Titans Have Mixed Results Against Knights, Duhawks

The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team split two matches against Iowa opponents at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational held Saturday (Oct. 25) in Kolf Sports Center.

Wartburg College defeated UW-Oshkosh, 3-1, in the opener. The Knights took the match in set scores of 15-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-18.

The Titans then swept Loras College, 3-0, in the nightcap. UW-Oshkosh won the sets in results of 25-17, 25-22, 25-18.

UW-Oshkosh (26-6) finished the two-day tournament with a 2-2 record and had Mandy Trautmann and Nerissa Vogt named to the 12-member all-tournament team. Trautmann totaled 83 digs and led UW-Oshkosh in digs all four matches. Vogt registered 26 kills and 13 blocks.

After UW-Oshkosh compiled a .357 hitting percentage in a lopsided Set 1 win over Wartburg College, the Knights outhit the Titans, .222 to .102, over the last three frames to claim the victory.

The Titans held advantages in service aces (7-3) and digs (65-62). The Knights had more kills (45-44), assists (42-40) and blocks (13-9).

The Titans led each point of the opening set and took a 12-4 lead after three consecutive aces by Vogt. Three straight kills, including two by Allison Rueger, pushed the UW-Oshkosh advantage to 15-5. The Titans led by at least eight points the rest of the way.

Trailing 15-12 in Set 2, Wartburg College (22-9) went on a six-point run and the Titans never recovered.

Tied at 11 in the third set, the Knights scored seven of the next nine points. UW-Oshkosh closed within 20-19, but three straight Titan errors increased the deficit to four. A kill by Morgan Cizauskas and a Wartburg College attack error brought UW-Oshkosh within two points, but the teams exchanged the final three points.

Wartburg College broke a 7-7 tie with a seven-point run in the fourth set and led by at least four points the rest of the way.

Claire Willenbring had a match-high 12 kills for Wartburg College. Bailey Wilson added 10 kills and seven blocks.

Katelyn Malcheski and Vogt led the Titans with 10 kills apiece. Trautmann led all players with 26 digs.

UW-Oshkosh registered 13 blocks and never trailed during the first and third sets of its match with Loras College (13-18).

Laura Trochinski paced the Titans with 10 kills. Malcheski added nine kills, and Trautmann recorded 19 digs.

The Duhawks had a 59-55 edge in digs, but the Titans had more kills (37-36), assists (35-34), service aces (5-1) and blocks (13-8) while outhitting Loras College, .198 to .114.

The Titans jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the opening set. Loras College, which hit .000 with nine attack errors in the opening frame, trimmed its deficit to 19-15 with a four-point run. UW-Oshkosh recorded five of its last six points on Duhawk errors.

The teams combined to record kills on the first 10 points of the second set. Trailing 16-11, UW-Oshkosh strung together eight consecutive points, including four on kills and two on blocks. UW-Oshkosh fell behind 22-21 before recording four straight points on a kill by Malcheski, a block by Vogt, a Loras College attack error and a kill by Trochinski on set point.

UW-Oshkosh led every point of Set 3. Leading 8-7, the Titans scored nine of the next 11 points and cruised to victory.

Loras College's Liz Jendra and Haley Bergan had match-highs with 11 kills and 20 digs, respectively.

UW-Oshkosh remains at home to play Marian University on Tuesday (Oct. 28) in Kolf Sports Center.