Nerissa Vogt registered a team-leading 15 kills, 11 blocks and two service aces to propel the nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team to a 3-2 victory over Illinois Wesleyan University at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational on Friday (Oct. 16) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (18-5), ranked 19th in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, won the contest in set scores of 25-21, 16-25, 26-24, 15-25, 15-12.

Vogt finished one block shy of her career high en route to her second double-double in the last four matches.

Mandy Trautmann had a season-high 35 digs for UW-Oshkosh, which improved its record to 5-3 in five-set matches this season.

UW-Oshkosh's Lexi Thiel led all players with 48 assists and added seven blocks. Tina Elstner and Katelyn Malcheski contributed 13 and 11 kills, respectively.

Illinois Wesleyan University had a 76-53 advantage in kills and outhit UW-Oshkosh, .261 to .232, while the UW-Oshkosh defense countered with advantages of 76-66 in digs and 14-4.5 in blocks.

UW-Oshkosh used a pair of seven-point runs to win the opening set. Vogt had three blocks and one kill during a seven-point skein for an 8-4 lead, and UW-Oshkosh closed the frame with another seven unanswered points. After trailing 21-18, Vogt recorded a solo block to give UW-Oshkosh a 22-21 edge, Vogt combined with Thiel for another block – the squad's eighth of the opening set – for a 23-21 advantage, and Malcheski closed out the frame with kills on the final two points.

Illinois Wesleyan University (17-5) took a 10-9 lead in the second set that it never relinquished. The visiting Titans had 19 kills on 37 attempts and finished the set with a .486 hitting percentage.

UW-Oshkosh scored another seven consecutive points to take a 10-8 lead in the third set, but Illinois Wesleyan University reclaimed an 18-14 advantage on an attack error by the host Titans. Illinois Wesleyan held a 23-19 lead, but UW-Oshkosh scored seven of the last eight points to win the set. A service error by UW-Oshkosh provided Illinois Wesleyan University with a 24-22 lead, but a kill by Brianna Witter and three straight errors by the visiting Titans ended the frame.

Illinois Wesleyan University raced out to a 15-9 lead in the fourth set and forced a decisive fifth frame by hitting .353 and pounding down 15 kills.

UW-Oshkosh tallied four consecutive points to claim a 6-3 lead in the fifth set before Illinois Wesleyan University clawed back to knot the score at 7. Back-to-back kills by Carly Lemke and Elstner gave UW-Oshkosh an 11-9 lead, but Illinois Wesleyan University battled back after a timeout to tie the set at 11. The teams exchanged kills on the next two points, and UW-Oshkosh scored the final three points of the match on a ball-handling error and two kills by Vogt.

UW-Oshkosh had 10 kills on 24 errorless attempts for a .417 hitting percentage in decisive set.

Tyler Brown had 25 kills and 12 digs for Illinois Wesleyan University, which also received 15 kills from Rachel Burkman, 14 kills and 21 digs from Kyleigh Block, and a team-leading 39 assists and two service aces from Colleen Rynne.

UW-Oshkosh concludes play at its own invitational when it takes on Minnesota opponents University of St. Thomas and Martin Luther College on Saturday (Oct. 17) in Kolf Sports Center.