Linfield University Athletics

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield volleyball (3-0) continued its unbeaten start to the 2026 season Friday night, outlasting Augsburg in four sets and Nebraska Wesleyan in five sets inside Ted Wilson Gymnasium; marking the team's best start to a season since 2018.

The Wildcats won 25-19, 25-22, 21-25, 27-25 over Augsburg and earned the 25-23, 19-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-12 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan to improve to 3-0 on the season.

Game One vs Augsburg

The Wildcats established control early, jumping ahead 4-0 in the opening set and never surrendering the lead. Linfield's defense helped set the tone as the Wildcats held Augsburg to a negative hitting percentage in the frame. Ascha Nielsen and Kaitlyn Hough each delivered three kills in the 25-19 set win.

Set two saw Augsburg erase an early Wildcats advantage and moved ahead 15-14, Linfield answered down the stretch. A kill from Margaritah Banuelos tied the score at 20 before Bella Rodriguez followed with an ace and Hough added a kill. Linfield ultimately finished off the 25-22 win to take a two-set advantage.

Augsburg extended the match with a 25-21 victory in the third before Linfield prevailed in a back-and-forth fourth set. The Wildcats led 23-20, but Augsburg fought back to tie the score at 24 and again at 25. Linfield regained the advantage at 26-25 before Rodriguez delivered the match-clinching service ace for the 27-25 victory.

Nora Myre paced the Linfield offense with 11 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double. Hough and Katelyn Mawdsley each finished with seven kills, while Tatum Montiel and Nielsen added five apiece. Hough, Madison Millard and Nielsen each contributed four block assists as Linfield totaled eight team blocks.

Naia Alefaio-Foifua anchored the Wildcats defensively with a match-high 21 digs while adding two aces. Banuelos and Kaarina Geymann shared the setting duties with 14 assists apiece, while Rodriguez added two of Linfield's seven aces.

Game Two vs Nebraska Wesleyan
Linfield opened the match with an efficient offensive performance, hitting .333 in the first set. The Wildcats built an early advantage before Nebraska Wesleyan pulled within one late, but Nora Myre delivered the set-clinching kill for a 25-23 victory. 

After the Prairie Wolves evened the match with a second-set win, Linfield responded in the third. The Wildcats broke away from a 14-13 advantage and closed the frame on an 11-6 run to win 25-19.

Nebraska Wesleyan forced a fifth set with a 25-23 victory in the fourth, setting up another tight finish. Linfield trailed 10-6 in the deciding frame before mounting a comeback. Kills from Kaitlyn Hough and Katelyn Mawdsley helped the Wildcats pull even at 10, and Mawdsley later put Linfield ahead 12-11. Kaylea Rietdyk delivered a service ace to create match point before Myre combined on a block to finish the 15-12 victory.

Myre led the Linfield attack with 12 kills while adding two total blocks. Ascha Nielsen finished with nine kills on a .381 hitting percentage, eight players recorded at least one kill, and Tatum Montiel and Hough contributed eight kills apiece. Madison Millard added six kills and four total blocks.

Margaritah Banuelos led the Wildcats with 20 assists, while Kaarina Geymann added 15. Naia Alefaio-Foifua once again led the defense with 19 digs, and Rietdyk finished with seven digs and a match-high four aces. Linfield totaled 50 kills, 10 aces and eight team blocks while hitting .196 for the match.

Myre led Linfield over the two matches with 23 kills, while Nielsen produced the best hitting percentage among the Wildcats' primary attackers at .286 with 14 kills and only four errors. Hough added 15 kills and 13 digs, while Montiel and Mawdsley each totaled 13 kills. 

Banuelos totaled a team-high 34 assists, followed closely by Geymann with 29. Alefaio-Foifua collected 40 digs across the two matches, while Rodriguez and Rietdyk combined for eight of Linfield's 17 service aces. 
The two wins move the Wildcats to 3-0 to start the season, the program's best start since the 2018 season.

Volleyball rounds out the Oregon Trail Classic tomorrow afternoon, taking on Azusa Pacific in a neutral site match in Forest Grove at 3:30 p.m.

To follow Linfield Wildcats coverage all season long, visit golinfieldwildcats.com. Please consider following Linfield Athletics on Facebook, and @LinfieldSports on Instagram and X.com. 
 
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