ROCK ISLAND, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings volleyball team opened a two-match Alumni Day with a thrilling five-set victory over Aurora, edging the Spartans 3-2 by scores of 27-25, 25-19, 20-25, 19-25, and 15-11.
In the opening set, the two teams traded points in a back-and-forth battle that featured 17 ties and five lead changes. Early kills from Carmela Carbone and Alexis Richards helped Augie stay even, while Grace Gustafson provided a spark midway through the frame. With the score tied at 24, the Vikings fended off set point and responded with back-to-back plays, including a kill from Gustafson off an Alyssa Millan set to take the lead. Carbone sealed the set with the finishing kill, giving Augustana the 27-25 edge.

Augustana carried the momentum into the second set, opening on a 6–0 run behind two early kills from Lucy Pufundt and a service ace that forced Aurora into an early hole. The Spartans answered with three straight points to close the gap to 6–4, but Augie pushed back with kills from Carbone and Richards to stretch the lead to 10–5. Aurora battled to trim the margin to 13–10, but the Vikings answered with another surge, capped by a Pufundt service ace to make it 20–16. Richards delivered one more kill late in the set, and Augie sealed the frame on an Aurora attack error for a 25–19 win, grabbing a commanding 2–0 match lead.

In the third set, Augustana slipped behind early but quickly responded with a rally, sparked by a Katelyn Turley service ace to even the score at 4–4. Grace Gustafson and Alita Folkening added back-to-back kills to give the Vikings a brief 7–6 edge, and Alexis Richards and Mallory Coley later chipped in to keep the set close at 15–13. Augie continued to push but was unable to sustain momentum down the stretch, as a few late rallies swung the set away in a 25–20 decision, trimming the match lead to 2–1.

The fourth set followed a similar script, with Augustana battling from behind after an early deficit. Mallory Coley and Lanah Queckboerner connected on kills to close the gap to 6–4, and Queckboerner later provided a spark with a pair of finishes that cut the margin to 14–8. Leah Rizzo delivered a service ace and Queckboerner added another kill to bring the Vikings within 15–9, while Folkening chipped in late to help keep Augie in striking distance. Despite their efforts, the Vikings couldn't quite complete the comeback and dropped the frame 25–19, sending the match into a decisive fifth set.

The decisive fifth set saw both teams trading blows before Augustana pulled away late. After falling behind 5–2 on a string of Aurora kills, the Vikings clawed back with consecutive finishes from Richards and Pufundt to even the score at 5–5. Aurora answered with three straight points to surge ahead 8–5, but Augie refused to back down. Richards delivered back-to-back kills, and Carbone followed with a service ace to spark a 6–0 rally that flipped the score to 11–8 in favor of the Vikings. The Spartans cut the gap to 12–10, yet Augustana closed the door behind timely kills from Pufundt and Folkening. Richards capped the effort with her final kill of the afternoon to seal the set 15–11 and secure the 3–2 victory.

Richards paced the Vikings with 12 kills and 12 digs, while Pufundt and Carbone each added nine kills. Folkening chipped in eight kills and a pair of blocks, and Mallory Coley finished with seven. Leah Rizzo directed the attack with 28 assists, while Alyssa Millan contributed 14 more. Defensively, Katelyn Turley led the way with 14 digs, and Carbone and Folkening combined for three blocks at the net.

 

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In their second Alumni Day match-up, the Augustana Vikings made quick work of Monmouth, sweeping the Scots 3-0 by scores of 25-21, 25-14, and 25-18. The performance came just hours after a grueling five-set battle with Aurora, as Augie showed no signs of fatigue in closing out the day with a dominant victory.

The opening set started with a flurry of early points on both sides before the Vikings strung together a pair of kills from Alita Folkening to move ahead 3–1. Monmouth answered to even the score at 5–5, but Augie quickly regained momentum with a Mallory Coley kill and an Alexis Richards finish that pushed the lead to 7–6. From there, Augustana built steady control behind a block from Carmela Carbone and Lucy Pufundt, followed by a Leah Rizzo service ace to make it 15–12. The Vikings extended the advantage with timely plays from Richards and Pufundt to stretch the score to 20–16, forcing Monmouth into a late timeout. Grace Gustafson chipped in with a kill down the stretch, and Augustana held firm to secure the set 25–21 and take a 1–0 match lead.

In set two, the Vikings wasted little time creating separation. Back-to-back kills from Coley and Pufundt fueled a 6–0 run that staked Augie to an early 11–5 edge. Abby Kirchner added a service ace to make it 13–8, and Rizzo continued to steer the offense as Folkening and Elle Jones combined for points at the net to push the margin to 20–10. Pufundt capped the frame with a sharp finish from the outside, sealing a 25–14 win and putting the Vikings firmly in control with a 2–0 advantage.

The third set saw Augustana keep its foot on the gas, racing out to a 10–4 lead behind strong play from Grace Lichthardt, who recorded a pair of kills in the opening stretch. Richards and Pufundt teamed up to extend the margin to 17–11, and Turley added a key dig and transition set that led to a Folkening point at 20–14. Monmouth managed a short rally late, but the Vikings responded with three straight points, punctuated by a Richards kill to close the match at 25–18 and secure the sweep.

Richards led the way with 10 kills and 13 digs, while Pufundt added 11 kills and 12 digs. Folkening chipped in eight kills on an efficient .333 hitting percentage, and Rizzo tallied 23 assists to pace the offense. Turley joined Richards in double-digit digs with 13, helping Augie control the back row throughout the match.

With the win, Augustana capped Alumni Day with a perfect 2-0 record, improving to 9-7 overall on the season.