Pizza Hut Classic Ends With Two Wins For Titans
Tina Elstner had 27 kills to lead the UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team to a pair of wins at the Pizza Hut Classic on Saturday (Sept. 9) in Kolf Sports Center.
Elstner recorded a match-high 15 kills in UW-Oshkosh's 3-2 decision over Saint Mary's University (Minn.) before leading all players with 12 kills during the Titans' 3-0 triumph over Wisconsin Lutheran College.
UW-Oshkosh (6-4) slipped past Saint Mary's University, 19-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-23, 15-10, and then swept Wisconsin Lutheran College in set scores of 25-13, 25-13, 25-22.
The Titans snapped a two-match losing streak to Saint Mary's University, defeating the Cardinals for the first time since 2007. UW-Oshkosh upped its record to 7-1 against Wisconsin Lutheran College since 1995.
UW-Oshkosh's Rachel Gardner was named to the 12-member Pizza Hut Classic All-Tournament Team. Gardner, who was also selected to the All-Tournament Team at the Trinity University (Texas) National Invitational on Sept. 2, led the Titans in digs in all four matches at the Pizza Hut Classic. She collected 63 digs in 16 sets as UW-Oshkosh compiled a 3-1 record.
In the thrilling victory over Saint Mary's University, the Titans overcame an 8-4 deficit in Set 5.
UW-Oshkosh's comeback began with a kill from Elstner and continued with a double-block by Elstner and Carly Lemke. A Cardinal ball-handling error trimmed the Titans' deficit to 8-7, and UW-Oshkosh tied the score at 8 on a combination block by Lemke and McKenna Scott.
Tied at 9 in the final frame, a Saint Mary's University service error gave UW-Oshkosh the lead for good. A wayward set attempt provided the Titans an 11-9 advantage and a Cardinal attack error increased UW-Oshkosh's lead to 12-9. A kill by Scott made the score 13-10, another Saint Mary's University attack error created match-point, and Samantha Jaeke notched a kill to clinch the victory.
Set 1 was tied for the eighth and final time at 18, when Saint Mary's University scored five consecutive points, including four on UW-Oshkosh errors, to pull away for the win.
UW-Oshkosh owned a 17-11 advantage in the second set before the Cardinals rallied to tie the score at 21 following three straight kills. A Titan attack error allowed Saint Mary's University to pull even at 23, but a kill from Shelby Coron preceded a double-block by Jaeke and Lemke as the Titans claimed the frame.
In Set 3, UW-Oshkosh's Alyssa Wolslegel notched a solo block to tie the score for the 10th time at 18. A UW-Oshkosh attack error and two straight Cardinal kills made it a three-point set, but a ball-handling error on Saint Mary's University cut its lead to 23-22. However, the Cardinals took a 2-1 advantage in the match as a kill and a Titan attack error ended the frame.
UW-Oshkosh held a 19-18 lead in the fourth set before kills from Brianna Witter and Elstner, and a combination-block by Elstner and Lemke extended the Titans' advantage to 22-18. Two straight kills cut the Cardinals' deficit to 24-23, but a kill by Jaeke extended the match to a fifth set.
Coron and Witter both recorded seven kills for UW-Oshkosh while Jaeke had 19 assists, 13 digs and four blocks for her fourth double-double in the last five matches. Gardner registered a match-high 23 digs, and Coron matched her season high with five blocks.
Lexi Barth paced Saint Mary's University (6-3) with 12 kills, and Linnaea Wallis added 10 kills and 10 digs. Lillian Braun and Brittney Hanson had 22 and 21 assists, respectively, while co-directing the Cardinal offense.
Hanson and Wallis had three service aces apiece while Clare Tack led the Saint Mary's University back row with 12 digs.
Against Wisconsin Lutheran College, the Titans outhit the Warriors, .307 to -.034. UW-Oshkosh also held large advantages in kills (37-21), assists (34-21) and digs (33-15).
UW-Oshkosh led each point until the Warriors claimed a 4-3 advantage in the third set.
All 15 Titans received playing time as seven UW-Oshkosh players recorded assists and 11 registered digs.
Scott established a career-high with seven kills on 14 attempts, and Gardner registered a match-best nine digs. UW-Oshkosh's McKenna Micech had a team-leading 12 assists while Morgan Windau added 11.
UW-Oshkosh scored five consecutive points for a 14-7 lead in the opening set. The Titans' advantage ballooned to 20-10 following a kill by Scott, and Elstner finished the frame with back-to-back kills.
The Titans owned a 21-8 lead in Set 2. Wisconsin Lutheran College committed 12 errors on either the attack or from the service line during the frame, including a pair of service errors for the final two UW-Oshkosh points.
The Warriors held three-point leads – their largest advantages of the match – on five occasions during the final set. Trailing 19-16, UW-Oshkosh tallied four consecutive points to reclaim a 20-19 edge following kills by Wolslegel and Elstner, a service ace by Katie Hodges and an attack error by Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Alyssa Charron led Wisconsin Lutheran College (3-5) with eight kills. The Warriors' Courtney Pattison had a team-leading 17 assists and six digs.
Joining Gardner on the Pizza Hut Classic All-Tournament Team were Zoe Baxter and Julianne Malek from Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.), Kristina Billie from Benedictine University (Ill.), Kira Grev from Martin Luther College (Minn.), Sara Lind and Wallis from Saint Mary's University, Arianna Neumeyer from Lawrence University, Morgan Scanlon from Wisconsin Lutheran College, Amanda Schultz from Concordia University Wisconsin, Kennedy Strain from UW-Stout, and Lexie Van Hiel from St. Norbert College.
On Friday (Sept. 8), UW-Oshkosh began the Pizza Hut Classic by defeating Concordia University Wisconsin, 3-0, and suffering a 3-2 setback to Washington University.
UW-Oshkosh remains in Kolf Sports Center to host St. Norbert College and Lawrence University on Wednesday (Sept. 13).