Augusta University volleyball team advances to NCAA Division II Elite Eight
Staff report
Senior Brooklyn Holthaus got an ace on the final point of the match, and the Augusta University volleyball booked its ticket to Tampa, Fla., for the NCAA Division II volleyball championship with a 5-set win over Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday night, Dec. 4.
It is the first time that an AU volleyball team has advanced to the Elite Eight. The Jaguars made it to the Sweet Sixteen two years ago.
The sixth-seeded Jaguars (25-8) lost the first set 25-23 in Anderson S.C., but they rallied to win the next two in the Southeast Regional at Anderson University. AU seemed on the verge of winning the match in the fourth, but top-seeded LR made a super comeback to win 26-24.
Augusta fell behind 4-0 in the final set, but the Jaguars rallied to win the finale 15-9 to advance to the Elite Eight, which begins Dec. 9 in Tampa.
Seniors Chloe Allen and Kylie Martin led the way for regional champions. Allen accounted for 24.5 points and Martin 17.
Coach Sharon Quarles’ team is on a seven-match win streak.
Kylie Martin gets a kill for AU. Once again she was one of the leaders for the Jaguars, now regional champions. At the top of the page, Ally Thees (1), Chloe Allen (6) and Radka Brichakova (11) celebrate for Augusta. (photos by Chris Rickerson)
