OSHKOSH, Wis.- A five-set thriller inside Kolf Sports Center ended in favor of the second-ranked UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team Wednesday (Oct. 14), as the Titans held off UW-Stout Polytechnic in a tightly contested WIAC matchup. Oshkosh claimed the first two sets, 25-15 and 25-23, before the Blue Devils battled back with 25-20 and 25-23 victories to force a decisive fifth. The Titans prevailed in the final frame, 16-14, to improve to 20-2 overall and remain unbeaten in conference play at 4-0.
The victory marked Oshkosh's seventh consecutive win over the Blue Devils dating back to 2019. The match featured 41 ties and 24 lead changes, including nine ties and seven lead changes in the fifth set alone.
Oshkosh recorded 73 kills on 211 attacks for a .204 hitting percentage while holding UW-Stout to 57 kills and a .161 clip. Both teams finished with 93 digs, while the Titans recorded three total blocks and two service aces.
Samantha Perlberg (Chippewa Falls/Chippewa Falls) led the Titan attack with a match-high 23 kills on 76 swings while adding a career-high 29 digs for a double-double.
Grace Juergens (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Community) turned in one of her most efficient performances of the season, putting down a season-high 20 kills with just two errors on 47 attacks for a .383 hitting percentage. Juergens also contributed nine digs.
Maren Motz (Hartland/Arrowhead Union) continued her strong play offensively, recording a career-high 14 kills with just two errors on 22 swings for a match-best .545 hitting percentage. Motz also added six digs and two block assists, while
Riley Borrowman (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) and
Clare McEniry (North Aurora, Ill./Rosary) each contributed six kills.
Alex Hopp (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) directed the Titan offense with a career-high 32 assists and added nine digs and a service ace.
Ava Van Hammond (Kimberly/Kimberly) also turned in an impressive performance with 31 assists and six digs, while
Callie Panasuk (Oak Creek/Oak Creek) anchored the back row with 22 digs and four assists.
Oshkosh came out firing in the opening set, putting down 19 kills with just three errors on 39 attacks for a .410 hitting percentage. Juergens, Perlberg and Motz helped lead the offensive effort as the Titans established control early. Stout countered with 11 kills on a .235 clip, but Oshkosh's offensive efficiency proved to be the difference in a 25-15 victory.
The Blue Devils challenged the Titans throughout the second set, which featured 13 ties and eight lead changes. Oshkosh struggled to find its offensive rhythm, committing 11 attack errors against 13 kills for a .042 hitting percentage. However, the Titan defense stepped up when needed, holding Stout to nine kills while forcing 10 attack errors as the Blue Devils finished the frame hitting -.023. Oshkosh eventually prevailed in the back-and-forth battle, 25-23, to take a two-set advantage.
Stout responded in the third, recording 12 kills while hitting .212. The Titans countered with 13 kills of their own, but seven attack errors limited Oshkosh to a .154 hitting percentage. Perlberg and Juergens continued to pace the Titan attack, while Motz provided an efficient presence at the net. The Blue Devils took the frame, 25-20, to extend the match.
The fourth set brought another tightly contested battle with nine ties and four lead changes. Oshkosh improved offensively, putting down 18 kills with just four errors on 48 attacks for a .292 hitting percentage. However, Stout answered with its strongest offensive set of the night, recording 18 kills while hitting .318. The Blue Devils held on for a 25-23 victory to erase the two-set deficit and force a decisive fifth.
Neither team could gain much separation in the final frame, which featured nine ties and seven lead changes. The Titans recorded 10 kills on 37 attacks while holding the Blue Raiders to seven kills and a .065 hitting percentage. Perlberg, Juergens and Motz completed their standout offensive performances as Oshkosh battled through the extended set, eventually securing a 16-14 victory to remain unbeaten in WIAC play.
The Titans improved to 20-2 overall and 4-0 in the conference with the victory.
The Titans will be back in action Friday (Oct. 16) against Lawrence University at the UW-Stevens Point Papa John's Invite. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m.
