EAU CLAIRE, Wis.- For the fourth consecutive year, the third-ranked UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team clinched at least a share of the WIAC Regular Season title on Saturday (Oct. 24), earning a hard-fought five-set victory over No. 14 UW-Eau Claire inside the Sonnentag Event Center. The Titans took the opening set, 25-17, before dropping the second, 20-25, and responding with a 25-23 victory in the third. The Blugolds forced a decisive fifth with a 25-21 win in the fourth, but Oshkosh prevailed, 15-8, to improve to 23-3 overall and 5-0 in conference play.
Oshkosh finished the afternoon with 62 kills on 177 attacks for a .249 hitting percentage while holding UW-Eau Claire to 62 kills and a .154 clip. The Titans also dominated at the net, recording 13 total blocks compared to four for the Blugolds. Oshkosh held a narrow 90-89 advantage in digs.
Grace Juergens (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Community) led the Titan attack with a team-high 17 kills on 44 swings while adding 13 digs and a service ace for a double-double.
Lauren Grier (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) turned in another efficient performance, putting down 16 kills with just two errors on 35 attacks for a .400 hitting percentage. Grier also dominated defensively with a match-high nine block assists.
Samantha Perlberg (Chippewa Falls/Chippewa Falls) added 14 kills and a team-high 17 digs for a double-double while contributing four total blocks, including a solo block.
Riley Borrowman (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) turned in the most efficient offensive performance of the match, recording eight kills without an error on 10 attacks for an .800 hitting percentage while adding two block assists.
Emmy Wizceb (Sullivan/Johnsburg (Ill.)) contributed seven kills with just one error on 15 swings for a .400 hitting percentage, while
Clare McEniry (North Aurora, Ill./Rosary) added seven block assists.
Alex Hopp (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) directed the offense with a match-high 29 assists and eight digs, while
Ava Van Hammond (Kimberly/Kimberly) recorded 18 assists, 16 digs and two service aces.
Callie Panasuk (Oak Creek/Oak Creek) anchored the back row with 16 digs and five assists.
The Titans came out firing in the opening set, recording 15 kills with just two attack errors on 35 swings for a .371 hitting percentage. Juergens, Grier and Perlberg helped pace an efficient Oshkosh attack, while the Titan defense forced UW-Eau Claire into eight attack errors and held the Blugolds to a .146 hitting percentage. Oshkosh controlled the frame from start to finish, taking the opener, 25-17.
UW-Eau Claire responded in the second with a more efficient offensive showing, putting down 12 kills with just three errors on 42 attacks for a .214 hitting percentage. Oshkosh countered with 15 kills of its own, but six attack errors limited the Titans to a .200 clip. Despite the offensive contributions from Juergens and Grier, the Blugolds secured a 25-20 victory to even the match at one set apiece.
The third set brought a tightly contested battle featuring four ties and three lead changes. Oshkosh recorded 13 kills on 45 swings while hitting .178, while its defense held UW-Eau Claire to a .114 clip by forcing eight attack errors. Grier and McEniry helped lead the Titan front line, while Perlberg and Panasuk contributed to the defensive effort behind them. Oshkosh eventually prevailed, 25-23, to regain the advantage and move within one set of the victory.
The Blugolds answered in the fourth with their strongest offensive set of the afternoon, putting down 20 kills on 47 attacks for a .255 hitting percentage. Oshkosh countered with 11 kills and a .257 clip, but UW-Eau Claire's offensive production proved to be the difference. The teams battled through 11 ties and four lead changes before the Blugolds secured a 25-21 victory to force a decisive fifth.
Oshkosh took control in the final frame behind a dominant defensive effort. Grier, McEniry and Borrowman helped lead the Titans at the net as UW-Eau Claire managed just three kills while committing five attack errors on 21 swings for a -.095 hitting percentage. The Titans countered with eight kills on 17 attacks for a .294 clip, with Juergens, Grier and Perlberg completing their strong offensive performances. Oshkosh rolled to a 15-8 victory to secure the five-set win and remain perfect in WIAC play.
The Titans will return to the court Wednesday (Oct. 28), traveling to face (RV) UW-Platteville in another WIAC matchup.
