ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Jason Szara (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.) had 18 kills and Justin Murphy (Glenbard East HS, Lombard, Ill.) 14 Thursday to lead Augustana to a five-set win over Loras in Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League play at Carver Center. The Vikings moved to 10-13 on the season, while the Duhawks fell to 18-6. Both teams are now 4-3 in the MCVL.

 

Loras jumped out to leads of 4-1 and 11-6 in game one. Although Augustana cut the deficit to one on five occasions, the Vikings could never pull even and eventually fell 25-21. Grant Ooms, Mihajlo Gomez and Austin Kuchenbecker each had two kills as the Duhawks went up 11-6. A pair of Murphy kills helped pull the hosts within 12-11 and the teams traded the next six points. Kills by Ian Walsh and Ooms sandwiched around an Augustana attack error gave Loras some breathing room at 20-16 and the Duhawks captured set point on another Ooms kill.
 
Ryan Hirschel (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) had two kills as Augustana took a 12-5 lead in game two, but a pair of Viking attack errors and consecutive service aces by Loras' Jake Chudzik helped the Duhawks cut the deficit to 12-10. They took the lead at 20-19 on a Gomez kill and another by Oooms put them up 22-20. After an Augustana timeout, the teams traded points, but then Szara sandwich a kill and an ace around a Murphy kill to give the hosts a 24-23 advantage. There were ties at 24 and 25-all before two straight Loras errors gave Augustana a 27-25 win.
 
The Vikings worked overtime to take set three as well, 26-24. Augustana committed eight unforced errors as the visitors took a 12-5 lead, but Murphy and Szara each had three kills and Caleb Minnis (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) two as the Vikings battled back to tie it at 18-all. Two more Murphy kills gave them their first lead of the game at 20-19 and they wouldn't trail again. The Duhawks achieved ties at 22 and 24-all, but a Loras service error and a Hirschel kill gave Augustana a 26-24 win.
 
The Duhawks won four straight points to stretch a 10-9 fourth-set lead to 14-9 and coasted to a 25-16 win. Chudzik's sixth kill of the game provided set point in a 25-16 Loras win.
 
Game five was tight early. A Patrick Hollander ace gave the Duhawks an 8-7 lead at the turn. However, he committed an error on his next serve and that was followed by one of the key points of the night. Loras had the Vikings on the run but spectacular saves by Murphy and Matthew Schiferl (Wheeling HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) kept the point alive and Minnis eventually finished it off with a kill that made it 9-8 Augustana. The Vikings would lead the rest of the way. Match point came on a Luis Zavala (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.) kill that gave the hosts a 15-12 win.
 
In addition to their kill totals, Szara and Murphy each had six digs. Hirschel led Augustana with 35 assists. Schiferl had a team-high 19 digs and despite limited playing time due to an illness, Zavala was in on a team-best four blocks. Ooms led the Duhawks with 17 kills.
 
The Vikings are back in action on Saturday, March 30, taking on Concordia-Chicago and Aurora in Aurora, Illinois. The Concordia match is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., while the match against Aurora is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.