MADISON, Wis.- UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball was predicted by the WIAC's head coaches and sports information directors to win the conference championships for the third year in a row on Friday (August 22).
 
Last season, the Titans, ranked sixth in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll, posted a 29-6 overall mark and a 6-1 in WIAC competition to win the league's regular season championship for the second year in a row and 15th time in program history. UW-Oshkosh reached the NCAA Division III Championship Quarterfinal for the second consecutive season after falling to UW-Whitewater in the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver's) championship game. The Titans won all three of their matches at the Marietta, Ohio Regional, defeating Marymount University (Va.), 3-0, the University of Chicago (Ill.), 3-1, and Illinois Wesleyan University, 3-0. The final three rounds of the national championship were hosted by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in Salem, Va., where the Titans pushed Johns Hopkins to five sets before falling to the Blue Jays in the national quarterfinal.
 
Three-time defending WIAC Kwik Trip Coach of the Year Jon Ellmann enters his eighth season leading the Titans with a 174-66 record and three NCAA postseason appearances. His first appearance came in 2022; the Titans finished 17th overall by defeating Otterbein University (Ohio) in the first round before falling to regional host Calvin University (Mich.) in the second round.
 
Fourteen letterwinners return to the court for UW-Oshkosh this season, including 2023 and 2024 All-WIAC First Team member Samantha Perlberg (Chippewa Falls/Chippewa Falls). Top non All-WIAC student-athletes include Izzy Coon (Fond du Lac/St. Mary's Springs Academy) and Lauren Grier (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac).
 
The head coaches and sports information directors of the WIAC voted for the two-time defending conference champion, UW-Oshkosh to win the league title this season. Three-time defending WIAC Tournament champion UW-Whitewater was slated for second. UW-Eau Claire was predicted to take second, UW-Stevens Point fourth, UW-Platteville fifth, UW-Stout sixth, UW-River Falls seventh, and UW-La Crosse eighth.
 
UW-Oshkosh looks to secure its 16th overall and second third WIAC championship in 2025. By winning the fifth WIAC Tournament in program history, the team would earn its first automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2008. Before 2008, Oshkosh won the 1990, 1991 and 1994 league tournament crowns.
 
This season, UW-Oshkosh will face 16 programs that participated in the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship, including five of the teams that reached the Elite Eight. The Titans play last year's runner-up #2 UW-Whitewater on the road on October 29 and defending national champion #1 Juniata College (Pa.) in Bloomington, Illinois on November 1.
 
UW-Oshkosh begins the season at the Salisbury University (Md.) Margie Knight Classic on August 29-30 and stops in De Pere to face St. Norbert College and Lakeland University on September 2 before hosting the annual Marty Petersen Invitational at Kolf Sports Center on September 5-6. The Titans welcome #15 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.), #5 Emory University (Ga.), Marian University, (RV) UW-Stevens Point, and #11 Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) for the early season tournament.
 
On September 12-13, the Titans host another invitational comprised of top 25 programs in #3 Hope College (Mich.), #20 University of Chicago (Ill.), and #7 University of La Verne (Calif.). They then kick off their conference schedule at UW-Stout on September 17.
 
The final multi-team event that UW-Oshkosh will hold at Kolf Sports Center this season is a triangular with St. Catherine University (Minn.) and (RV) University of Northwestern (Minn.) on September 20. The program's annual Community Night returns to Oshkosh on September 26 as Oshkosh welcomes UW-Stevens Point to town.
 
UW-Oshkosh hosts Carroll University on October 8 for Senior Night, #13 UW-Platteville on October 22 for Play for a Cause Night and #22 UW-Eau Claire on November 7 to fill out its home schedule.
 
On October 25, Oshkosh faces #17 Colby College (Maine) in Whitewater, followed by matches against #19 Illinois Wesleyan University and Juniata at the Illinois Titans' Shirk Center on October 31 and November 1 respectively.
 
The Titans travel to UW-River Falls (October 3), UW-La Crosse (October 15), and UW-Whitewater (October 29) for their away WIAC schedule.
 
The top six teams in the conference standings will qualify for the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver's). The event will be held Nov. 11, 13 and 15, with all matches hosted by the higher-seeded team. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic NCAA bid.