Titans Win Twice, Including Victory Over No. 22 Blazers
Lexi Thiel established career-high assist totals in successive matches to lead the UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team to a 3-1 win over University of Minnesota Morris and a 3-2 upset victory over 22nd-ranked College of Saint Benedict (Minn.) at the UW-Eau Claire Fall Classic on Friday (Oct. 17).
Thiel recorded 45 assists against University of Minnesota Morris and 61 against College of Saint Benedict. Her previous career high was 37 assists in a four-set win over Lewis & Clark College (Ore.) on Aug. 29. Thiel, who also had a career-high 11 digs against College of Saint Benedict, added seven total kills on 17 errorless attempts in the two wins.
The Titans (22-3) defeated the University of Minnesota Morris (18-7) in set scores of 25-11, 23-25, 25-20, 25-19. The winning set scores over College of Saint Benedict (14-8) were 24-26, 25-23, 25-22, 26-28, 15-11.
Brooke Brinkman had 15 kills and four blocks to lead the Titans past University of Minnesota Morris. Katelyn Malcheski had 14 kills for her 16th match in double figures this season. Nerissa Vogt had seven kills and a match-high three service aces. Mandy Trautmann paced the Titan back row with a match-best 16 digs.
UW-Oshkosh tied a season high with nine service aces, averaged 13.75 kills per set and hit .267 or better in three of the four frames. The Titans recorded 55 kills on .260 hitting for the match. University of Minnesota Morris had 44 kills and a .195 percentage.
UW-Oshkosh cruised in the opening set, building leads of 7-2, 17-6 and 20-7, and outhitting the Cougars, .360 to .032.
The Titans went on an eight-point run for a 14-6 lead in Set 2, but University of Minnesota Morris reclaimed a 20-19 lead. Trailing 22-21, the Cougars registered two consecutive blocks and one kill. UW-Oshkosh fended off one set point on a Cougar attack error, but a kill on the ensuing point evened the match.
In Set 3, UW-Oshkosh went on a seven-point run for a 10-5 lead. University of Minnesota Morris pulled within 19-17, but the Titans rattled off another five consecutive points, including three on kills and one service ace by Danielle Stoppenbach.
Trailing 13-12 in the fourth set, UW-Oshkosh scored seven of the next nine points. The Cougars never got closer than three points the rest of the way.
University of Minnesota Morris's Abby Tietz led all players with 17 kills on .500 hitting.
College of Saint Benedict went into the week ranked second in the NCAA Division III with 13 assists per set, fifth with 13.93 kills per set and 10th with 39.25 attacks per set. The Blazers exceeded each of those highly ranked averages against UW-Oshkosh, but the Titans still managed to pull off the upset.
The Blazers won nearly every statistical category and averaged 14.6 assists, 14.8 kills and 39.8 attacks per set. College of Saint Benedict recorded more kills (74-71), assists (73-70), digs (90-78) and blocks (12-9).
College of Saint Benedict had more kills than UW-Oshkosh in all but the third set. However, the Titans hit for a better percentage during each of the the last four frames.
Malcheski led four Titans in double figures with 18 kills. Laura Trochinski tied her career high with 16 kills and added 14 digs. Brinkman and Jessica Fischer had 13 and 11 kills, respectively. Vogt contributed nine kills and a team-high five blocks. Trautmann led all players with 27 digs.
In the opening set, UW-Oshkosh went on a seven-point run to take a 12-9 lead. College of Saint Benedict reclaimed an 18-17 lead with a four-point run of its own, and the teams traded points on 11 consecutive kills until they were tied at 23. After an attack error gave the Titans set point, the Blazers claimed the last three points on two kills and a UW-Oshkosh attack error on set point.
A five-point run by UW-Oshkosh tied the score at 10 in Set 2. The Titans held leads of 17-14 and 22-20, but the Blazers responded to tie the set at 22. UW-Oshkosh claimed the next two points on a kill by Fischer and a combo block by Thiel and Brinkman. After a Blazer kill, Thiel evened the match with a kill on the second set point. College of Saint Benedict had a 17-14 edge in Set 2 kills and hit .306, but UW-Oshkosh hit a blistering .480 to eke out the win.
Neither team led by more than two points in the third frame until College of Saint Benedict opened a 17-14 advantage. UW-Oshkosh responded to take an 18-17 lead and never trailed the rest of the set.
Another five-point run by UW-Oshkosh provided a 15-12 lead in Set 4. The Blazers reclaimed a 20-19 edge and never trailed for the remainder of the set, which was tied at 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26. Two straight kills by College of Saint Benedict evened the match once again. The Titans hit .146 and the Blazers .140 for their worst attack percentages of the contest.
College of Saint Benedict led 7-3 in Set 5, but the Titans tied it at 10 after two straight Blazer attack errors. Tied at 11, UW-Oshkosh scored the last four points of the match on two Malcheski kills, a kill by Vogt and a College of Saint Benedict attack error on match point. The Blazers committed attack errors on four of the last eight points. UW-Oshkosh outhit College of Saint Benedict, .240 to .148, in the set.
Taya Kockelman had 52 assists, 12 kills and nine digs for College of Saint Benedict. Laura Schmitt had a match-high 22 kills and 24 digs, while Lexi Rinde added 19 kills.
UW-Oshkosh remains at the UW-Eau Claire Fall Classic on Saturday (Oct. 18) to take on University of Northwestern-St. Paul (Minn.) and The College of St. Scholastica (Minn.).