ROCK ISLAND – Back inside the Carver Center, the Augustana Vikings men's volleyball team battled with the Benedictine Eagles on Tuesday night, securing a five-set victory by scores of 24–26, 25–23, 25–20, 20–25, and 17–15. With the win, the Vikings improved to 3–2 on the season.
Trailing 2–0 early in the opening frame, a kill from Bryce Lawson sparked a quick 7–2 burst for the Vikings. Cole Clarke fueled the run with four straight points, including two kills, an attack error, and a service ace to give Augustana a 7–4 edge. Benedictine responded with a run of its own, forcing multiple ties down the stretch. Augustana stayed composed behind key kills from Aidan Bolen, Tom Lamb, and Ryan Huntington, but after a 21–21 tie, the Eagles seized momentum late. Huntington and Alexander Sulewski answered with scores, and an attack error by the visitors extended the set, but Benedictine closed out the frame on consecutive points to claim the opener, 26–24.
Looking to bounce back in set two, the Vikings matched Benedictine point-for-point in a tightly contested frame that featured 11 ties. Augustana began to gain traction midway through the set as Colin Schaefer asserted himself both at the net and from the service line. Schaefer's service ace pushed the Vikings ahead 22–19, marking one of their largest leads of the set. Benedictine trimmed the deficit to 24–23, but Augustana clamped down defensively, as Huntington and Schaefer combined for the final kill to secure the 25–23 victory and even the match at one set apiece.
The third set proved to be the most decisive stretch for the Vikings. After falling behind 4–1, Huntington and Clarke answered with consecutive kills to swing momentum and give Augustana a 5–4 lead. With the score tied at 6–6, a Benedictine bad set opened the door for the Vikings, who capitalized on four straight Eagles errors to create separation. Sulewski added a kill and a service ace late in the frame, and Clarke sealed the set with the final point as Augustana earned a 25–20 win to take a 2–1 match advantage.
Benedictine responded in the fourth set, jumping out to a 7–2 lead while capitalizing on Augustana attack errors. The Eagles maintained control for much of the frame, but the Vikings mounted a late push. Down 22–13, Augustana recorded kills from Schaefer and Clarke and benefited from three consecutive Benedictine attack errors during a 7–2 run. The comeback bid came up short, however, as the Eagles closed out the set 25–20 to force a winner-take-all fifth set.
The final set saw both teams trading points early, with Bolen and Lamb leading the charge for Augustana. Benedictine found a rhythm and carried an 8–5 lead into the side switch, but the Vikings responded with renewed energy, rallying to tie the score at 10–10. From there, neither team surrendered ground, trading points through a tense finish. Timely kills from Bolen, Lamb, and Clarke kept Augustana in control, but the Eagles forced extra points with a late kill to make it 15–15. Showing patience and discipline defensively, the Vikings sealed the victory on consecutive Benedictine errors—a ball-handling error followed by an attack error—to secure the 17–15 win.
Clarke paced the Vikings with 16.5 points, finishing with 14 kills while adding seven digs. Schaefer guided the Augustana offense, recording a match-high 44 assists. Alvers anchored the back row with 19 digs, providing rock solid defense throughout the five-set battle. Huntington, Sulewski, and Bolen each reached double figures in scoring, contributing key points during Augustana's momentum-shifting runs.
Augustana returns to action on Thursday, February 12, welcoming the Marian Sabres to the Roy J. Carver Center. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
