OSHKOSH, Wis.- The
top-ranked UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team opened WIAC play in dominant fashion Friday evening, sweeping UW-River Falls, 25-16, 25-16, 25-21, inside Kolf Sports Center. The victory improved the Titans to 12-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play while marking their eighth sweep of the season and sixth consecutive win in the series over the Falcons.
Oshkosh put down 44 kills while hitting .224 and held UW-River Falls to just 23 kills. The Titan defense forced the Falcons into 23 attack errors on 114 attempts, holding them to a .000 hitting percentage for the match. Oshkosh also held a 61-48 advantage in digs.
Samantha Perlberg (Chippewa Falls/Chippewa Falls) led a trio of Titans with double-digit kills, finishing with a match-high 13 kills and adding 11 digs for a double-double.
Lauren Grier (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) recorded 12 kills on 19 attacks for a .421 hitting percentage and added two solo blocks, while
Grace Juergens (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Community) also put down 12 kills, hit .300 and collected a match-high 18 digs.
Riley Borrowman (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) added three kills without an error on six swings to hit .500.
Alex Hopp (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) directed the offense with 20 assists, while
Leah Carlson (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) dished out 17 assists and added 10 digs.
Callie Panasuk (Oak Creek/Oak Creek) contributed 15 digs and served one of Oshkosh's two aces.
The opening set featured seven ties and four lead changes before the Titans created separation. Oshkosh put down 11 kills with just three attack errors to hit .286, while its defense frustrated the Falcons throughout the frame. UW-River Falls committed 11 attack errors against just seven kills and finished the set with a -.121 hitting percentage. Grier, Juergens and Perlberg led the Titan attack as Oshkosh pulled away for a 25-16 victory.
Oshkosh carried the momentum into the second, recording 14 kills on 36 swings while hitting .250. The Titans again made things difficult for the Falcons offensively, forcing eight errors and holding UW-River Falls to a .000 hitting percentage. Grier continued her efficient night at the net while Perlberg and Juergens provided consistent offense from the outside, helping the Titans take another 25-16 set and move within one of the sweep.
The Falcons stayed within striking distance in the third, but Oshkosh produced its highest offensive output of the night with 19 kills. Perlberg finished the match with a team-high 13 kills, while Juergens and Grier each reached 12 as all three Titans finished in double figures. UW-River Falls improved to a .095 hitting percentage in the frame, but Oshkosh held off the Falcons, 25-21, to secure the straight-set victory and open conference play at 1-0.
The Titans will be back in action Saturday (Sept. 26), hosting MSOE at 5 p.m. CT inside Kolf Sports Center.
