ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Coach
Mike Ducey's Augustana volleyball squad took care of business in short order Saturday evening at Carver Center, defeating Millikin in straight sets by scores of 25-15, 25-15 and 25-17. The match was the 2021 home opener for the Vikings, who improved 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the CCIW. The Big Blue fell to 0-3 on the season and 0-2 in the league.
Gary Dodovich (St. Benedict HS, Chicago, Ill.) and
Luis Zavala (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.) teamed up on a block that broke a 2-2 tie and sparked a 5-0 Augustana run in game one. Millikin took four of the next six points to cut it to 9-6 before
Justin Murphy (Glenbard East HS, Lombard, Ill.) had three kills in an 8-1 Viking run that made it 17-7. The teams swapped three and two-point runs the rest of the way with set point coming on a Big Blue attack error.
Murphy had two kills and an ace as Augustana jumped on top 9-1 in game two and
Jarod Hesse (Grayslake North HS, Lake Villa, Ill.) had a kill and an ace in a later spurt that extended the lead to 13-3. Kyle Clendenen had an ace and a kill as Millikin took six of nine points to get within 24-15, but the Vikings captured set point via a Big Blue service error.
Dodovich and
Caleb Minnis (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) each had a pair of kills and Dodovich an ace to help stake the hosts to a 10-5 lead in the third set. Then Murphy got into the act, with two kills, the second of which gave Augustana a 13-6 advantage. Minnis added two more as the Vikings pushed the lead to 18-10 before Millikin took four of five points with the help of Jakob Henderson's two kills. The Big Blue pulled as close as 22-17 on a Clendenen kill, but freshman
Benjamin Schultz (Sunset HS, Portland, Ore.) stemmed the tide with one of his own and following a Millikin error, Murphy's ace delivered set point.
Murphy finished with match highs of eight kills and two aces. Dodovich added seven kills.
Sanchit Khaitan (Glenbard North HS, Bloomingdale, Ill.) had match bests of 23 assists and 11 digs. Zavala was in on three blocks. Clendenen had a half-dozen kills and a pair of aces for the Big Blue.
The Vikings are scheduled to be back in action on Wednesday, February 23, traveling to Chicago, Illinois to take on their namesakes from North Park at 6:00 p.m.
