After opening the season with back-to-back losses, the Augustana men’s volleyball team found itself searching for answers earlier than expected. The 0-2 start did not reflect the group’s preparation from the off-season, but exposed key areas of the game that still needed improvement after falling to both Dominican University and Concordia-Chicago University.
Instead of allowing that slow start to the season define the team, the Vikings treated it as a necessary wake-up call. After the season opener, the team came together to evaluate what went wrong. Four straight wins later, players such as junior Ben Georgia have started to see the growth in real time, as the team has found ways to respond to tight moments rather than let matches slip away.
“Those two early losses gave us the motivation and the realization as a team that we can do what we need to do to win out there,” Georgia said. “Instead of hanging our heads low, we needed to bounce back, and that’s something we didn’t do over our first opening weekend, but we’ve been in those situations since then, and we always came back.”
One of the defining moments of the win streak came against Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). Entering the matchup, the Vikings had never defeated MSOE, dropping all seven previous matches. This time, the Vikings broke through with a statement win over the Raiders in a tight 3-2 match.
The win carried weight beyond the record book for the Vikings. At the time, MSOE was nationally ranked and on a three-game winning streak, making the victory one of the most significant in recent program history. More than anything, the result makes players like junior Jacob Sandowski see the progress the Vikings are making, not just in the standings, but in the culture and connection of the team.
“For the team, it’s a huge deal, because that’s a pretty successful program nationally,” Sandowski said. “They were ranked at the time of us beating them, and it’s a big deal to take a win of that caliber. Then we built off of that and took another team that is close to being ranked as well. It’s something that validates the work that you put in that means so much, and it’s still that connection that we build.”
One of the biggest questions entering this season centered around the team’s passing. The Vikings graduated their All-Conference libero Max Sellers, leaving a significant gap in the back row and at a position that anchors nearly every possession. Rather than letting that become a weakness, the group has turned it into a point of growth. Freshman libero Collin Alvers has stepped in nicely into the role, where he leads the team in digs and total attempts.
Junior Ryan Huntington sees the clean passing help the team extend rallies, control the tempo of the game and notices that the players who stepped up defensively throughout the winning streak help the Vikings.
“Passing is such an important part of volleyball,” Huntington said. “We knew losing our All-American libero would be a challenge, but we’ve had people step up defensively. Collin has been great and is really growing in his role. We’re always trying to grow in our passing game, we’re doing well with that and focusing as much as we can on that.”
Beyond execution, much of the team’s success during the four-match streak has come from its connection off the court. Despite graduating eight players and welcoming several newcomers, the Vikings describe this group as one of the closest they’ve had. The chemistry they have created off the court has transformed into communication and trust on the court, helping them during matches and tight sets. The time spent together outside of volleyball, including a team trip to Costa Rica in January, helped strengthen those bonds and build a foundation that carried into the season.
“Even with new faces, we genuinely care about each other outside of volleyball,” Huntington said.” Our trip to Costa Rica brought us even closer, and that connection has truly been huge for our teamwork.”
With non-conference play building momentum, the Vikings will soon turn their attention to the upcoming conference games. With the CCIW consistently ranked among the strongest conferences in Division III, the level of play is expected to rise. For a team that has already responded to early adversity, the upcoming match offers another opportunity to showcase its strength and growth.
The group believes that the lessons learned through the first few weeks of the season have prepared them for what’s ahead. The four-game winning streak has reinforced their confidence, while the early setback sharpened their urgency.
“We are ready to take on bigger competition,” Georgia said. “We haven’t had any conference games yet, but our conference is one of the best in division three. We’re ready, and we’re looking forward to it. It’s going to be a challenge, but we know we can do it if we work hard.”
Last year, the Vikings had a six-match winning streak, and they are on their way to surpassing it. The Vikings will now turn to face St. Ambrose University on Tuesday, February 17, before taking on their first conference game of the season against North Central College on Saturday, February 21.
