Titans Sweep Illinois Foes

UW-Oshkosh's Shelby Coron recorded a career-high 16 kills in the first match of the day, Samantha Jaeke had 17 kills and a victory-sealing block during the second contest, and the Titans women's volleyball team closed out its trip to Illinois with wins over Augustana College (Ill.) and Illinois Wesleyan University on Saturday (Oct. 26).

UW-Oshkosh (21-8) reached 20 wins for the 24th time in the past 27 seasons after downing Augustana College, 3-1, in set scores of 25-11, 21-25, 26-24, 25-21 and slipping past host Illinois Wesleyan University, 3-2, in scores of 25-23, 14-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-13. The Titans beat Augustana College for the second year in a row before picking up their first win over Illinois Wesleyan University since 2015.

Illinois Wesleyan University (8-19), which advanced to the third round of last year's NCAA Division III Championship, suffered its first home loss to UW-Oshkosh since 2007.

Coron concluded the day with a team-leading 25 kills while Jaeke added 24 for the Titans, and Taylor Allen, Kate Nottoli and Carissa Sundholm chipped in 15 each. Sundholm also contributed 25 digs on the day. Nottoli and Jaeke totaled 11 and eight blocks, respectively.

Rachel Gardner, who passed 2,000 career digs during UW-Oshkosh's 3-2 setback to Millikin University (Ill.) on Friday (Oct. 25), led the Titans with 38 digs Saturday while Brianna Vettese registered double-digit digs in both matches and ended the day with 26. Emma Kiekhofer (46) and Rebecca Doughty (36) combined for 82 assists for UW-Oshkosh on Saturday.

During the triumph over Augustana College, the Titans hit .448 during the opening set and concluded the contest with a .252 hitting percentage, marking their 16th match above .200 this season.

UW-Oshkosh's efficiency made up for deficits of 50-49 in kills and 7-1 in aces as the Vikings committed 27 attack errors. The Titans defense compiled advantages of 75-62 in digs and 12-4 in blocks.

Allen had seven kills on .462 hitting, Jaeke collected seven kills and hit .368 on 19 errorless attempts, and Nottoli hit .333 with six kills. Coron, who, surpassed her previous career high of 13 kills, had a .275 hitting percentage on a team-high 40 swings. Nottoli added a match-best six blocks.

Sundholm contributed seven kills, seven digs and a pair of blocks for UW-Oshkosh.

Doughty and Kiekhofer dished out 18 and 17 assists, respectively, while sharing the Titan setting duties. Doughty collected nine digs to finish one shy of her 11th career double-double.

Gardner's 17 digs led the Titans. Vettese had 11 digs for the second double-digit effort of her career.

UW-Oshkosh blitzed the Vikings with 13 unanswered points on Sundholm's serve for a 17-5 lead in the opening set. Coron headlined the 13-point onslaught with six kills, including three straight to bookend both ends of the run that also featured a kill by Brynna Mayer and a block from Coron. The Titans held Augustana College to just five kills on -.029 hitting during the frame.

Augustana College (11-16) responded with 17 kills during the second set in which the Vikings took the lead for good at 17-16.

The third set was tied at 20 following a Coron kill and a Viking attack error on consecutive points. Augustana College reeled off four of the next five points to reach set-point at 24-21, but three straight Viking hitting errors knotted the score at 24 before two Sundholm kills capped a string of five Titan points to end the frame.

UW-Oshkosh led each point of the fourth set, building advantages of 9-2 and 19-14. Augustana College closed to within 19-17 until a kill and a block by Jaeke extended the Titan lead back to four points. The Titans put the finishing touches on the victory with a Jaeke kill and a Sundholm block on the last two points.

Laura Heuermann had 14 kills to pace the Vikings, who also received 13 kills from Grace Bialobok, 37 assists and four aces from Olivia Doak, and 21 digs from Jessica Nguyen.

In the comeback victory over Illinois Wesleyan University, Jaeke paced the Titans in kills for the 19th time this year before registering a solo block on UW-Oshkosh's fifth match-point.

UW-Oshkosh took its initial lead of the final set at 8-7 on a kill by Coron. The Titans then rattled off six straight points on a pair of kills by Allen, kills from both Jaeke and Rachel Aasby, a Kiekhofer service ace, and a combination block by Allen and Jaeke to reach match-point at 14-9. Illinois Wesleyan University extended the match with two kills, an ace and a block before Jaeke ended the contest with a block on a potential tying kill attempt by Illinois Wesleyan University leading hitter Jessica McCall.

The Titans pulled out the win despite committing a season-high 37 attack errors and being outhit, .167 to .112. UW-Oshkosh held advantages of 57-55 in kills, 80-76 in digs and 9-6 in blocks. Illinois Wesleyan University had a 9-3 edge in aces.

Jaeke was one of five Titans with at least eight kills as Coron and Nottoli accounted for nine apiece, and Allen and Sundholm both had eight. Sundholm and Vettese scooped up career highs of 18 and 15 digs, respectively, while Gardner collected a match-leading 21 on the way to representing UW-Oshkosh on Illinois Wesleyan University's Holiday Inn Express Classic III eight-member All-Tournament Team.

Kiekhofer distributed a team-high 29 assists for the Titans. Doughty had 18 assists and nine digs for the second straight match.

McCall led Illinois Wesleyan University with 16 kills, 17 digs and three aces while Madi Corey had a team-best 43 assists and 10 digs, and Amber Juarez produced 17 digs.

The first set was tied for the 11th and final time at 23, when an Illinois Wesleyan University committed an attack error to provide UW-Oshkosh set-point. Coron then capped the frame with a kill on the ensuing point as UW-Oshkosh terminated 16 times and hit .256 in the opening set.

Illinois Wesleyan University outhit UW-Oshkosh, .278 to -.050, during the second set and claimed the third frame by tallying seven of the last 11 points to overcome a 21-17 deficit.

The Titans remained in the match with a 6-2 run to close out the fourth set. Clinging to a 19-18 lead, an Illinois Wesleyan University attack error and a kill by Allen upped the UW-Oshkosh lead to 21-18. A Jaeke kill and a bad set by Illinois Wesleyan University capped a three-point UW-Oshkosh run for a 24-19 lead. A McCall attack error two points later sent the contest to the fifth set.

UW-Oshkosh finishes the regular season at UW-Eau Claire on Friday (Nov. 1).

Photo courtesy of Chris Mitchell, Washington University in St.Louis Sports Information