BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings men's volleyball team was defeated on the road on Saturday at Illinois Wesleyan, falling by a score of 3-1.

It was a back and forth start to the match, with each team seeing sizable scoring runs early on. The Titans began the contest with the first four points, but were answered by five in a row from the Vikings. Neither team owned a lead by more than two for several rallies, resulting in a one-point game at 18-17 following a kill by Ben Schultz that pulled Augustana within a single point. Illinois Wesleyan grabbed seven of the final eight scores to earn the 25-18 win. The home team followed with a 25-20 victory in the second to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

Augie answered with a win in the third set, beginning with a 7-2 scoring spurt to turn a 5-5 deadlock into a 12-7 lead. The Titans inched closer and got within two at 16-14, but the Vikings countered with a pair of points thanks to miscues by IWU. The Titans responded with another big scoring run of their own, this time rattling off six in a row to flip the lead in their command. Trailing 22-21 moments later, Augustana salvaged the set and extended the match after seeing three of the next four points go its way. Sean Carlson posted the go-ahead and set-winning kills down the stretch. Illinois Wesleyan wrapped up the contest one set later with a 25-22 victory.

Carlson hit .268 on the afternoon with 17 kills to lead the Vikings, while Cole Clarke also added double figures with 10. Colin Schaefer posted a match-high 36 assists, while Max Sellers and Zach Moreano each added double-digit digs. 

With the loss, Augustana drops to 10-7 on the season and 0-3 in the CCIW. The team will be back in action Wednesday at No. 18 North Central.