OSHKOSH, Wis.- Behind a strong offensive performance and a crowd of 2,063 on Community Night, the
top-ranked UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team earned a four-set victory over UW-La Crosse on Wednesday (Oct. 7) inside Kolf Sports Center. The Titans took the opening set, 25-19, before dropping the second, 19-25, and responding with 25-17 and 25-21 victories to improve to 17-1 overall and 3-0 in WIAC play. Oshkosh has now won eight of its last nine meetings against the Eagles.
Oshkosh finished the evening with 61 kills on 139 attacks, hitting .252 while holding La Crosse to 34 kills and a .132 hitting percentage. The Titans also held a 71-48 advantage in digs and recorded six total blocks. The match featured 28 ties and 11 lead changes.
Samantha Perlberg (Chippewa Falls/Chippewa Falls) led the Titan attack with a match-high 15 kills on 38 swings while adding 14 digs for a double-double.
Lauren Grier (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) turned in an efficient performance, putting down 12 kills with just three errors on 18 attacks for a .500 hitting percentage. Grier also recorded four total blocks, including a solo block.
Clare McEniry (North Aurora, Ill./Rosary) added nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage, while
Riley Borrowman (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) finished with eight kills and a solo block.
Emmy Wizceb (Sullivan/Johnsburg (Ill.)) contributed seven kills on 13 swings for a .385 hitting percentage and two block assists.
Ava Krueger (Marathon/Marathon) provided a spark with seven kills and 10 digs in two sets of action, while
Callie Panasuk (Oak Creek/Oak Creek) anchored the back row with a match-high 16 digs.
Alex Hopp (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) directed the offense with 29 assists and added an ace, while
Leah Carlson (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) contributed 24 assists and nine digs.
The Titans came out swinging in the opening set, putting down 15 kills on 29 attacks for a .310 hitting percentage. Perlberg and Grier helped lead the offensive effort as Oshkosh battled through six ties and two lead changes. La Crosse managed eight kills on a .208 hitting percentage, but the Titans' offensive efficiency proved to be the difference in a 25-19 victory.
The Eagles responded in the second, producing their strongest offensive set of the night with 11 kills and just three errors on 37 swings for a .216 hitting percentage. Oshkosh countered with 14 kills, but eight attack errors limited the Titans to a .154 clip. The teams traded momentum throughout the frame, which featured nine ties and four lead changes, before the Eagles pulled away for a 25-19 victory to even the match at one set apiece.
Oshkosh regained control in the third behind a strong defensive effort. Grier and Borrowman helped lead the Titans at the net, while Panasuk and Perlberg contributed to an Oshkosh defense that held the Eagles to seven kills and a .073 hitting percentage. The Titans recorded 15 kills of their own on a .243 clip and worked through eight ties and four lead changes before taking the frame, 25-17, to move within one set of the victory.
The Titans saved their best offensive set for last, putting down 17 kills with six errors on 34 attacks for a .324 hitting percentage. Perlberg finished her double-double performance with 15 kills and 14 digs, while Grier completed her efficient night with 12 kills on a .500 clip. Oshkosh held La Crosse to eight kills and forced six attack errors in the fourth, limiting the Eagles to a .059 hitting percentage. The Titans closed out the match with a 25-21 victory to remain unbeaten in conference play.
The Titans will return to action Friday (Oct. 9) when they take on UW-Superior in the opening day of the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Alumni Weekend Invitational at 4:30 p.m. in Eau Claire, Wis.
