 kills and Baum added 10. Sophomore Ryan Hirschel (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) and Khaitan split setting duties with 24 and 20 assists, respectively. Sophomore Matthew Schiferl (Wheeling HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) had a match-best 15 digs and Zavala was in on five blocks.
 
AUGUSTANA 3, LORAS 1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-23, 26-24)
 
The Vikings took the first set 25-21 on their way to handing Loras its first loss in eight matches this season. Game one was tight the whole way. The Duhawks' biggest lead came at 8-5 following a Jake Chudzik kill. Augustana never led by more than two points until a 5-0 run, capped by a Murphy kill, put the Vikings on top 24-20. A Loras service error gave the visitors set point.
 
A Szara kill gave Augustana a 13-9 advantage in game two and the Vikings still 20-18 late. However, the Duhawks battled back, eventually winning the final four points for a 25-23 victory. A Chudzik service ace evened the match at a set apiece.
 
Trailing 20-15 in set three, Augustana got three kills from Szara in a 7-0 run that put the Vikings up 22-20. Loras pulled to within a point three times before committing a service error that gave Augustana a 25-23 win.
 
The guests came from behind again in game four. A Grant Ooms kill gave the Duhawks a 17-11 edge, but a Murphy kill ignited a 5-0 run that got the Vikings to within a point. Loras still led 23-21 after a Chudzik kill, but a pair of Duhawk errors and a Baum kill gave Augustana a 24-23 lead. A kill by Loras' Leo Peters tied it one final time, but the Vikings answered with a Baum kill and a Murphy block to finish off a 26-24 win and claim the match.
 
Szara added another 17 kills, while Baum and Murphy chipped in with 10 apiece. Hirschel and Khaitan split 44 assists evenly. Schiferl had 14 digs and Zavala and Wroblewski four blocks each.