ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Coach Kelly Bethke's volleyball team finally played its 2020 home opener Sunday, dropping a four-set decision to Elmhurst at Carver Center. The Vikings fell to 0-2 on the year and in the CCIW, while the Bluejays improved to 2-0 overall and in the conference.
 
Augustana saw a spirited rally from an 21-9 deficit fall just short in game one. A Taylor Zurliene kill gave the Bluejays that seemingly comfortable margin, but Lexi Miller (Oswego HS, North Liberty, Iowa) and Rachel Galluzzo (Roosevelt HS, West Des Moines, Iowa) each had a pair of kills in an 11-1 Viking run. Another Zurliene kill stemmed the tide temporarily, but Miller answered with one of her own and two Elmhurst errors tied it at 23-all. The guests were finally able to close out a 25-23 win with consecutive kills by Kayla Mast and Payton Froats.
 
Galluzzo had two kills as Augustana jumped on top 7-2 in game two. The Bluejays came back to tie in at nine-all on a Zurliene kill and it settled into a nip-and-tuck affair. Neither team managed a lead of more than two points until Mast had two kills in a 4-0 Elmhurst run that gave the Bluejays a 21-18 advantage. Laura Heuermann's (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.) kill got the Vikings within two, but consecutive errors put the visitors back in control. Set point in a 25-21 Elmhurst win came on an Emily Duis kill.
 
The hosts started strong again in game three, getting three kills from Heuermann before she teamed up with Ja'Nya Davis (Narbonne HS, Los Angeles, Calif.) on a block that made it 11-6. Augustana eventually extended the lead to 23-15 on an Olivia Doak (Crystal Lake Central HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) service ace before the Bluejays claimed four of the next five points. Galluzzo answered with a kill however, to finish off a 25-19 Viking win.
 
Elmhurst was in control the entire way in a 25-11 game-four win. The Bluejays went on a 9-1 run to stretch a 12-7 advantage to 21-8. Match point eventually came came on a Bailey Joachim kill.
 
Miller led Augustana with 11 kills. Galluzzo added eight and Heuermann seven. Doak had match bests of 31 assists and three aces, to go along with 13 digs. Jessica Nguyen (Kaneland HS, Elburn, Ill.) finished with a team-high 20 digs. Duis with 12 and Zurliene with 10 were the kill leaders for Elmhurst.
 
Bethke's bunch will look to earn its first win when the Vikings travel to Chicago, Illinois on Friday, March 12 to take on North Park at 4:00 p.m.