Titans Split Matches During Opening Day Of Pizza Hut Classic
Samantha Jaeke finished one kill shy of a triple-double during the second contest of the day as the UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team split a pair of matches to open the two-day Pizza Hut Classic on Friday (Sept. 8) in Kolf Sports Center.
Jaeke hit .625 with 11 kills during the Titans' 3-0 victory over Concordia University Wisconsin before amassing nine kills, 20 assists and 11 digs as UW-Oshkosh fell, 3-2, to nationally ranked Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.).
UW-Oshkosh (4-4) handed Concordia University Wisconsin (4-1) its first loss of the year in set scores of 25-13, 25-12, 25-17. Washington University then came back to defeat the Titans by scores of 13-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-18, 15-13. Washington University (3-3), ranked eighth in the country by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, has won a NCAA Division III-leading 10 national titles.
In the win over Concordia University Wisconsin, the Titans outhit the Falcons, .338 to -.011. UW-Oshkosh also held advantages in kills (35-20), assists (33-18), service aces (9-4) and blocks (4-3). The Titans hit .579 during the second set.
Alyssa Wolslegel added six kills for UW-Oshkosh. The Titans also received five kills apiece from Tina Elstner and Carly Lemke, who hit .714 on seven errorless attempts.
UW-Oshkosh's Rachel Gardner led all players with 12 digs, and Rebecca Doughty had a match-high 21 assists for the Titans.
The Titans trailed for just two points during the match as they built leads of 17-8 in the first set and 18-8 in the second frame before breaking open a close final set with a six-point, match-ending scoring run.
Concordia University Wisconsin hit -.121 in the first frame. UW-Oshkosh scored five consecutive points, including two on kills from Jaeke, for a 17-8 lead. The Falcons' fourth serving error of the frame extended the UW-Oshkosh advantage to 20-10, and the Titans notched their final two points of the set on kills from Elstner.
The Titans jumped out to a 4-0 lead in Set 2, but the Falcons tied the score at 6 with back-to-back kills. Wolslegel and Jaeke answered with kills on the next two points and led the rest of the set. UW-Oshkosh stretched its lead to 18-8 on a service ace by Lemke, and consecutive kills from Shelby Coron and Wolslegel capped the set.
Concordia University Wisconsin had its second and final lead of the match at 2-1 in the last set. A kill by Jaeke quickly tied the score at 2 before a service ace from Gardner gave the Titans the lead for good. The Falcons pulled within 19-17, but UW-Oshkosh rattled off the final six points, including two on kills from Elstner and Lemke, and one on a service ace from Katie Hodges.
Amanda Schultz paced the Falcons with seven kills. Concordia University Wisconsin also received a team-high 12 assists from Haley Sedo and 11 digs from Lindsey Casper.
During the setback to Washington University, the Titans led every point until the Bears claimed a 13-12 edge in the second set.
UW-Oshkosh concluded the match with advantages in kills (47-45), hitting percentage (.120 to .105), assists (43-41), digs (64-58) and blocks (9-6).
The Titans, who were seeking their first-ever win over the Bears in 14 tries, fought off four match-points, but a service error concluded the contest.
Washington University's Leila King had a match-high 13 kills and Julianne Malek added 12 kills and three service aces. Alison Almgren-Bell collected 40 assists for the Bears while Zoe Baxter registered a team-best 12 digs and Lauren Martin five blocks.
Elstner led UW-Oshkosh with 12 kills and five service aces while Jaeke contributed nine kills and Coron eight kills and five blocks.
Doughty amassed 20 assists while co-piloting the UW-Oshkosh offense with Jaeke. Doughty added 10 digs for her first career double-double.
Gardner, who produced 19 digs, has led the Titans in digs during all but one match this season.
UW-Oshkosh jumped out to a 13-5 lead in Set 1 and increased its lead to 22-9 following a solo block by Jaeke. A kill by Jaeke gave the Titans set-point at 24-13, and a kill from Wolslegel ended the frame on the next point.
The Titans built a 10-5 advantage in the second set after a kill from Elstner, but the Bears responded with eight of the next 10 points to take a 13-12 lead. Leading 19-17, Washington University cruised to the set victory after notching a kill and two straight service aces to make the score 22-17.
Set 3 featured 10 ties and four lead changes. Knotted for the final time at 21, Elstner registered a service ace and a Bears' attack error gave UW-Oshkosh a 23-21 edge. A kill pulled Washington University within 23-22, but consecutive kills by Coron and Jaeke put the Titans on the verge of a historic upset.
Washington University forced a fifth set after cruising to victory in the fourth frame despite hitting -.067. UW-Oshkosh hit -.154 in Set 4, committing nine attack errors on 26 attempts. Back-to-back hitting errors gave the Bears a 15-5 advantage, and Washington University owned a lead of at least five points for the remainder of the frame.
The Bears didn't trail in the fifth set after taking a 2-1 lead. The Titans forged ties at 5 and 6, but Washington University reclaimed advantages of 11-7 and 12-8. The Bears reached match-point at 14-9 following a UW-Oshkosh attack error, but the Titans got a kill from Elstner before the Bears committed an error to make the score 14-11. A combination-block by Coron and Jaeke trimmed UW-Oshkosh's deficit to 14-12, and a kill from Coron pulled UW-Oshkosh within one point before a service error stymied its comeback attempt.
In a series that began in 1991, UW-Oshkosh took Washington University to five sets for the second time in program history. The Bears also defeated the Titans, 3-2, during the second round of the 2007 NCAA postseason as Washington University went on to claim its ninth national title.
UW-Oshkosh concludes the Pizza Hut Classic by taking on Saint Mary's University (Minn.) and Wisconsin Lutheran College on Saturday (Sept. 9) in Kolf Sports Center.