Titans Win All Four Matches To Start Season
The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team was the lone entrant in the 10-team Elmhurst College Invitational to go undefeated and went on to capture the tournament title on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 4-5) in Elmhurst, Illinois.
UW-Oshkosh (4-0) swept Illinois Wesleyan University, 25-14, 25-19, 25-20 to start the season and beat Elmhurst College, 25-21, 25-21, 27-29, 25-21 on Friday and blanked the College of Mount St. Joseph (Ohio), 25-23, 25-23, 25-16 and outlasted Nebraska Wesleyan University, 16-25, 25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 18-16 on Saturday.
UW-Oshkosh, ranked fourth in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), beat Illinois Wesleyan University (1-1) for the ninth straight time behind a match-high 14 kills by Jacque Ray (Sr. • Richland Center).
Ray, a 2008 AVCA All-America third-team selection, finished with a .565 hitting percentage and added three blocks and one service ace.
Christina Cahoon (Jr. • Watertown), a 2008 AVCA All-America first-team honoree compiled 31 digs and added one service ace. Aleisha Bagin (Fr. • West Bend), making her collegiate debut added nine kills on a .389 hitting percentage and Megan Fischer (Sr. • Manitowoc) collected eight kills.
Katelyn Vara (Sr. • New Berlin) dished out 33 assists and Brittney Cote (So. • Orland Park, Ill.) picked up six digs and two service aces.
In the nightcap against Elmhurst College (0-2), UW-Oshkosh was again led by Ray who had 12 kills and eight blocks. Katie Beining (Sr. • Brookfield) added 11 kills and six digs, Bagin nine kills and three blocks and Larissa Krumplitsch (Fr. • Appleton) seven kills.
Cahoon led the charge in the backcourt with 28 digs and Vara provided 44 assists, 13 digs and six kills. Andrea Smith (Jr. • Fond du Lac) scooped up 13 digs and Cote produced eight digs and three service aces.
In the win over the College of Mount St. Joseph, Ray was the lone Titan to reach double-digit kills with 10. Beining totaled nine kills and eight digs. Cahoon reached 16 digs and Smith added 11 digs and five kills. Vara ran the offense with 35 assists and added five kills and Krumplitsch and Brittany Gruning (Fr. • East Troy) each had three blocks.
In what turned out to be the championship match of the tournament, UW-Oshkosh survived two match points and went on to beat Nebraska Wesleyan University for the second straight time in five sets. With the victory, the Titans have now won 12 straight five-set matches dating back to last season.
After splitting the first four sets, neither team held more than a two point lead in the deciding stanza. UW-Oshkosh managed to pull ahead 11-9 before Nebraska Wesleyan University tied the score at 11-11. After a Titans side-out, Beining put UW-Oshkosh ahead 13-11 on a roll shot that eluded the Prairie Wolves defenders.
After trading side-outs, UW-Oshkosh served for the match leading 14-12 before Nebraska Wesleyan University sided out and added two more points to take a 15-14 advantage. Ray avoided one match point on a kill to knot the score at 15-15.
The Prairie Wolves again served for the victory at 16-15 after a side-out, but Bagin tied the score again at 16-16 after a kill. UW-Oshkosh had its third match point opportunity after a hitting error by Nebraska Wesleyan University. The Titans converted when Bagin produced her 12th kill of the match after a dig by Cahoon.
Ray led the Titans for the fourth straight match in kills with 16 putdowns while adding seven blocks. Besides Bagin, Smith reached double-digit kills with 10 and had 15 digs and three blocks. Cahoon finished with 27 digs and Cote led the team with two service aces, while collecting 11 digs.
Beining had 10 digs and nine kills and Krumplitsch added seven kills and seven blocks. Vara had a great all-around match amassing 54 assists, 14 digs and five blocks.
Cahoon and Ray were rewarded for their efforts during the weekend by being named to the six-person all-tournament team.