ROCK ISLAND, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings men's volleyball team will host the St. Ambrose Fighting Bees on Friday, March 25 in their final non-conference contest of the year. It will be the second meeting of the season for the teams, with the Vikings winning in Davenport, Iowa earlier this year by a score of 3-1.
The Vikings were defeated at home in their last outing on Wednesday by the No. 4 ranked North Central Cardinals. The visitors took the first two sets, but the Vikings charged back with a dominating set three to extend the match. The Cardinals bounced back with a set four to complete the season sweep over the Vikings.
Aiden Bond led the Vikings offensive efforts with 11 kills, which tied a match high.
Josh Van Essen and
Aidan Bolen each added seven, while
Matthew Degnan tallied 21 assists.
St. Ambrose enters Friday's contest with an overall record of 9-17 and a 4-9 mark in their respective conference. The Bees have lost seven of their last eight contests, with their most recent a five-set defeat at home to Cardinal Stritch. St. Ambrose has seem seven five-set outings this season with a record of 4-3 in those instances. The Fighting Bees have also seen a majority of their success come away from home this year, posting an 8-7 mark in those matches as opposed to a 1-10 record at home.
Bolen posted a match-high 18 kills and a hitting percentage of .314 to lead the Vikings in their February 1 win over the Bees. Bond was close behind with 16 kills and a hitting mark of .313, while Degnan also added seven to go with his 40 assists in the match. The victory was the first-ever for Augie in their short history as St. Ambrose now leads the all-time series 2-1.
Game coverage vs. St. Ambrose
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