ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Augustana Vikings women's volleyball team will begin its season on Friday, August 30 when they head to the Twin Cities for a two-day stay. Augie will take on Concordia (Wis.) on Friday at Hamline University before facing Macalester and St. Catherine on Saturday.

The Vikings enter the new season after a 23-8 campaign in 2023, seeing their highest win total in nearly a decade. Augie finished at .500 in the CCIW and earned a postseason berth, but fell in the first round on the road at Illinois Wesleyan. The team boasted four All-Conference selections a year ago, the most for the program since the 2007 season. First Team honoree Emily Schipper returns for a fifth year for the Vikings after ranking second in kills per set in the CCIW during the regular season. She led the team in kills and finished with a hitting percentage of .224. She also ranked fourth on the team in digs with 264, good for 2.38 per game.

Concordia ended 2023 with a 15-14 overall and 9-4 mark in the NACC. The team dropped three of its final four matches to end the year and was 3-6 in neutral-site matches throughout the season. The Falcons were 1-2 against CCIW opponents in 2023, defeating Illinois Wesleyan but falling to Carthage and Carroll. The Vikings are 6-2 all-time against Concordia. Friday will serve as the first meeting between the two teams in over a decade.

On Saturday, Augie begins its day with a neutral-site contest against Macalester at St. Catherine University. The Scots finished the 2023 season with a 9-16 overall record and 5-5 mark in conference. Macalester had a bumpy road to end the year, losing nine of 10 matches before winning the finale over St. Mary's. The Scots were 2-3 in neutral contests and 1-0 against CCIW foes, defeating Carroll in straight sets. Saturday will be just the second meeting ever between Augustana and Macalester, with the Vikings winning the lone showdown.

Augustana closes the weekend against St. Kate's on Saturday afternoon. The match will be the fourth of four straight at home to begin the year for the Wildcats, who finished 16-10 overall and 6-5 in conference a season ago. St. Kate's qualified for the MIAC Tournament and won its first match over Bethel before bowing out against nationally-ranked Gustavus Adolphus. The Wildcats were 4-3 on their home court in 2023. Augie is 0-2 all-time against St. Catherine.

Start times and live video and stat links for the weekend can be found here.