Nationally Ranked UWO Downs Eagles

OSHKOSH, Wis.–Carissa Sundholm led all players with 23 kills and collected a career-best 19 digs to lift the nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team to a 3-1 victory over UW-La Crosse during a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest Wednesday (Oct. 5) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (19-4, 3-1 WIAC), ranked 21st in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, defeated UW-La Crosse (8-10, 1-3) in set scores of 25-16, 22-25, 25-21, 25-20.

The Titans, playing in Kolf Sports Center for the first time since Sept. 13 after 11 consecutive contests away from home, entered this week's AVCA top 25 for the first time since the 2017 preseason poll. UW-Oshkosh, winner of eight straight matches, has now won four of its past five meetings with UW-La Crosse, including a 3-2 triumph during the opening round of the 2021 WIAC Tournament in Oshkosh during the most recent prior matchup.

Sundholm finished six kills shy of matching a career high established earlier this season and surpassed a previous career best of 18 digs. Sundholm, who hit hit .392 Wednesday on 51 swings, notched her sixth double-double of the year and 14th career.

Riley Kindt added 11 kills for the Titans, who also received seven terminations from Olivia Breunig and Hannah Moe, 29 digs from Abby Fregien, 29 assists from Kalli Mau, 24 assists and 11 digs from Izzy Coon, and 10 digs and three service aces from Amelia Hust. Bruenig also had a team-high three blocks. The double-double was Coon's sixth this season.

Fregien went into the night leading the country in total digs and paces the conference in digs per set. Hust was the WIAC leader in service aces entering the match while Kindt was eighth nationally in total blocks for a Titans squad that leads Division III in total kills, digs and assists while ranking fourth in the country in total blocks.

UW-Oshkosh owned advantages of 59-46 in kills, .222 to .096 in hitting percentage, 90-89 in digs and 6-5 in blocks. UW-La Crosse held a 6-4 edge in service aces.

The Titans raced out to leads of 11-5 and 14-6 during the opening set in which they produced 16 kills and hit .302. UW-Oshkosh pounded down seven kills without an error on its first 10 attempts. Leading 23-16 the Titans capped the first frame on a Moe kill and an Eagles attack error.

After UW-La Crosse eked out a close Set 2 win to knot the match, the Titans took the lead for good during the third frame on a Sundholm kill that provided a 17-16 advantage. Another Sundholm termination and a Breunig block extended the cushion to 19-16, and UW-Oshkosh reached set-point at 24-20 following a Breunig kill. The Titans claimed the set two points later on UW-La Crosse's 20th attack error of the night.

The Eagles went on to commit another 10 attack errors in the fourth set as UW-Oshkosh outhit UW-La Crosse, .297 to .000, during the frame. Clinging to a 15-13 edge in the final set, the Titans rattled off five consecutive points, including three straight Breunig terminations to cap the run for a 20-13 cushion. The Eagles pulled within 23-18, but Riley Dahlquist and Joslyn Wolff finished off the Titans victory with kills.

Gabrialla Johnson had 16 kills to lead UW-La Crosse, which also received six terminations and 21 digs from Brianne Korducki, and 28 assists from Megan Adams.

UW-Oshkosh is off until playing both host Wheaton College and Edgewood College on Tuesday (Oct. 11) in Wheaton, Ill. The Titans then return home to host UW-River Falls for a WIAC match Oct. 15.