By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — For the first time since the season-opening Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic — and the first time in the Saint Mary's Gym — the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota volleyball team got to play in front of their home crowd Wednesday evening.
 
Unfortunately, Augsburg decided to rain on the Cardinals' homecoming parade.
 
Augsburg rallied for a come-from-behind win in the opening set and never took its foot off the accelerator, as the Auggies dealt Saint Mary's a 3-0 setback in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match.
 
The Cardinals appeared in control early in the opening set, leading 8-4, 12-8, and 14-9, but the Auggies came storming back, scoring seven straight points to take a 16-14 lead — a lead their would not relinquish in winning the opening set 25-19.
 
The Auggies maintained the momentum through the second and third sets, taking the lead for good, 9-8 en route to a 25-20 win in Set 2, before rattling off eight unanswered points to turn a three-point, 15-12 lead into a 23-12 advantage in rolling to a sweep-clinching 25-13 win in the final set.
 
Lillian Braun (Mantorville, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals, dishing out 23 assists and adding a team-high 12 digs for her team-leading sixth double-double. Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) posted 12 kills, but as a team the Cardinal offense struggled, hitting just .071. Grace Gilles (Apple Valley, Minn.) added 11 digs for Saint Mary's.
 
Corina Evans finished with 10 kills and Morgan Malley posted a 23-assist, 11-dig double-double for the Auggies, who also got 21 digs from Macey Terhell.
 
The Cardinals (0-2 MIAC, 7-6 overall) are back in action on Saturday, returning to the Saint Mary's Gym for a 3 p.m. conference match against St. Catherine.