Titans To Meet Tommies In NCAA Regional Final

UW-Oshkosh survived a late threat as it defeated the UW-Eau Claire, 3-1, in a second-round contest of the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Oshkosh Regional held Friday (Nov. 13) in Oshkosh.

UW-Oshkosh (37-2) took the match over its WIAC rival in set scores of 25-16, 25-16, 22-25, 25-23.

The victory moves the Titans into the championship match of the Oshkosh Regional for the second straight year. UW-Oshkosh, ranked second in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, will play 14th-ranked University of St. Thomas (Minn.) in this year's title game at 7 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 14).

Tied 5-5 in the first set, UW-Oshkosh scored eight straight points to take a 13-5 lead. The Blugolds (31-8) pulled to within 17-12, but the Titans clinched the win with a set-ending 8-4 scoring run.

UW-Oshkosh started the second set with an 18-8 scoring run. The Titans had their lead cut to 22-15, but fought off the Blugolds by scoring three of the final five points.

Down 20-15 and on the verge of being swept, UW-Eau Claire scored seven consecutive points to go ahead 22-20 in the third set. The 16th-ranked Blugolds extended their lead to 24-22 before the teams split the next two points.

UW-Eau Claire took their momentum of the third set into the fourth as it built leads of 7-4, 12-6 and 15-9. UW-Oshkosh answered the call with six straight points to tie the score. The Titans then tallied nine of the next 11 points to take a 22-17 lead. Again the Blugolds weren't done as they counted four straight points to pull to within 22-21. The teams exchanged points the rest of the way, with UW-Oshkosh's Katie Beining (Sr. • Brookfield) ending the set with her match-high 16th kill.

Beining hit .467 for the Titans while adding 10 digs, five assists and three service aces. UW-Oshkosh also received 14 kills from Jacque Ray (Sr. • Richland Center), 12 kills and four digs from Aleisha Bagin (Fr. • West Bend), 11 kills and 21 digs from Andrea Smith (Jr. • Fond du Lac) and 44 assists, 11 digs, seven blocks and five kills from Katelyn Vara (Sr. • New Berlin).

Blair Murphy led five UW-Eau Claire players in double-digit digs with 16. The Blugolds also received 15 digs from Cassie Hunt, 14 from Lindsey Smith, 11 from Rachel Ver Voort and 10 from Emily Neave. Neave added 32 assists, while Emily Zupon and Kristen Moore totaled 14 and 11 kills, respectively.

UW-Oshkosh outhit UW-Eau Claire, .264-.139, as it gained revenge for one of this year's two losses.