Falcons Overcome Two-Set Deficit To Oust Titans

Concordia University Wisconsin overcame a two-set deficit to defeat UW-Oshkosh in a nonconference women's volleyball match Wednesday (Oct. 13) in Mequon. The Falcons won in set scores of 24-26, 21-25, 25-10, 25-16, 15-8.

Concordia University Wisconsin (15-3), which is tied atop the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference standings, extended its winning streaks to 12 matches and 16 in a row at home. The Falcons, who picked up their first win over UW-Oshkosh since a 3-2 decision in 2015, is now 2-15 against the Titans since 1995. Concordia University Wisconsin has not lost at home since Oct. 19, 2019.

UW-Oshkosh (12-10) falls to 4-4 in five-set matches this season.

The Falcons concluded Wednesday's match with advantages of 57-49 in kills, .209 to .065 in hitting percentage, 97-92 in digs and 9-4 in blocks. The Titans, who entered the night ranked third in the NCAA Division III with 167 total blocks, held a 10-7 edge in service aces.

UW-Oshkosh's Carissa Sundholm led all players with a season high 17 kills to go along with 12 digs for her third double-double this year and fifth career. Sundholm's 17 kills were two shy a career high of 19 established in 2019.

Kalli Mau produced a double-double of her own for the Titans with 15 assists and 10 digs. The double-double was Mau's team leading seventh this season. Emma Kiekhofer compiled 12 assists and eight digs while co-piloting the UW-Oshkosh offense.

Madyson Pearson pounded down a season best nine kills for the Titans, who also received eight terminations from Riley Kindt and six apiece from Olivia Breunig and Kate Nottoli. Nottoli tied for the team lead with two blocks after heading into Wednesday ranked 10th in the country with 73 total blocks.

Abby Fregien and Amelia Hust paced the UW-Oshkosh backrow defense with 22 and 20 digs, respectively. Hust recorded a match- and season-high five service aces while Fregien's dig total was a season best.

Lauren Shroba had a team leading 15 kills for Concordia University Wisconsin, which also received 10 terminations from Maycee Karpfinger, 24 assists and 14 digs from Makenzie Vertz, 21 assists from Sierra Lee and a match best 32 digs from Madelyn Alton.

UW-Oshkosh limited the Falcons to a .101 hitting percentage during the first two sets as the Titans trailed for just one point in Set 1 and never trailed in Set 2.

Consecutive kills by Mau and Breunig gave the Titans a 16-11 cushion in the opening set before Concordia University Wisconsin rallied to knot the frame at 18, 20 and 21. The Falcons then claimed a 22-21 advantage. However, a Nottoli kill and Hust service ace put the Titans back ahead at 23-22. Kindt's termination provided UW-Oshkosh its second set-point at 25-24, and Sundholm followed with a kill to conclude the first set.

The Titans bolted out to cushions of 4-0 and 8-1 during the second set until Concordia University Wisconsin pulled even at 10. A string of five unanswered points, including a pair of Hust service aces and a Nottoli kill, gave the Titans a 17-13 lead they would not relinquish. Another Kindt kill upped the UW-Oshkosh lead to 23-19, and a Breunig termination four points later secured the second frame for the Titans.

Concordia University Wisconsin, which has won at least a share of the last two and four of the past five NACC regular season championships, went on to hit .517 during the third set and .400 in the fifth frame to complete the comeback victory.

UW-Oshkosh returns to Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play at UW-Stout on Friday (Oct. 15).