PLATTEVILLE, Wis.- History was made Wednesday (Oct. 28) as the third-ranked UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team captured its fourth consecutive outright WIAC regular season championship with a four-set victory over (RV) UW-Platteville inside Williams Fieldhouse. The Titans took the opening two sets, 25-15 and 25-15, before dropping the third, 20-25, and responding with a 25-14 victory in the fourth to improve to 24-3 overall and 6-0 in WIAC play.
With the victory, Oshkosh became the first program since 1983 to capture four consecutive outright regular season championships. The Titans, who had already secured at least a share of the conference title with Saturday's victory over No. 14 UW-Eau Claire, claimed the championship outright with one conference match remaining.
Oshkosh finished the evening with 48 kills on 150 attacks for a .187 hitting percentage while holding UW-Platteville to 39 kills and a .062 clip. The Titans also dominated at the net, recording 11 total blocks compared to seven for the Pioneers. Both teams finished with 75 digs, while Oshkosh forced UW-Platteville into 29 attack errors.
Grace Juergens (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Community) led the Titan attack with a match-high 15 kills on 36 swings for a .306 hitting percentage while adding 16 digs for a double-double.
Samantha Perlberg (Chippewa Falls/Chippewa Falls) joined Juergens in double figures with 11 kills and eight digs while adding a service ace and two block assists.
Lauren Grier (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) contributed nine kills and six total blocks, including a solo block, while
Emmy Wizceb (Sullivan/Johnsburg (Ill.)) added five kills, eight digs and five block assists.
Riley Borrowman (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) finished with three kills and four block assists, while
Clare McEniry (North Aurora, Ill./Rosary) added three kills and a block assist.
Callie Panasuk (Oak Creek/Oak Creek) anchored the back row with a match-high 20 digs and eight assists.
Alex Hopp (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) directed the offense with a team-high 21 assists, eight digs and two service aces, while
Ava Van Hammond (Kimberly/Kimberly) added 14 assists, 12 digs and an ace.
The Titans wasted little time establishing control in the opening set, recording 12 kills with just three attack errors on 30 swings for a .300 hitting percentage. Juergens, Perlberg and Grier helped pace the offensive effort, while Oshkosh's defense forced UW-Platteville into eight attack errors and held the Pioneers to a .024 hitting percentage. The Titans controlled the frame from start to finish, taking the opener, 25-15, without surrendering the lead.
Oshkosh continued to apply pressure in the second, recording 11 kills on 31 attacks for a .194 hitting percentage. Grier, Wizceb and Borrowman helped lead the defensive effort at the net as the Titans forced UW-Platteville into 10 attack errors while allowing just eight kills. The Pioneers finished the frame hitting -.049 as Oshkosh secured another 25-15 victory to move within one set of the outright conference championship.
UW-Platteville responded in the third with its strongest offensive set of the evening, recording 16 kills with just four errors on 44 attacks for a .273 hitting percentage. Oshkosh struggled to find its offensive rhythm, committing eight attack errors against 11 kills for a .060 clip. The teams battled through seven ties and three lead changes before the Pioneers secured a 25-20 victory to extend the match.
The Titans regained control in the fourth behind a strong offensive and defensive effort. Juergens, Perlberg and Grier helped lead an Oshkosh attack that put down a match-high 14 kills with just four errors on 39 swings for a .256 hitting percentage. The Titan defense was equally dominant, holding UW-Platteville to six kills while forcing seven attack errors as the Pioneers finished the frame hitting -.028.
Oshkosh cruised to a 25-14 victory in the fourth to complete the match and secure its fourth consecutive outright WIAC regular season championship.
The Titans will return to Kolf Sports Center on Friday (Nov. 6) for their regular season finale against (RV) UW-Whitewater.
