NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Augustana saw its three-match winning streak snapped Friday, as the Vikings went on the road to North Central and fell in four sets to 15th-ranked California-Santa Cruz and the eighth-rated host Cardinals. Augustana is now 3-6 on the season and will be in action next at Carver Center versus North Park on Saturday, February 16.

 
UC-SANTA CRUZ 3, AUGUSTANA 1 (25-15, 25-20, 22-25, 25-21)
 
UC-Santa Cruz used a 4-0 run to wipe out an early 3-1 deficit in game one and led the rest of the way. The Vikings stayed close early and trailed just 15-13 before the Banana Slugs took seven straight points to go up 22-13. Justin Fortner and Jacob Shapiro eventually teamed up on a block that gave UCSC a 25-15 win.
 
Augustana led 9-6 in game two following a kill by freshman Mark Wroblewski (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.), but Fortner had two kills as the Banana Slugs claimed nine of the next 11 points to take command. A Shapiro kill provided set point in a 25-20 UCSC victory.
 
Trailing 12-10 in game three, the Vikings got two Dylan Baum (Warrensburg-Latham HS, Decatur, Ill.) kills in a 10-3 run that gave them a 20-15 lead. The Banana Slugs got as close as two points three times, but sophomore Matthew Schiferl (Wheeling HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) set Baum for a kill that gave Augustana a 25-22 win.
 
In the clinching fourth set, a Raymond Cascio kill gave UCSC a 5-4 lead that it wouldn't relinquish. A Tennessee Fulks service ace later extended the advantage to 12-6 and the Banana Slugs led 20-11 after Fulks and Cascio teamed up for a block. Sophomore Jason Szara (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.) had four kills as the Vikings won 10 of 14 points to pull within 24-21, but a Fortner kill gave UCSC match point.
 
Szara led Augustana with a match-high 19 kills and Baum added nine. Setters Ryan Hirschel (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) and Sanchit Khaitan (Glenbard North HS, Bloomingdale, Ill.) divided 38 assists evenly and sophomore Justin Murphy (Glenbard East HS, Lombard, Ill.) recorded a team-high eight digs. Freshman Caleb Minnis (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) was in on four blocks.
 
NORTH CENTRAL 3, AUGUSTANA 1 (25-19, 25-19, 17-25, 25-23)
 
Bozhidar Kolev had three kills as North Central jumped in front 9-3 in the opening set. The Vikings came back and pulled to within 17-15 following three straight kills by freshman Luis Zavala (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.). However, the Cardinals took eight of the last 10 points, with a Jacob Zemba kill providing set point in a 25-19 North Central win.
 
Game two was tied at six-all before the Cardinals went on a 12-3 run to take control. Kevin Messer, Justin Curtis and Jason Eslinger each had two kills during the spurt. Augustana got to within five points, but a Curtis kill gave North Central set point in another 25-19 win.
 
Minnis had two kills as the Vikings bolted to a 7-1 lead in game three. A Szara kill stretched the lead to 12-4 before the teams traded the next 15 points. The Cardinals got as close as 23-17, but kills by Minnis and Baum closed out a 25-17 Augustana victory.
 
A Nick Lilley kill broke an 11-all tie in set four and sparked a 4-0 North Central run. A Minnis ace got the Vikings as close as 15-13, but the Cardinals answered with four straight points. Szara had three kills in a 10-5 Augustana run that trimmed the deficit to 24-23, but Michael Trunzo set Kolev for a kill that gave the hosts match point.
 
Sazara and Minnis were both efficient on the Viking attack. Szara had another 13 kills with just two errors in 26 swings, good for a .423 attack percentage. Minnis added 10 kills with just one error in 17 swings for a .529 mark. Hirschel led with 25 assists and Minnis and Zavala each had a pair of aces. Schiferl led Augustana with 10 digs and Szara was in on six blocks.