Titans Follow Loss To Duhawks With Win Over Pioneers
Carissa Sundholm had double-doubles in both matches as the UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team split a pair of 3-1 decisions to close out play Saturday (Sept. 28) at the River City Classic in Dubuque, Iowa.
UW-Oshkosh (13-5) defeated Carroll University (10-8) in set scores of 25-18, 22-25, 25-23, 25-11 after suffering a 20-25, 25-21, 22-25, 20-25 setback against Loras College (14-4). UW-Oshkosh, which has won each of its eight meetings with Carroll University since 1995, had its three-match winning streak snapped against Loras College.
Sundholm produced her first collegiate double-double with 11 kills, 10 digs and nine assists against Loras College before compiling 13 kills and a season high-tying 17 digs against Carroll University. Sundholm hit a season-best .423 on 26 errorless attempts versus Loras College.
Samantha Jaeke led UW-Oshkosh with 28 kills on the day, finishing one shy of her career high with 18 against Loras College. Jaeke has reached double figures in kills 10 times this season.
UW-Oshkosh's Emma Kiekhofer had a team-leading 45 assists Saturday while Rachel Gardner paced the Titans in digs both matches, recording 22 against Loras College and 19 against Carroll University. Kiekhofer collected her first double-double of the season and the fourth of her career with 24 assists and 10 digs versus Carroll University.
During the victory over Carroll University, four different Titans notched at least 10 kills as UW-Oshkosh averaged a season-high 14.5 terminations per set.
Sundholm led all players with her 13 kills while Rachel Aasby added 11, and Jaeke Shelby Coron both had 10 apiece. Coron reached double figures in kills for the first time this season and the second time during her career. Jaeke had a match-best 13.5 points and a team-leading four blocks.
Ten Titans collected kills in the match, including Kendall Enyart with six on .455 hitting. Rebecca Doughty dished out 20 assists while sharing UW-Oshkosh setting duties. Morgan Dunn had three of the Titans' seven service aces.
UW-Oshkosh concluded the contest with advantages of 58-42 in kills, .205 to .138 in hitting percentage, 54-40 in assists, 68-60 in digs and 7-6 in service aces. Both teams had nine blocks. Carroll University entered the weekend ranked eighth in the NCAA Division III with 2.29 blocks per set.
Kylie Mueller had a team-high 10 kills for the Pioneers while Erika Dunnam and Sydney Wilkins both registered nine kills. Rachel Noonan, who ranked sixth in the country at 1.31 blocks per set, accounted for a team-leading four blocks against UW-Oshkosh.
Carroll University's Emily Konop contributed a team-high 20 digs and a match-best three service aces.
Clinging to an 8-7 edge in the first set, UW-Oshkosh went on a 9-2 run for a 17-9 cushion. The Titans' decisive run featured kills from Coron, Dunn, Sundholm and Brynna Mayer in addition to blocks by Jaeke and Kate Nottoli. UW-Oshkosh later upped its lead to 24-16, and Sundholm ended the set with a kill three points later.
The second set was tied for the 10th and final time at 21 before the Pioneers closed the frame with the final four points as Dunnam notched a pair of kills and Konop provided two service aces.
UW-Oshkosh reclaimed a 14-10 lead during the third set following four points in a row as Jaeke and Sundholm combined for three kills, and Ellie Wanous had a solo block. Carroll University quickly answered with five consecutive points of its own, and neither team led by more than two points for the remainder of the frame. The Pioneers knotted the score for the 10th time of the set at 22, but the Titans retook the lead for good on a Carroll University error on the ensuing point. A Wanous kill created up set-point at 24-22, and Jaeke ended the frame with a kill two points later.
The Titans put the match away with a string of nine straight points in the fourth set for a 16-4 lead. Sundholm carried UW-Oshkosh at the start of their nine-point run, tallying four kills before Doughty capped the surge with a kill of her own.
In the loss to Loras College, the Duhawks recorded 60 kills and hit .333 on the way to improving their record to 6-1 on neutral courts this season.
Loras College's Kayla Kinney had a team-leading 17 kills on .412 hitting while Kendra Cave hit .400 with 12 kills and Kelly Boge hit .444 with 10 terminations.
Jessalyn Roling amassed eight kills on a .500 hitting percentage to go along with a match-high 40 assists for the Duhawks, who also received a match-best 24 digs from Krystal Tranel.
Coron contributed eight kills for the Titans as Jaeke accumulated her match-leading 18 kills on .343 hitting. Aasby added seven kills with a .333 hitting percentage.
Kiekhofer and Doughty had 21 and 16 assists, respectively, while co-directing the UW-Oshkosh offense. Mayer chipped in five kills for the Titans, and Taylor Allen recorded a team-high four blocks.
Loras College concluded the match with edges of 60-53 in kills and .333 to .252 in hitting percentage. UW-Oshkosh held advantages of 50-47 in assists, 6-1 in blocks and 5-3 in service aces.
The two offenses combined for 29 kills in the first set, 28 terminations during the second, 30 in the third and 26 in the fourth. The Duhawks hit .333 or better during each of their three set wins.
Loras College trailed for just one point in the opening set, taking the lead for good at 3-2 before building a 21-14 cushion on a Tranel service ace.
UW-Oshkosh turned a 13-11 deficit in the second set into a 17-14 lead as Coron and Sundholm provided kills, and Allen registered a block during a run of four straight points. Leading 18-17, the Titans tied the match by scoring seven of the last nine points of the frame, including a Coron kill on set-point.
The Titans then led for a majority of the third set, including at 21-18, until the Duhawks responded with a 7-1 scoring run that culminated in a kill by Roling on set-point. Loras College wrapped up the win on the strength of six unanswered points for a 21-15 lead in the fourth set. The Duhawks' decisive run included three kills and three Titan errors.
UW-Oshkosh returns home to face UW-River Falls next Saturday (Oct. 5) in Kolf Sports Center.