Titans Split Matches With Royals, Prairie Wolves

Tina Elstner had 29 total kills and Carly Lemke added 22 as the UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team split a pair of matches on Saturday (Oct. 14) in Naperville, Ill.

Elstner and Lemke had 15 kills apiece as the Titans defeated Bethel University (Minn.), 3-1, in set scores of 26-24, 22-25, 25-15, 25-23. Nebraska Wesleyan University then defeated UW-Oshkosh, 3-0, in scores of 25-23, 25-19, 27-25.

UW-Oshkosh (13-14) has won three of its four meetings with Bethel University (15-5) since 1995 while Nebraska Wesleyan University (10-12) improved its record to 3-2 against the Titans.

In the victory over Bethel University, UW-Oshkosh collected a season-high 66 kills as five Titans recorded at least 10 terminations.

Elstner added 13 digs and three service aces for her eighth double-double of the year and the 19th of her career.

Lemke notched her season-high kill total on 33 swings while adding four blocks.

Renee Rush chipped in 12 kills for the Titans, who also received a career-high 11 kills and a match-best five blocks from Shelby Coron, and 10 kills and 34 assists from Samantha Jaeke. The double-double was Jaeke's ninth of the season.

Rachel Gardner paced the UW-Oshkosh back row with 21 digs while Katie Hodges had 14 digs and Rebecca Doughty amassed a career-best 28 assists.

UW-Oshkosh held advantages in kills (66-50), hitting percentage (.267 to .200), assists (63-47), digs (75-65) and blocks (10.5-10). Bethel University had a 7-6 edge in service aces.

Neither team had a lead larger than three points during a first set that included 12 ties. Knotted at 21, Elstner and Lemke connected on back-to-back kill for a 23-21 Titan advantage, but a pair of kills by Bethel University and a UW-Oshkosh attack error allowed the Royals to reclaim a 24-23 lead. Kills from Jaeke and Lemke gave UW-Oshkosh set-point at 25-24 before a Royals attack error ended the frame.

Bethel University scored the first four points of the second set, but three consecutive kills by Lemke provided the Titans an 8-7 edge. Leading 13-12, the Royals scored six of the next seven points for a 19-13 cushion. The Titans stormed back to tie the score at 19 following four kills and a pair of Bethel University attack errors, but the Royals tallied three points in a row for a 22-19 advantage and closed out the set with two kills from Kristin Stern.

In Set 3, UW-Oshkosh turned a 7-6 deficit into a 14-7 lead behind 11 consecutive points on the serve of Elstner, who recorded a kill and a pair of service aces during the decisive run that included a triple-block by Lemke, Rush and Brianna Witter. The Titans increased their lead to 21-12 following a kill and a service by Coron before capping the frame with a solo block from Witter and service ace from Elstner.

UW-Oshkosh raced out to a 7-1 lead in the final set on the strength of six kills, including two from Jaeke. Bethel University pulled even at 12 and led for the first time of the set at 23-22 on a service ace from Tina Hoppe. Hoppe then committed a service error to create a tie at 23, and the Titans recorded the two ensuing points on kills by Jaeke.

Hoppe had a team-leading 14 kills with 13 digs and three blocks for the Royals. Stern added 12 kills and three blocks.

Bailey Israelson and Mikayla Morrow registered 31 and 11 assists, respectively, while co-directing the Bethel University offense. Dominique Dabu had a team-best 21 digs for the Royals.

In the setback to Nebraska Wesleyan University, the Titans owned leads of 19-15 in the first set, 17-16 in the second and 22-19 in the third.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the match with slim advantages in kills (45-41), hitting percentage (.200 to .186) and digs (56-50). The Prairie Wolves held edges of 6-2 in service aces and 9-5 in blocks.

Cora Svoboda led Nebraska Wesleyan University with nine kills and a match-high five blocks.

Kierra Harder and Karrie Sestak added eight kills apiece for the Prairie Wolves. Harder chipped in 12 digs, and Sestak hit .500 on 16 errorless attempts.

Nebraska Wesleyan University's Kelsie Stovall led all players with 21 assists, and Lizzie Saale had a team-leading 15 digs for the Prairie Wolves.

Elstner had a match-best 14 kills on .382 hitting for the Titans.

Lemke contributed seven kills in 14 swings for UW-Oshkosh while Jaeke tallied six kills and 17 assists.

Doughty recorded her third double-double as a Titan with a team-best 20 assists and 13 digs.

In Set 1, UW-Oshkosh scored five points in a row for a 6-2 lead and maintained an advantage until five consecutive Titan attack errors allowed Nebraska Wesleyan University to claim a 23-20 edge. A kill from Jaeke pulled UW-Oshkosh within 23-22, and a termination from Alyssa Wolslegel cut the Titan deficit to 24-23, before Sestak registered a kill to end the frame.

Trailing 16-12 during the second set, UW-Oshkosh scored five unanswered points for a 17-16 lead. Nebraska Wesleyan University answered with three points in a row to retake a 19-17 advantage and went on to record the final four points of set, including the final two on kills by Karrie Sestak and Kylie Sestak.

Set 4 featured 16 ties and eight lead changes. The Titans scored four straight points to take a 21-18 lead, but the Prairie Wolves knotted the score at 23 on a combination block. UW-Oshkosh tied the score at 24 on a hitting error on Nebraska Wesleyan University and at 25 on a kill by Wolslegel. The Prairie Wolves then secured the win with consecutive kills from Svoboda and Sarah Oldfather.

UW-Oshkosh hosts Lakeland University on Wednesday (Oct. 18).