Titans Host 17th-Ranked Blugolds In WIAC Home Opener

The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team returns home to host nationally ranked UW-Eau Claire on Friday (Sept. 28). First serve is set for 7 p.m. in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Eau Claire (13-1, 2-0 WIAC), ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), is seeking to remain atop the league standings, while UW-Oshkosh (9-8, 0-2) is attempting to win its first conference match of the year.

The visiting Blugolds have a slight 24-22 advantage in the series since 1991, but the Titans have won three of the last four matchups, including a 3-0 victory in 2016 during the teams' last meeting in Oshkosh.

UW-Oshkosh will be playing just its fifth home match of the year as the Titans have trekked to Illinois twice and Washington once in addition to in-state trips to De Pere, La Crosse and Whitewater during the opening month of the season. The Titans have alternated wins and losses over their past six matches since Sept. 12.

UW-Eau Claire enters Friday's contest on an eight-match winning streak in which the Blugolds have lost just three sets. The streak has included a five-set home win over ninth-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) and a three-set victory at 21st-ranked University of Northwestern-St. Paul (Minn.).

The Blugolds, who finished second in the WIAC last season, went into the week leading the WIAC in several statistical categories, including hitting percentage and per set assists, kills and service aces. UW-Eau Claire ranks third in the country with 13.23 assists per set and fifth nationally with 13.88 kills per set.

UW-Oshkosh will strive to counter the efficient UW-Eau Claire attack with one of the best net defenses in Division III. The Titans, who placed fifth in the conference last season, list among the top 15 teams nationally with 120 blocks this year.

Senior outside hitter Renee Rush paces UW-Oshkosh with 166.5 points and 152 kills this season. She has produced at least 10 kills in seven matches on the year.

The balanced UW-Oshkosh attack also features six players with more than 60 kills, including senior middle blocker Carly Lemke with 118 terminations, freshman middle blocker Taylor Allen with 104, sophomore right-side hitter Shelby Coron with 89 and freshman outside hitter Kendall Enyart with 70.

Senior outside hitter Tina Elstner and junior right-side hitter Samantha Jaeke are averaging 2.54 and 2.43 kills per set, respectively, since recently returning from injury. Elstner, who has played the past seven matches, received AVCA All-Midwest Region accolades in 2016 while Jaeke, who missed the first 13 matches of the year, was named the 2016 Midwest Region Freshman of the Year. Both Elstner and Jaeke were All-WIAC first team selections the past two seasons.

Allen leads the formidable UW-Oshkosh net defense with 48 total blocks while Lemke, an All-WIAC honorable mention pick last season, has sent back 43 attacks and sports a team-leading .243 hitting percentage. Coron has chipped in 30 total blocks and Enyart 26.

Junior libero Rachel Gardner is the UW-Oshkosh leader and ranks second in the WIAC with 320 digs. Gardner has been selected to the All-Tournament Team at each of the Titans' three tournaments this season.

Senior defensive specialist Katie Hodges has added 124 digs while freshman defensive specialist Becky Brezen has registered 111 digs and a team-high 19 service aces.

Codirecting the UW-Oshkosh offense are freshman Emma Kiekhofer and sophomore Rebecca Doughty, who have compiled 301 and 156 assists, respectively, at the setter position.

The vaunted UW-Eau Claire offense is piloted by senior setter Madison Surprise, an All-WIAC first team selection a year ago. Surprise is among the top five in the nation with 11.35 assists per set.

A trio of Blugold hitters have collected more than 100 kills this season, including senior middle hitter Madelyn Pashibin with a team-high 186 while hitting a conference-best .337. Pashibin, a 2017 All-WIAC first team honoree, has recorded at least 10 kills during all but one match this year.

UW-Eau Claire sophomore outside hitter Makenzie Bachmann has 127 kills and 139 digs this season while sophomore middle hitter Kendra Baierl has added 102 kills on .292 hitting.

Other Blugold team leaders include sophomore middle hitter Krista Meyer with 41 blocks and sophomore libero Taylor Scalia with 211 digs and 20 service aces.

The Titans, who have won four of their last five WIAC home openers, own a 12-7 record against UW-Eau Claire in matches played in Oshkosh since 1991. The Blugolds have won only four matches in Kolf Sports Center since 2000.