Titans Enjoy Home Debut

The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team earned a pair of 3-1 home-opening victories as Tina Elstner recorded 27 kills and 20 digs, and Samantha Jaeke added 18 kills and 37 assists on Wednesday (Sept. 6) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (3-3) defeated Edgewood College in set scores of 25-16, 21-25, 25-21, 25-14 before ousting Wheaton College (Ill.), 23-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-19.

The Titans have won 13 of 14 meetings with Edgewood College and nine of 13 against Wheaton College since 1995. Last season, UW-Oshkosh eked past Edgewood College, 3-2, and swept Wheaton College, 3-0, in Madison.

On Wednesday, UW-Oshkosh outhit Edgewood College, .196 to .064, and Wheaton College, .237 to .103, as the Titans, who led the country in blocks a year ago, collected nine blocks in both matches.

Elstner paced the Titans in kills during both matches, registering 12 kills against Edgewood College and 15 against Wheaton College. She added 15 digs in the nightcap to notch her 12th career double-double.

Jaeke had a double-double in both contests on Wednesday as she collected six kills, a team-leading 15 assists, 10 digs and four blocks in the opener, and 12 kills, a career-best 22 assists, eight digs, four service aces and four blocks in the win over Wheaton College. The double-doubles were Jaeke's second and third of her career.

UW-Oshkosh's Carly Lemke and Alyssa Wolslegel chipped in with 16 kills apiece. Lemke pounded down 12 kills on 24 attempts against Wheaton College while Wolslegel had 11 kills on 21 swings against Edgewood College.

Rachel Gardner led the Titans in digs during both matches, recording a season-high 24 against Edgewood College and 18 against Wheaton College. UW-Oshkosh's Shelby Coron had five blocks in both contests.

In the win over Edgewood College, the Titans limited the Eagles to .065 hitting in the first set, .057 in the second, .146 in the third and -.029 in the fourth.

UW-Oshkosh trailed for just one point during the opening frame. Clinging to a 15-11 advantage, the Titans scored four straight points behind a pair of Eagles errors, a kill by Elstner and a combination block from Lemke and Wolslegel. A service error by Edgewood College provided set-point at 24-16, and a double-block by Coron and Jaeke ended the frame on the following point.

Tied at 19 in the second set, Edgewood College capitalized on four UW-Oshkosh errors over the remainder of the stanza to even the match at 1.

The Eagles raced out to a 14-5 lead in the third set, but UW-Oshkosh rallied to tie the score at 18 following three consecutive Edgewood College errors. A kill by Lemke gave the Titans the lead for good at 22-21 before Jaeke provided a kill, the Eagles committed an attack error and Elstner capped a four-point, set-closing run with a kill.

UW-Oshkosh secured the match victory by scoring the last 10 points in Set 4 and 12 of the last 14. Edgewood College pulled within 13-12 on a UW-Oshkosh ballhandling error, but three straight Eagles' attack errors gave the Titans a 19-14 advantage, and the Titans concluded the match-ending scoring run with three kills, including two from Wolslegel.

Morgan Windau had 13 assists and two service aces while sharing UW-Oshkosh setting duties with Jaeke.

Edgewood College (0-5) received 12 kills on 19 attempts from Renee Meister, and 10 kills and 12 digs from Emily Chaussee. Eagles setter Haley Schwenn had a double-double with 15 assists and 10 digs while Sarah Uczen led Edgewood College with 14 digs.

In the triumph over Wheaton College, the Titans held advantages in kills (54-40), hitting percentage (.237 to .103), assists (50-34), service aces (10-9) and blocks (9-5.5).

Wheaton College took the lead for good in Set 1 at 11-10 on a service error. The Thunder stretched their lead to 20-14 on a service ace, but UW-Oshkosh pulled within 22-21 on a Wheaton College attack error. The Titans erased two set-points on kills from Elstner and Jaeke, but the Thunder responded with a kill of their own to claim the set.

In Set 2, UW-Oshkosh rolled to a 15-6 lead on the strength of three kills by Elstner and service aces from Jaeke and Lemke. A kill from Brianna Witter gave the Titans a 23-15 advantage, and Elstner connected on back-to-back kills to tie the match at 1.

The Thunder tallied the first four points of the third set and held the lead until a pair of attack errors allowed UW-Oshkosh to claim a 12-11 edge it wouldn't relinquish. With UW-Oshkosh leading 22-20, kills from Lemke accounted for the final three Titan points. A service ace by the Thunder made the score 24-23 before Lemke notched her 10th kill of the match on the ensuing point.

Set 4 was tied for the ninth and final time at 12, when three straight UW-Oshkosh kills, including two by Jaeke, gave the Titans the lead for good. The Thunder cut its deficit to 18-17 before a pair of kills from Elstner and a Wheaton College attack error extended UW-Oshkosh's advantage to 21-17. A service ace from Lemke provided match-point at 24-18, and a kill by Witter wrapped up UW-Oshkosh's victory two points later.

Madeline Moore led Wheaton College (1-5) with 12 kills while Katie Rohrer added eight. Emily Potts chipped in six kills and a team-best five blocks for the Thunder.

The Thunder's Kelly Thornton and Alecia Funk had 17 and 15 assists, respectively, Jessica Bosse had a team-leading 19 digs and Jackie Boulris contributed 12 digs and four service aces.

UW-Oshkosh remains at home to host the 10-team Pizza Hut Classic this weekend in Kolf Sports Center. The Titans will play Concordia University Wisconsin and Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) on Friday (Sept. 8), and Saint Mary's University (Minn.) and Wisconsin Lutheran College on Saturday (Sept. 9). Washington University, the national runner-up in 2016, is ranked eighth in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.