Kyle Clendenen
Kevin Krows/Millikin University
3
Winner Augustana (IL) AUGIE 5-6,1-0 CCIW
2
Millikin MIL-U 0-9,0-1 CCIW
Winner
Augustana (IL) AUGIE
5-6,1-0 CCIW
3
Final
2
Millikin MIL-U
0-9,0-1 CCIW
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Augustana (IL) AUGIE 25 26 25 16 15 (3)
Millikin MIL-U 21 28 19 25 12 (2)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | | Morgan Vogels

Millikin Men's Volleyball Edged by Augustana in Tightly Contested Conference Opener

The Big Blue men's volleyball team matched up against the Vikings of Augustana College in their 2022 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin conference opener at the Griswold Center on Tuesday, February 15. Millikin fought tough against the Vikings, but fell in five sets.

Kyle Clendenen led the offensive charge with 18 kills. Connor Fosselius added 12 kills and two service aces. Chelan Beavers and Michael Anderson tallied two blocks apiece, Robbie Maida notched 36 assists, and Jensen Mast was the digs leader with 17.

Augustana was led by Aiden Bond with 17 kills and Aidan Bolen with 14. 

The Vikings took set one after pulling away in a tightly contested set. A Big Blue kill off the hand of Anderson tied the set at 16, but Augustana took a 17-21 advantage after a Millikin error. A Beavers kill kept the Big Blue alive at 21-24, but a Bond kill ended the 21-25 set in favor of the Vikings. 

The second set saw a similar storyline with 11 tie scores before Millikin pulled ahead 17-23. An Augie service error brought the score to set point favoring the Big Blue, but Augustana rallied back with Josh Van Essen behind the service line to tie the set at 24-all. After trading points, Millikin capitalized on a Viking service error, then ended the 28-26 set victory on a service ace off the hand of Maida. 

Augustana bounced back to claim the victory in set three by a 19-25 margin. In a set that saw another plethora of tie scores, the Big Blue stretched out a four point advantage at 15-11 after back-to-back kills by Cristobal Gonzalez and Clendenen. Kills by Fosselius and Clendenen followed by a Viking attacking error brought the score to 20-13 with the Big Blue in the driver's seat. Augustana rallied, but an attacking error by the Vikings evened the set score and forced the fifth set with a 25-16 Millikin victory.

The Vikings claimed an early advantage in the deciding set, but the Big Blue rallied behind two kills by Clendenen and a third by Gonzalez to tie the set at six. An Augie service ace shifted the momentum in the Vikings favor, and the Big Blue fell to a 6-10 deficit. Millikin capitalized on a Viking error, then a block by Anderson brought the score within two. The Big Blue rallied to tie the set at 11, but the Vikings regained the lead capitalizing on three straight Millikin errors to bring the score to match point. A Viking service error extended the match, but a Bolen kill ended the match with a 12-15 score. 

The Big Blue will be back in action at the Griswold Center on Saturday, February 19 at 3:00 PM against non-conference opponent Wittenberg University.
 
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