DECATUR, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings women's volleyball team dropped its CCIW opener on Wednesday, falling on the road to the No. 14 Millikin Big Blue in four sets.

The two teams went back and forth to begin the match, with Millikin holding three different leads of three points until Augie used a big run to pull ahead late. Trailing 16-13, the Vikings rattled off five points in a row, highlighted by a block and a kill from Mallory Coley on consecutive rallies. Millikin stormed back to even the score at 19, but another scoring run helped Augie pull away for good. Emily Schipper accounted for a block and a kill during the 4-0 spurt and the Vikings held on 25-23 to steal the opening frame.

The Big Blue drew even with a 25-20 win in set two, setting up another close battle in the third. Augie scored five of the first six points and quickly moved its advantage out to seven at 12-5. The Vikings held a lead for nearly the entire of the frame, getting to set point at 24-23, but three straight scores from Millikin allowed the home teal to grab a 2-1 match lead. The Big Blue sealed the win with a 25-14 victory in the fourth.

Schipper led the offense with 15 kills, while Carli Udovich also had double-digits with 11. Ashley Awbrey finished with 19 digs to lead a group of three that finished in double figures. Schipper also added 12.

With the loss, Augustana drops to 3-6 overall. The team will be back in action Friday for a tri-match with Loras and Grinnell.