OSHKOSH, Wis.- For the second time in as many nights, the top-ranked UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team walked off the court at Kolf Sports Center with a straight-set victory, sweeping MSOE, 25-16, 25-17, 25-7, on Saturday evening. The Titans improved to 13-1 on the season with their ninth sweep through 14 matches.
Oshkosh turned in one of its most efficient offensive performances of the season, putting down 40 kills with just seven errors on 109 attacks for a .303 hitting percentage. The Titans held the Raiders to a .052 clip with 27 kills and 21 errors while also finishing with advantages in service aces, 6-1, and digs, 62-53.
Grace Juergens (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Community) led the Titans with 12 kills without committing an attack error on 27 swings, hitting .444 while adding 12 digs for a double-double.
Lauren Grier (Fond du Lac/Fond du Lac) was even more efficient, putting down 10 kills without an error on 16 attacks for a .625 hitting percentage. Grier also added two block assists.
Samantha Perlberg (Chippewa Falls/Chippewa Falls) finished with seven kills and 11 digs, while
Maren Motz (Hartland/Arrowhead Union) added five kills and a match-high four block assists.
Callie Panasuk (Oak Creek/Oak Creek) anchored the back row with a match-high 22 digs and added an ace.
Leah Carlson (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) dished out a team-high 15 assists and served three of Oshkosh's six aces, while
Alex Hopp (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) contributed 12 assists and an ace.
The Titans established control in the opening set after the teams traded the lead early. Oshkosh's offense committed just two errors on 44 attacks, finishing with 15 kills and a .295 hitting percentage. Juergens and Grier helped pace an efficient Titan attack, while the defense held MSOE to a .178 clip. Oshkosh pulled away for a 25-16 victory to take the early advantage.
MSOE provided its strongest challenge in the second set, which featured four ties and three lead changes. The Titans remained steady offensively, putting down 12 kills with three errors while holding the Raiders to nine kills and forcing seven attack errors. Grier and Juergens continued their error-free performances, while Panasuk helped lead the defensive effort behind them. Oshkosh eventually created separation for a 25-17 win and a two-set advantage.
Oshkosh left little doubt in the third. The Titans recorded 13 kills with just two errors on 28 swings for a match-best .393 hitting percentage. On the other side of the net, MSOE managed only four kills while committing eight attack errors, finishing the set at -.129. Juergens and Grier completed their nights without an attack error as the Titans rolled to a 25-7 victory to finish their second sweep in as many nights and improve to 13-1.
The Titans will return to WIAC play Friday (Oct. 3), traveling to face UW-Stevens Point at 7 p.m.
