DAVENPORT, Iowa – The Augustana men's volleyball team secured a season sweep of St. Ambrose on Wednesday, dropping the Fighting Bees 3-0 by set scores of 25-20, 25-21, 25-18. 

The cross-river showdown opened with both teams glued at 10-10 midway through the first. Augustana broke the deadlock with a 7-3 run, but St. Ambrose swiftly responded with a 6-4 burst to bring the score to 21-19. Behind back-to-back kills from Ben Schultz, Augie won four of the following five points to secure the opening game. The Fighting Bees leaped out to a 6-3 lead early in the second frame, holding their advantage until the Vikings tied the set at 18. The home team won three of the next five services before Augie rattled off five consecutive points to win the second game. The Vikings never trailed in a comfortable third-set victory as Zach Moreano recorded five kills in, while Aidan Bolen and Sean Carlson notched three to sweep the Fighting Bees.

Augie was a force at the net, out-gaining St. Ambrose 38-22 in total kills and hitting at a .338 clip on their attempts. They were led by Moreano and Bolen with nine apiece, while Schultz finished narrowly behind with eight kills to go with his seven blocks. Josh Van Essen led the Vikings in digs with five, with seven other players recording at least one. Micah Reaban was Augustana's assist leader, tallying 30 in his first three-set appearance of the season. 

Augustana improves to 8-3 with the win. The Vikings will face No. 10 ranked North Central to open their conference slate on Saturday, February 25. Start time is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.