OSHKOSH, Wis.- The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team fell just short of its sixth WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver's) championship Saturday (Nov. 14), dropping a five-set battle to No. 17 UW-Eau Claire inside Kolf Sports Center. The Titans claimed the opening two sets, 25-18 and 25-20, before the Blugolds rallied to take the final three, 25-16, 25-23 and 15-12.
Oshkosh (25-5), ranked fifth in the
American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll, appeared in its fourth consecutive WIAC Tournament championship match, and saw its seven-match winning streak against UW-Eau Claire come to an end. The Blugolds (19-9) earned the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship with the victory.
The Titans recorded a .129 attack percentage with 53 kills and 29 errors on 186 total attacks, while Eau Claire hit .126 with 58 kills and 35 errors on 183 swings. Oshkosh held advantages in service aces (6-5) and assists (51-52), while the Blugolds led in digs (90-77) and total blocks (17-18).
Samantha Perlberg (Chippewa Falls/Chippewa Falls) led Oshkosh with 15 kills on a .289 hitting percentage and added a team-high 24 digs for a double-double. With her performance, Perlberg moved into second place in program history in career kills. She also contributed two service aces and three total blocks.
Grace Juergens (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Community) paced the Titan attack with a team-high 16 kills and added 14 digs for a double-double of her own.
Lauren Grier (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) finished with 12 kills and a match-high 12 total blocks, including a solo block, while
Maren Motz (Hartland/Arrowhead Union) contributed eight block assists and three kills.
Callie Panasuk (Oak Creek/Oak Creek) anchored the back row with 20 digs, four assists and a service ace.
Alex Hopp (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) directed the offense with a team-high 22 assists and added four digs and an ace, while
Ava Van Hammond (Kimberly/Kimberly) recorded 21 assists, five digs and two service aces.
Oshkosh established control in the opening set, putting down 12 kills with six errors on 42 attacks for a .143 hitting percentage. Perlberg, Juergens and Grier helped pace the offense, while the Titan defense forced Eau Claire into nine attack errors and held the Blugolds to a .044 clip. Oshkosh never surrendered the lead, taking the opener, 25-18, to move ahead in the championship match.
The Titans continued their strong play in the second, recording 13 kills on 32 attacks for a .219 hitting percentage. Eau Claire struggled offensively, committing 10 attack errors against 10 kills to finish the frame hitting .000. Oshkosh worked through three ties and a lead change before securing a 25-20 victory to move within one set of the conference championship.
Eau Claire responded in the third, recording 12 kills while hitting .162. Oshkosh struggled to find its offensive rhythm, putting down eight kills with seven errors on 40 swings for a .025 hitting percentage. The teams battled through four ties and three lead changes before the Blugolds pulled away for a 25-16 victory to extend the match.
The fourth set featured another closely contested battle as Oshkosh recorded 14 kills while hitting .140. Eau Claire countered with its highest kill total of the evening, putting down 16 kills on 47 attacks for a .191 hitting percentage. Perlberg and Juergens continued to pace the Titan offense, while Grier and Motz provided a strong presence at the net. The Blugolds prevailed, 25-23, to erase the two-set deficit and force a decisive fifth.
In the final frame, Eau Claire recorded nine kills with just three errors on 21 swings for a .286 hitting percentage, while Oshkosh countered with six kills on a .136 clip. The Titans remained within striking distance, but the Blugolds secured a 15-12 victory to complete the comeback and claim the tournament championship.
Oshkosh will now await its postseason fate as the Titans look to make their 22nd national postseason appearance. The NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship selection show will air Monday (Nov. 16) at noon on
NCAA.com.
