Titans Stun 12th-Ranked Pointers

UW-Oshkosh improved its women's volleyball record to 15-0 with a 3-1 win over nationally ranked UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday (Sept. 24) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh, which is one of three unbeaten teams in the NCAA Division III, won both squad's WIAC opener by set scores of 25-17, 12-25, 27-25, 25-17. The match was played in front of a crowd of 401 fans.

UW-Stevens Point (12-4), the three-time defending WIAC champion and a 2013 national tournament semifinalist, entered the contest ranked 12th in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The loss was just the fourth for the Pointers in their last 25 WIAC matches.

Katelyn Malcheski paced UW-Oshkosh with 14 kills, while Laura Trochinski added 11 kills and 12 digs. Morgan Cizauskas had 38 of the Titans' 41 assists to go along with 11 digs, three kills and three blocks. Mandy Trautmann led five Titans in double figures with a match-high 26 digs. Rachel Smith contributed 11 digs and three service aces, while Danielle Stoppenbach recorded 11 digs and two service aces.

UW-Stevens Point had more kills (53-42), hit for a better percentage (.170 to .110) and had 9.5 blocks to UW-Oshkosh's nine, but the Titans had six service aces to the Pointers' one and won the digs column, 80-63. The Pointers went into the match ranked seventh in the nation with 19.63 digs per set. UW-Stevens Point finished third in the country last season with 2.67 blocks per set.

UW-Oshkosh went on a five-point run to take an 11-7 lead in Set 1. UW-Stevens Point pulled even four times during the remainder of the set, but the Titans scored the last eight points, including the last two on kills by Nerissa Vogt and Trochinski, to claim the opening frame.

UW-Stevens Point won Set 2 after building advantages of 6-1 and 19-7. The Pointers hit .342 for the set and tallied 17 kills. UW-Oshkosh hit -.024 and recorded five kills in the second set.

The Titans broke open the third set with four consecutive points to take a 19-14 lead. The Pointers tied it at 21 and took a 24-22 lead, but a Malcheski kill and a UW-Stevens Point attack error fended off the two set points. The Titans survived another set point on a Cizauskas kill that leveled the score at 25. UW-Stevens Point then committed two consecutive attack errors to end the set.

UW-Oshkosh carried over the momentum into Set 4, opening up a 12-5 lead behind five Malcheski kills. UW-Stevens Point narrowed its deficit to 17-15, but UW-Oshkosh scored the last four points and eight of the last 10 to close out the match. Leading 21-17, the Titans recorded three straight kills by Vogt, Malcheski and Cizauskas to set up match point, which the Titans converted on a combo block by Vogt and Malcheski.

UW-Stevens Point's Emma Brunkhorst led all players with 22 kills on 45 attacks and six blocks. The Pointers' Alexis Hartman had a match-high 50 assists.

UW-Oshkosh continues WIAC play at UW-Whitewater (12-5, 1-0 WIAC) on Friday (Sept. 26).