Stevens Point, Wis. – The No. 1 Titans women's volleyball team extended its winning streak to five after picking up a pair of sweeps over Wheaton (Ill.) and No. 19 Dubuque on Saturday afternoon at the UW-Stevens Point Quadrangular inside Quandt Fieldhouse.
Oshkosh improves to 16-1 on the season including a 7-1 mark in neutral site matches.
Oshkosh's offense was efficient throughout the day, hitting above .300 in both victories. The Titans hit .327 against Wheaton before finishing the afternoon with a .342 clip and 51 kills against the 21st-ranked Spartans.
No. 1 Titans Cruise Past Wheaton, 3-0
Oshkosh committed just seven attack errors in its opening match of the day, putting down 40 kills on 101 attacks for a .327 hitting percentage. The Titan defense held Wheaton to 23 kills and forced 24 attack errors as the Thunder finished the match hitting -.010. Oshkosh also totaled 11 blocks and six service aces.
Lauren Grier (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) led the Titans with 10 kills and just one error on 16 attacks, hitting .563 while contributing six total blocks, including a solo block.
Riley Borrowman (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) was error-free on seven attacks, putting down six kills for an .857 hitting percentage while adding five block assists.
Clare McEniry (North Aurora, Ill./Rosary) also recorded six kills without an error, hitting .545.
Grace Juergens (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Community) added eight kills, 13 digs and two service aces, while
Samantha Perlberg (Chippewa Falls/Chippewa Falls) finished with seven kills and 10 digs.
Alex Hopp (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) dished out a team-high 18 assists and served an ace, while
Leah Carlson (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) added 17 assists.
Callie Panasuk (Oak Creek/Oak Creek) collected seven digs and two aces.
The opening set was the closest of the match, featuring six ties and four lead changes. Oshkosh recorded 11 kills, but its defense helped create separation by forcing Wheaton into 10 attack errors. The Thunder finished the frame with nine kills and a -.025 hitting percentage as the Titans pulled away for a 25-17 win.
The Titans found another gear offensively in the second. Grier, Borrowman and McEniry helped lead an attack that produced 15 kills with just two errors on 31 swings for a .419 hitting percentage. Oshkosh again held Wheaton in check offensively, limiting the Thunder to eight kills and a .029 clip on its way to a 25-14 victory.
Oshkosh saved its most efficient set for last. The Titans put down 14 kills with only one attack error on 29 attempts to hit .448. Wheaton committed seven errors against six kills and hit -.036 as Oshkosh raced to a 25-10 win to complete the sweep.
Perlberg Powers No. 1 Titans Past No. 19 Dubuque
Perlberg led an impressive offensive showing in the second match, putting down a match-high 19 kills with just three errors on 34 attacks for a .471 hitting percentage. She also collected a team-high 15 digs to finish with a double-double.
Juergens joined Perlberg in double figures with 11 kills and 13 digs for a double-double of her own while adding two service aces. Borrowman continued her efficient day with seven kills without an attack error on 13 swings to hit .538.
Emmy Wizceb (Sullivan/Johnsburg (Ill.)) added five kills on a .333 clip, while McEniry put down five kills and hit .364.
Hopp recorded 24 assists and two aces, while Carlson contributed 22 assists, seven digs and an ace. Oshkosh finished with 51 kills and just 11 attack errors on 117 swings to hit .342, while holding Dubuque to a .223 hitting percentage.
The Titans came out sharp offensively in the first set, committing just one error on 38 attacks. Oshkosh put down 15 kills and hit .368 while Dubuque finished with 15 kills of its own but committed six attack errors. The set featured 10 ties and three lead changes before Oshkosh created enough separation to earn a 25-19 victory.
Dubuque provided its strongest challenge in the second, hitting .382 with 14 kills and only one attack error. Oshkosh answered with its highest offensive output of the match, putting down 20 kills while hitting .333. Perlberg helped lead the attack as the teams battled through 10 ties and six lead changes before the Titans edged the Spartans, 27-25, to take a two-set advantage.
Oshkosh took control defensively in the third. The Titans held Dubuque to 10 kills and forced seven attack errors, dropping the Spartans' hitting percentage to .077. Oshkosh remained consistent on the other side with 16 kills and a .325 hitting percentage, closing out the 25-21 victory to secure its second sweep of the day and improve to 16-1 overall.
The Titans return home on Wednesday (Oct. 7) as they host UW-La Crosse for Community Night at 7 p.m. inside Kolf Sports Center.
