Titans Return Home From Texas Unbeaten

The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team defeated host Texas Lutheran University, 3-2, and Concordia University Texas, 3-0, on Saturday (Aug. 30) at the Bulldog Classic in Seguin, Texas. With two wins over their first-time opponents, the Titans upped their record to 4-0 for the fourth time in the past seven seasons.

UW-Oshkosh led for just three points in losing the first two sets but stormed back to beat Texas Lutheran University in five sets, 16-25, 19-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-9.

Morgan Cizauskas had a match-high 39 assists and added 22 digs against Texas Lutheran University. Mandy Trautmann led the Titans with 32 digs. Katelyn Malcheski paced the offense with 15 kills. Nerissa Vogt contributed 10 kills and five blocks. Danielle Stoppenbach had 16 digs and a team-best two service aces.

The Titans never led and were outscored 11-3 to end the first set. UW-Oshkosh held just three leads in the second set in which the Titans hit .050 and had eight attack errors and three service errors. Over the first two sets, Texas Lutheran out-hit UW-Oshkosh .211 to .084.

The third set featured 13 ties, but the Titans never relinquished the lead they established on the first point. Tied 23-23, UW-Oshkosh won Set 3 on two consecutive Bulldog hitting errors.

The Titans jumped to a 16-6 lead on 12 kills in Set 4. They had three kills the rest of the set, but Texas Lutheran University never got closer than three points.

Tied 7-7 in Set 5, Malcheski recorded two kills in a three-point run that put the Titans ahead for good. Cizauskas connected with Malcheski for her third kill of the set on match point.

UW-Oshkosh had 49 kills, 11 blocks and hit .121 in the match. The teams combined for 63 attack errors, including 38 by Texas Lutheran University, and 16 service errors, including 12 by UW-Oshkosh.

Texas Lutheran University had 59 kills but hit -.016 after Set 2, including negative percentages in sets four and five. The Bulldogs' Kristin Fording led all players with 16 kills while teammate Megan Lee had a match-high 37 digs.

UW-Oshkosh had 47 kills and hit .303 in its sweep over Concordia University Texas, 25-20, 25-13, 25-23.

Brooke Brinkman had a match-high 14 kills on 22 errorless attempts and added four blocks against the Tornados. Cizauskas dished out 36 assists to go along with seven digs and three kills on eight errorless attempts. Laura Trochinski collected her first career double-double with 10 kills on 18 attempts and a match-high 12 digs.

UW-Oshkosh had 18 kills and 10 attack errors, both season-highs, in the first set. Holding a 10-8 lead, the Titans went on a six-point run with Trautmann on the serve and led by at least three points for the remainder of the set.

The Titans raced to a 7-1 lead in Set 2 and hit .556 with 16 kills on 27 attempts in the set.

Set 3 was tied 13 times. Tied for the last time at 22-22, a Tornado service error and a kill by Vogt set up match point. After a Concordia University Texas side out, Cizauskas found Vogt for the match-winning kill.

Concordia University Texas hit .214 and recorded 34 kills. Katie Baker led Concordia Texas with 11 kills.

Brinkman and Malcheski were both named to six-player all-tournament team.

UW-Oshkosh plays Edgewood College and the University of Dubuque on Tuesday (Sept. 2) in Dubuque, Iowa.

Photo courtesy of Texas Lutheran University