Vikings go 4-8 in COVID-impacted 2020 season; finish 2-5 and tied for sixth in the CCIW; Jessica Nguyen and Olivia Doak share MVP honors; Nguyen sets program record for digs per set
 
The "2020" season was a most unusual one for Coach Kelly Bethke's Augustana volleyball program. Among the vicissitudes caused by fears over COVID-19 were the delaying and shortening of the schedule—all of the Vikings' 12 matches actually took place between February 21 and April 10, 2021—and numerous other interruptions, postponements and cancelations. Augustana posted a 4-8 overall record and a 2-5 mark in the CCIW.
 
The season featured some outstanding individual performances. Senior defensive specialist Jessica Nguyen (Kaneland HS, Elburn, Ill.) led the CCIW in digs per set and set a new single-season school record with an average of 6.18, a figure that ranked 12th in the nation at the Division III level. Freshman Brook Fieldman (Plainfield East HS, Plainfield, Ill.) led the conference in kills per set and ranked in the nation's top 50 with an average of 3.49—the eighth-best single-season mark in program history.
 
Five of the Vikings' eight losses came at the hands of teams ranked in the nation's top eight. They fell twice to seventh-ranked Millikin and eighth-ranked Elmhurst and once to third-ranked Carthage, but did manage to capture three sets in those five matches.
 
This year's wins came at Carroll (3-1) on March 18, behind a match-high 15 kills from senior Laura Heuermann (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.); versus Wheaton (3-0) on Senior Night, April 7, when Nguyen, Heuermann and Taylor Curley (Fulton HS, Fulton, Ill.) were honored; and versus Covenant (3-1) and Dubuque (3-1) on April 9 and 10 at the AVCA Division III Invitational in Indianapolis, Indiana.
 
When the team awards were handed out, Nguyen and Doak shared MVP honors and both were named captains, along with Heuermann. Nguyen added the Defensive Player of the Year award and Fieldman was selected Offensive Player of the Year. Curley earned the Augie Award and junior Lexi Miller (Oswego HS, North Liberty, Iowa) and freshman Jenny Dunder (Skyline HS, Longmont, Colo.) shared Most Improved recognition.
 
2020 CCIW VOLLEYBALL STANDINGS

School	CCIW	Pct.	Overall	Pct.
Elmhurst	5-1	.833	8-2	.800
Millikin	4-1	.800	7-3	.700
Carthage	5-2	.714	11-2	.846
Illinois Wesleyan	5-2	.714	7-4	.636
Wheaton	3-3	.500	3-3	.500
AUGUSTANA	2-5	.286	4-8	.333
North Park	2-5	.286	2-5	.286
Carroll	0-7	.000	0-7	.000

 
2020 CCIW TOURNAMENT
Canceled
 
2020 AUGUSTANA VOLLEYBALL SUPERLATIVES
CCIW ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS: No All-CCIW team named
CCIW Player of the Week: No Players of the Week named
CCIW Academic All-Conference: Taylor Curley, Olivia Doak, Laura Heuermann, Caroline Hurst, Jessica Nguyen, Ava Rogers, Katie Vilardi, Melanie Wiegmann
NCAA TEAM TOP 25 – TEAM
None
NCAA STATISTICAL TOP 50 – INDIVIDUAL
Digs per set: 6.18, Jessica Nguyen, 12th
Attacks per set: 11.79, Brook Fieldman, 13th
Total Digs: 272, Jessica Nguyen, 25th
Total Assists: 389, Olivia Doak, 31st
Kills per set: 3.49, Brook Fieldman, 47th
CCIW STATISTICAL LEADERS – TEAM
None
CCIW STATISTICAL TOP 5 – INDIVIDUAL
Kills per set: 3.58, Brook Fieldman, 1st
Digs per set: 6.48, Jessica Nguyen, 1st
Points per set: 3.92, Brook Fieldman, 2nd
Assists per set: 7.92, Olivia Doak, 5th
 
INDIVIDUAL TOP TEN LISTS
CAREER
Digs per set: 5.04, Jessica Nguyen, 2nd
Assists: 1772, Olivia Doak, 8th
Assists per set: 6.74, Olivia Doak, 8th
Aces per set: 0.36 Olivia Doak, 8th
 
SINGLE SEASON
Digs per set: 6.18, Jessica Nguyen, 1st
Kills per set: 3.49, Brook Fieldman, 8th
 
TEAM AWARDS
Captains: Laura Heuermann, Jessica Nguyen, Olivia Doak 
MVP: Olivia Doak, Jessica Nguyen
Offensive Player of the Year: Brook Fieldman
Defensive Player of the Year: Jessica Nguyen
Most Improved: Lexi Miller, Jenny Dunder
Augie Award: Taylor Curley
Manager of the Year: Sage Sanders
JV MVP: Ava Rogers
JV Most Improved: Emma Yager
JV Augie Award: Sarah Sorrell
JV Offensive Player of the Year: Caroline Hurst
JV Defensive Player of the Year: Katie Vilardi