OSHKOSH, Wis.- UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball defeated Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship at Kolf Sports Center on Friday night (Nov. 21) by a score of 3-0.
 
In a case of double déjà vu with the 2023 regional at Kolf Sports Center, UW-Oshkosh (30-3) beat the Gusties in three sets following a sweep of Greenville University (Ill.) in the first round of the tournament.
 
The Titans, ranked third in the nation by the American Volleyball Coaches Association at the top seed in the Oshkosh Regional, reached 30 wins on the season for the third time in four years and the 22nd time in program history on Friday night by holding advantages in most statistical categories. They outhit the No. 25 and fifth-seeded Gusties (24-8), .214 to .051, and recorded 39 kills with 37 assists and 68 digs. The programs, both second round qualifiers in four of the last five seasons, both registered two service aces.
 
Oshkosh won the three-set match by scores of 25-20, 25-17, 25-17.
 
Gustavus Adolphus scored the first two points of set one, but the Titans tallied five straight offensive points to claim the lead. Samantha Perlberg (Chippewa Falls/Chippewa Falls) and Lauren Grier (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) both had two kills in the run and Riley Borrowman (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) served an ace. The score remained within a point across the middle of the set and the Gusties responded to a pair of 3-0 Titan spurts by tying the score. A service error by Gustavus Adolphus broke a 17-17 tie and the Titans eventually won the set on two Grace Juergens (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Community) kills and a combination block by Maren Motz (Hartland/Arrowhead Union) and Borrowman.
 
Oshkosh dashed out to an early 4-1 edge in the second set and never looked back. The Gusties were held to a pair of two-point streaks while the Titans scored in one run of three points and five pairs of points.
 
After the Gusties tallied three points following a third-set opening kill by Motz and a block by Perlberg and Grier, the score got knotted at three, four, five, and six points before Oshkosh jumped out to an 8-6 lead. Much like the first set, the score remained close with six traded serves until a 6-1 run made the score 17-12. The Titans prevented the Gusties from scoring more than once in a row for the remainder of the match and added a trio of 2-0 streaks.
 
Perlberg registered her 18th double-double of the year and her fifth straight by recording a match-high 12 kills (.294 clip) and 13 digs, while Riley Borrowman (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) hit .429 with eight kills.
 
Izzy Coon (Fond du Lac/St. Mary's Springs Academy) and Jaclyn Dutkiewicz (Franklin/Franklin) had matching assists in the contest with 15 and both Borrowman and Perlberg scored from the service line.
 
Defensively, Callie Panasuk (Oak Creek/Oak Creek) led all players with 21 digs while Lauren Grier (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) led all blockers with seven on the night.
 
 
The Titans will No. 21 nationally ranked and third-seeded Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) (24-8) at Kolf Sports Center in the NCAA Third Round on Saturday (Nov. 22) at 5 p.m. The Bears hold a 15-2 all-time record in the series between the programs; however, the Titans have won the last two matchups, taking a 3-2 victory in St. Louis in 2023 and earning a 3-1 win at home on September 5 this season.
 
Oshkosh and WashU have faced three times in the national tournament. The Bears won each of the matchups in the 1991 semifinal round, the 1994 national championship match, and in the 2007 second round.