ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Augustana outlasted St. Ambrose in a tightly contested four-set match inside the Carver Center, earning a 29–27, 25–22, 22–25, 29–27 victory. The Vikings had to battle past 25 points twice, closing out both the opening set and the match in extended play to secure the win.
The night began with neither team able to create much separation. Augustana and St. Ambrose traded points throughout the opening stretch, with Tom Lamb, Ryan Huntington, and Aidan Bolen each finding success early. As the set wore on, Cole Clarke and Bolen added key kills to keep Augustana within reach, and Colin Schaefer's steady distribution allowed the offense to stay balanced. St. Ambrose briefly moved in front late, but Augustana answered. With the score tied deep into extra points, Huntington and Bolen delivered back-to-back kills to close the set, sealing a hard-earned 29–27 win.
Augustana carried that momentum into the second set, again leaning on contributions from multiple attackers. Bolen, Huntington, and Alexander Sulewski all put away points during a back-and-forth middle stretch, while Gavan Moua added a service ace to help shift momentum. St. Ambrose pushed back and kept the margin tight, but Augustana continued to respond at key moments. Late kills from Bolen and Sulewski helped the Vikings regain control, and Bolen finished the set with a kill to secure the 25–22 victory and give Augustana a two-set advantage.
St Ambrose responded in the third set, using a strong run midway through the frame to move ahead. Augustana stayed close behind kills from Huntington, Lamb, and Clarke, but St. Ambrose was able to maintain its edge late. A service ace followed by a final point gave St. Ambrose the 25–22 win, cutting Augustana's lead to 2–1 and setting up a pivotal fourth set.
The final set mirrored the intensity of the first. Augustana built a small cushion behind kills from Bryce Lawson, Bolen, and Huntington, but St. Ambrose fought back, eventually tying the set at 24–24. The Bees continued their push and briefly moved in front, forcing Augustana to regroup during a late timeout. Coming out of the break, the Vikings steadied themselves. Clarke and Huntington each delivered critical kills to extend the set, and with the score even again in extra points, Augustana found its finish. Huntington and Bolen combined for consecutive kills to close out the set 29–27, completing the four-set win.
Augustana's offense was led by Bolen, who finished with 16 kills, while Huntington and Clarke added 11 each. Lamb recorded nine kills. Schaefer directed the offense with 49 assists and also contributed defensively at the net. Moua and Schaefer each recorded service aces, and multiple Vikings contributed defensively throughout the match.
The Vikings remain perfect inside the Carver Center, improving to 6-3 on the season. The team gets the day off before welcoming Illinois Welseyan to town on Wednesday, Feb 25. First serve is set for 7 p.m. inside the Carver Center.
