MADISON, Wis. -- The Augustana Vikings men's volleyball team will face a pair of non-conference road opponents prior to the upcoming weekend, beginning with the Edgewood Eagles on Thursday, followed by a matchup with the Lakeland Muskies on Friday.
Augie is coming off a successful trip to Dubuque, Iowa, earning a set of victories in their tri-match against the Clarke Pride and Roosevelt Lakers on Saturday. Both wins came in 3-1 fashion, with the Vikings evening their overall record at 2-2 after suffering two losses to open the season. In their contest against Clarke, Augustana secured the opening frame by their most significant margin of victory this season at a 25-17 score. They then dropped their second set to the Pride before rattling off two straight wins to secure the match. Aidan Bolen and Zach Moreano recorded double-figure kill totals of 11 and 10 in the win.
In the afternoon's second match, Augie defeated Roosevelt in four sets. The Vikings came out hot, downing the Lakers in the opening two frames. The third set was back and forth until Roosevelt sparked a 7-2 run late to win the game. In the final set, Augie led 22-19 late before exchanging back-and-forth service wins to secure their second win of the tri-match. With 11 digs, Max Sellers led the Vikings' defensive effort, while Bolen continued to be an offensive force with a season-high 15 kills.
The Eagles enter their match against Augie possessing a 1-4 record. Edgewood opened its season on the west coast, battling at the University of California Santa Cruz Slug Slam. They lost all four matches, falling to UC Santa Cruz and California Lutheran while also dropping matches to CCIW programs Illinois Wesleyan and North Park. The Eagles were only able to secure one set across the two-day tournament. Edgewood's most recent match was on Tuesday, January 31, where they earned their first win of the season over Maranatha by a 3-0 score. The Eagles set a school record for hitting percentage in a single match at a .481 mark. In the all-time series, Augie claimed the lone meeting between the two programs on February 5, 2022, besting the Eagles by a 3-1 score. The Vikings were led in the match by a nine-kill performance from Bolen.
Augie will face Lakeland for their second match of the road trip. The Muskies hold a 3-4 record this season, recently splitting their two-match series against Olivet (Mich.) 1-1 on Sunday. The split on Sunday came after Lakeland also split two matches on Saturday in a triangular in La Crosse, Wis. The Muskies defeated Morningside in the opener before falling to host school Viterbo. The Vikings and Muskies have faced only once, resulting in a 3-1 defeat for Augustana on March 3, 2018.
Start time for Thursday's matchup is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. from Madison, Wis. Augie's matchup on Friday against Lakeland is set for 6:00 p.m. from Plymouth, Wis. The stream link for the first match can be found here, while the second match can be found at this link.
