Titans Lose Five-Set Match To Gusties
UW-Oshkosh's Riley Kindt led all players with 18 kills and Carissa Sundholm added 14, but the Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) women's volleyball team held on to defeat the Titans, 3-2, to open the UW-Eau Claire Sandy Schumacher Memorial Tournament on Friday (Sept. 17).
Gustavus Adolphus College (9-1) claimed the first two sets before UW-Oshkosh (7-4) rallied to win the next two frames. The Gusties then scored three straight points during the final set for a 14-11 advantage and secured the victory on their second match-point, winning the contest in set scores of 30-28, 25-21, 22-25, 17-25, 15-12.
Kindt's 18 kills and Sundholm's 14 terminations were season bests. Kindt, who has paced the Titans in kills on seven occasions this year, hit a season-high .571 on 28 swings Friday.
Kalli Mau set a season high with 31 assists for the Titans while Olivia Breunig had six kills to along with season bests of 11 assists, six digs and four service aces.
UW-Oshkosh's Kate Nottoli chipped in six kills and a career high-tying eight blocks. The Titans backrow defense was once again led by Amelia Hust, the NCAA Division III leader in total digs, who scooped up a match-high 19. Abby Fregien recorded a season-high 13 digs for the Titans.
Despite the setback, the Titans owned advantages of 60-57 in kills, .202 to .170 in hitting percentage, 70-64 in digs and 12-4 in blocks. Both teams, meeting for the first time since a 3-2 Titan win during the 2016 campaign, registered seven service aces Friday.
The Gusties received a team-leading 15 kills and 16 digs from Kate Holtan and 39 assists and three service aces from Kasie Tweet. Courtney Peterson added 11 terminations, and Sarah Elliott Marlee Turn contributed 10 apiece for Gustavus Adolphus College.
Gustavus Adolphus College collected 37 total kills on .314 hitting during the first two sets. UW-Oshkosh then limited the Gusties to just 13 kills on -.014 hitting over the next two frames to square the match.
The Gusties overcame a 21-17 deficit in claiming the opening set that featured 12 ties and 38 combined kills. Knotted at 28, Gustavus Adolphus College tallied the final two points on kills by Turn and Elliott. Gustavus Adolphus College seized control of the second set with a string of six straight points for a 14-7 cushion.
UW-Oshkosh began its comeback attempt with the first six points of the third set. The Gusties pulled within 17-16, but the Titans answered with three consecutive points on Breunig and Sundholm kills sandwiched around a double-block from Nottoli and Madyson Pearson for a 20-16 advantage. Kindt later concluded the set with a termination.
The Titans used a 6-0 run to break open the fourth set for a 17-11 lead before tying the match at two sets following a Nottoli kill.
The fifth set was tied for the eighth and final time at 12. Back-to-back Titans attack errors allowed the Gusties to reach match-point at 14-12 and, following a Kindt kill that cut the UW-Oshkosh deficit to one, Gustavus Adolphus College clinched the win on another Titans attack error.
UW-Oshkosh is now 2-2 this season in five-set matches.
The Titans conclude their trip to Eau Claire with matches Saturday (Sept. 18) against Minnesota institutions St. Catherine and Augsburg universities.