Volleyball Falls 3-1 to No. 12 Augustana

Friday, September 22

St. Cloud, Minn.

6:00 P.M.

St. Cloud State

9-4, 2-2NSIC

Augustana

9-4, 1-3NSIC

Augustana

St. Cloud State

Nicole Miller

Photo by: Paul Middlestaedt

9/22/2017 9:21:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

St. Cloud, Minn. – St. Cloud State's volleyball team (9-4, 2-2 NSIC) lost a tough fought four-set match to No. 12 Augustana (9-4, 1-3 NSIC) on Friday, Sept. 22, at Halenbeck Hall. The team lost the first two sets by 25-20 scores, then rallied for a 25-15 win in the third set before falling in a closely contest fourth set by a 25-21 score.

The team put three players in double figures with redshirt freshman Abby Templin and senior Nicole Miller leading the team with 11 kills each. Sophomore Marah Mulso chipped in with 10 kills. Miller picked up 19 digs and a service ace. Templin hit .267 for the match with three digs. Her 11 kills tied her career-high. Mulso hit at a .222 clip with four digs and five block assists plus a solo block. Junior Micah Nier has a pair of service aces plus two block assists and four kills. Senior Becca Gruber recorded nine kills, two digs and two block assists. Freshman Taylor Olstad totaled a pair of service aces. Sophomore Clara Krenz recorded 31 digs and a service ace. Senior Kayla Crane totaled 25 assists. Freshman Maddy Torve picked up 17 assists. The Huskies totaled 46 kills, 46 assists, 92 digs, seven service aces and eight blocks in the match.

The Vikings were led by Courtney Place's 15 kills with Lauren Waite contributing 12 kills. Alex Banker had 33 assists and 11 digs. Augustana had 48 kills, 43 assists, four service aces, 77 digs and nine blocks in the four-games.

The Huskies lost the first two sets by identical 25-20 scores. Templin led the team with her four kills in the first set. Mulso recorded five kills in the second set.

The team rallied in the third set after the set had been tied at nine all and went on an 10-1 run keyed by a service ace and kill from Nier. The Vikings closed to five points, 19-14, before SCSU finished on a 6-1 run with Mulso recording a pair of kills in the rally.

The fourth set was a back-and-fourth contest with SCSU falling behind by four points, 11-7, early. The team rallied to tie things up at 12 all. The Huskies took their first lead of the set, 14-13, on the kill from Templin only to see AU go on a 5-1 rally to wrestle the lead back. SCSU scratched their way back to make it a one-point contest, 20-19, before Augustana closed out the set and match on a 6-1 run. Miller led the team with three kills in the fourth set.

"It was a good tough fought match, but in the end we made a few too many errors to give us a chance to be successful," said head coach Chad Braegelmann. "We both earned 61 points. I thought we won the serve and pass game by the time it was all done. I also think our defense did a fantastic job of defending around the block."

The St. Cloud State volleyball team continues the home stand and takes on No. 18 Wayne State on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 1 p.m. at Halenbeck Hall.

Located in Central Minnesota along the oak-crowned west bank of the Mississippi River in the city of St. Cloud, Minn., St. Cloud State University sponsors 19 varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Huskies compete at the NCAA Division I level in men's hockey (National Collegiate Hockey Conference) and women's hockey (Western Collegiate Hockey Association), while its NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the University's nordic ski team competes in the Central Collegiate Ski Association.
To learn more about the academic opportunities available at St. Cloud State University, please visit stcloudstate.edu