ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana finished off a wild day at Carver Center Saturday, defeating North Central 3-1 in a match that included a bizarre 35-minute stoppage in action. Coach Mike Ducey's squad won its fifth straight to improve to 6-3 on the season and 5-1 in the CCIW. The Cardinals dropped to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in the league.
 
With the Vikings ahead two sets to one and apparently leading 19-15 in the fourth, play was stopped while the officials and North Central Coach Kyle Exline carried on a 35-minute discussion over a possible rotation fault. When play was finally resumed, Augustana's lead was 20-13. The Cardinals took three straight points to cut it to 20-16, but a service error swung things back in the hosts' favor and a Sanchit Khaitan (Glenbard North HS, Bloomingdale, Ill.) kill eventually delivered match point in a 25-21 Viking win.
 
Ducey's crew came from behind to take the first game 25-22. Jake Miller had five kills and Jeremy Cardenas four to help stake North Central to a 16-12 lead. Justin Murphy (Glenbard East HS, Lombard, Ill.) had two kills as Augustana answered with the next five points to take its first lead since 3-2. The teams traded the next five points before a Gary Dodovich (St. Benedict HS, Chicago, Ill.) kill put the Vikings up 21-19. The guests cut the deficit to one on three occasions, but never got even and set point eventually came on a block by Murphy.
 
Augustana led wire-to-wire in a 25-18 second-set win. Murphy opened the game with another block and the Cardinals followed with two more attack errors to make it 3-0. They stayed within striking distance, but the Vikings gradually built on their lead, with set point coming on a combined block by Caleb Minnis (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) and Luis Zavala (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.).
 
Augustana led as late as 14-13 in set three before North Central captured 12 of the last 13 points—including the final 10—to win 25-15. Nathan Jones and Ben Williams each had a pair of kills in North Central's closing run, with Williams' second providing set point.
 
Jarod Hesse (Grayslake North HS, Villa Park, Ill.) led the Vikings with eight kills and, along with Murphy and Minnis, was in on a team-best three blocks. Murphy and Zavala added a half-dozen kills apiece. Khaitan dished out 27 assists and Brett Kliegl (Neuqua Valley HS, Bolingbrook, Ill.) was credited with 15 digs. Miller (13) and Jared Moser (10) were the Cardinals' kill leaders.