DUBUQUE, Iowa – The No. 10-ranked Loras College men's volleyball team defeated the Augustana College Vikings in four sets inside the Lillis Athletic and Wellness Center Wednesday evening. The Duhawks honored their seniors, Nolan Krygsheld and Bo Brainerd III prior to the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory.

The first set was closely contested with neither team able to gain a lead greater than two until a Viking kill put Augustana (9-10, 2-6 CCIW) up by three (14-11). The Duhawks were able to tie the set at 15-15 on a Viking attack error and eventually take a 19-18 lead on a Brainerd kill. The Purple and Gold went on to secure a 25-22 set one victory.

The second set was much of the same, with neither team able to gain a lead greater than two and Augustana achieving a 14-11 lead. After more back-and-forth play, Loras (19-5, 5-4) was able to tie the set at 18-18 on a bad set from the Vikings. The Duhawks put themselves in front by one-point (19-18) after another error from the Vikings. This lead would be short lived, however, as Augustana reclaimed its lead to go on and win the second set, 25-22.

The third set was once again, closely contested to start. After lots of back-and-forth play, Augustana was able to gain a 14-11 lead for the third set in a row. The Duhawks fought to keep things close, but were unable to gain a lead until a Viking attack error paired with a Nolan Krygsheld kill put the Purple and Gold up 21-20. Loras went on to win the third set, 25-22.

The Duhawks dismantled the Vikings in the fourth and final set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead, which led to an Augustana timeout. A kill from Brainerd and another error from Augustana put Loras up 8-1 and led to yet another Augustana timeout. A Viking yellow card followed by a red card put the match out of reach after a free point was awarded to the Duhawks. The Duhawks secured the match with a 25-16 set four win.

Loras was led by Brainerd who contributed 15 kills and seven blocks. Following closely behind was Krygsheld who put down a season-high 14 kills to go along with eight digs, while Evan Dziadkowiec totaled 41 assists, two service aces, four blocks, and six digs on the night. As a team, the Duhawks hit .348, which included 49 kills and 10 errors in 112 attempts.

Up Next: The Duhawks travel to Naperville, Ill. to take on the North Central College Cardinals on Saturday, April 4. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. from Merner Field House.