By: Peter Borkowski
Box Score
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - Playing for the second time in as many days, Augustana College women's volleyball (2-4, 0-0) hosted the Lady Blues of Illinois College (3-3, 0-0) Saturday afternoon. While the Vikings won set one, they dropped the next three sets to lose 3-1.
Inside the Box Score
How it Happened
First Set
Three straight kills and then a service error gave Illinois College a 4-0 lead out of the gate. Augie interrupted the run with a kill by Carmela Carbone, but the Lady Blues set the lead back at four with a kill of their own. This prompted a four-point spree by the Vikings to even things up at 5-5.
After splitting the next four points, four straight points by Illinois College built them an 11-7 advantage. The squads proceeded to swap points until a five-point run by the Vikings put them in front 14-13. However, the Lady Blue responded with five straight points of their own to hop back in front by four, 18-14.
The runs continued with Augustana putting up three straight scores to pull back within one, 18-17. From there, the teams traded blows with Augie never finding the tying point. That is, until an Illinois College service error and Sommesi kill pulled the score even at 21-21. The Lady Blues briefly retook the lead, but another three Viking points brought them to set-point, 24-22. Illinois College managed one more kill, but a service error on the ensuing volley ended set one 25-23 in favor of the home team, giving Augustana a 1-0 match lead.
Second Set
Now up 1-0, the Vikings came out firing in set two, executing three straight kills before Illinois College promptly responded with three points of their own, making it 3-3. A kill briefly put Augie back in front, but eight straight points from the visitors gave them a commanding 11-4 lead.
Augustana did not back down however, rattling off a trio of scores to pull back within four, 11-7. A 4-1 run by the Lady Blues put them comfortably in front again, but once more, Augie responded with three straight points to set the score at 15-10.
Both teams scored consecutive points before a 6-1 Illinois College spree built them a double-digit advantage, 23-13. Yet again however, Augie responded with a solid run, scoring five in a row to make it 23-18. That was all the offense the Vikings could muster though, as a service error and a kill gave Illinois College the two points they needed to clinch set two and tie the match at 1-1.
Third Set
Augustana was the first team to feel the momentum in set three, benefiting off of three straight attack errors to eventually take a 5-2 lead. That momentum quickly shifted to Illinois College however, who piled on five points to go ahead, 7-5. The Vikings managed to tie the set at 7-7 before going on a nice run to eventually build a 13-11 lead.
Consecutive attack errors from the Vikings allowed the Lady Blues to create a tie at 13 all, and the teams then exchanged scores until 18-18. Four straight Viking points from there put them ahead 22-18, but Illinois College called a timeout and then scored four of their own out of the break to even the game at 22-22. This caused Augustana to use a timeout.
A pair of Augie points bookended another Lady Blue timeout and brought the home squad to set-point, 24-22. Augustana could not close it out however, with Illinois College scoring twice to set the score at 24-24 and force extra volleyball.
Four lead changes were had during the set's extra play, as neither team could take a two-point advantage. That is until two straight kills put Illinois College on top 29-27, winning them the set and making it 2-1 in the match in favor of the Lady Blues.
Set Four
Set four started by neither team building a multi-point lead until it was 5-5. From there, Augustana used three straight points to go up 8-5 and force a Lady Blue timeout. Illinois College grabbed the first point out of the break, but another pair of Augie scores built them a four-point lead, 10-6.
At this point, Illinois College became unstoppable for a stretch, dropping nine straight points to all of sudden be up 15-10. Augie swung back though, going on a 5-1 run to pull back within a point, 16-15. A kill from the Lady Blues briefly gave them a multi-point lead again, but back-to-back Augie scores tied the set at 17-17 and made the fourth set a race to eight points.
The Lady Blues took three of the next four points to hit the 20-point mark and make it 20-18. Then the squads swapped points until it was 23-21 in favor of the visitors. Another kill brought up match-point for Illinois College, and while a Lady Blue attack error prolonged the match briefly, Illinois College collected one more kill to down Augie 25-22 in the set and win the match 3-1.
Up Next
Women's volleyball now hits the road as they head to Monmouth on Tuesday, Sept. 15, for a 7 p.m. game.
Follow the Vikings
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Augustana women's volleyball by following the team on Twitter at @augieathletics, on Facebook at Augustana Women's Volleyball, and on Instagram at @augie_wvb.
