STEVENS POINT, Wis.- The second-ranked UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team opened the UW-Stevens Point Polito's Invitational with a four-set victory over Lawrence University on Friday (Oct. 16) inside Berg Gym. The Titans claimed the opening two sets, 25-13 and 28-26, before dropping the third, 15-25, and responding with a 25-14 victory in the fourth to improve to 21-2 overall.
Oshkosh recorded 45 kills on 134 attacks for a .179 hitting percentage while holding Lawrence to 41 kills and a .142 clip. The Titans also held advantages in service aces, 7-6, and total blocks, 10-9, while both teams finished with 58 digs.
Lauren Grier (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) led the Titans with 14 kills and just one error on 20 attacks for an impressive .650 hitting percentage. Grier also dominated at the net, contributing a match-high eight block assists.
Samantha Perlberg (Chippewa Falls/Chippewa Falls) added 11 kills and 13 digs for a double-double, while
Grace Juergens (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Community) matched Perlberg with 11 kills and contributed nine digs and a service ace.
Clare McEniry (North Aurora, Ill./Rosary) added three kills and four block assists, while
Riley Borrowman (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) and
Maren Motz (Hartland/Arrowhead Union) each finished with three kills.
Ava Van Hammond (Kimberly/Kimberly) directed the offense with a team-high 21 assists and three service aces while adding five digs.
Alex Hopp (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) contributed 18 assists, five digs and an ace, while
Callie Panasuk (Oak Creek/Oak Creek) anchored the back row with a match-high 16 digs and four assists.
The Titans wasted little time establishing control in the opening set, recording 12 kills with just two attack errors on 32 swings for a .313 hitting percentage. Grier, Perlberg and Juergens helped pace the offense, while Oshkosh's defense forced Lawrence into six attack errors and held the Vikings to a .057 hitting percentage. The Titans took the opening frame, 25-13, to establish an early advantage.
Lawrence responded with a stronger offensive showing in the second, putting down 16 kills while hitting .190. Oshkosh struggled to find its offensive rhythm, recording 10 kills and seven attack errors for a .088 hitting percentage. The teams battled through eight ties and four lead changes as Grier and the Titan front line helped keep Oshkosh within striking distance. The Titans eventually prevailed in the extended frame, 28-26, to take a two-set advantage.
The Vikings answered in the third with their most efficient offensive set of the night, recording 11 kills without an attack error on 30 swings for a .367 hitting percentage. Oshkosh countered with 12 kills, but nine attack errors limited the Titans to a .067 clip. Lawrence took the frame, 25-15, to extend the match.
Oshkosh regained control in the fourth behind its most efficient offensive set of the evening. The Titans put down 11 kills with just three errors on 23 attacks for a .348 hitting percentage, while their defense held Lawrence to six kills and forced eight attack errors. The Vikings finished the frame hitting -.074 as Grier completed her standout performance with 14 kills on a .650 clip. Oshkosh secured the final set, 25-14, to complete the four-set victory.
The Titans will return to Berg Gym on Saturday (Oct. 17) for a highly anticipated matchup between the top two teams in the country. Second-ranked Oshkosh will face No. 1 Illinois Wesleyan University at 12:30 p.m. on day two of the UW-Stevens Point Polito's Invitational.
