WHITEWATER, Wis. — The Mules battled past Augustana in five sets, 21–25, 25–16, 25–11, 18–25, 15–8, to open the Wisconsin–Whitewater Tournament at Kris Russell Volleyball Arena and improve to 18–1 overall. The Mules steadied after a challenging first frame and won the match on serve–receive and floor defense, finishing with 12 service aces and an 85–60 advantage in digs while hitting .226 to the Vikings' .132. LJ Grant paced a balanced attack with 13 kills and two blocks, Brady Moseley added 11 kills and 12 digs, while Marjorie Johnson and Cyanne Jones both contributed 10 kills apiece. Running a clean two-setter rhythm, Gabby Grujic handed out 29 assists with 17 digs, Sydney DeProfio supplied 15 assists, and Reese Loyd added 10 assists to go with a match-high 19 digs. From the line, Grant and Loyd each delivered four aces and Grujic added two.

Set by set, Augustana's early service pressure—highlighted by a decisive late run from the line—tilted the opener despite a late Colby push to 24–21. The Mules answered immediately, siding out at 70 percent in the second and hitting .387 as Grujic and DeProfio repeatedly freed Moseley and Grant in transition. Colby's best volleyball arrived in the third: Jones keyed a scoring burst with back-to-back aces, Glover controlled the middle, and Loyd's late service run stretched the margin in a .345 hitting frame that held the Vikings to negative efficiency. Augustana forced a fifth with a gritty fourth set built on more pressure from the end line, but Colby's poise showed in the decider. DeProfio and Loyd fed Johnson on two quicks, Moseley terminated out-of-system to make it 13–8, and Grant closed the door with consecutive aces for 15–8.

Colby returns to action Saturday for a ranked doubleheader, facing No. 3 Wisconsin–Oshkosh at 1:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. CT) before meeting host No. 8 Wisconsin–Whitewater at 3:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. CT).