Titans Earn Spot In WIAC Championship With Five-Set Win

Needing a win to qualify for the WIAC Women's Volleyball Championship, UW-Oshkosh registered season highs in nearly every statistical category during its 3-2 victory at UW-Eau Claire on Saturday (Nov. 1).  

UW-Oshkosh (29-6, 5-3 WIAC) won the match in set scores of 22-25, 30-28, 25-21, 22-25, 15-7, to secure the third seed for the league's six-team tournament. The Titans will host sixth-seed UW-Platteville in a first-round match on Tuesday (Nov. 4) in Kolf Sports Center.

Had UW-Eau Claire (16-17, 3-6 WIAC) prevailed, UW-Oshkosh would have lost a five-team tiebreaker for the last of four entries into the WIAC Championship.

UW-Oshkosh established season bests with 77 kills, 71 assists, 119 digs and 10 service aces against UW-Eau Claire.

Katelyn Malcheski led four Titans in double figures with a season-high 20 kills. Laura Trochinski had a career-high 18 kills and 14 digs for her eighth double-double of the season. Allison Rueger added a career-high 15 kills, while Nerissa Vogt contributed 12 kills, a team-high five blocks and three service aces.

Mandy Trautmann led UW-Oshkosh in digs for the 33rd time in 35 matches with a match-best 32. Danielle Stoppenbach added a career-best 24 digs and three service aces. Lexi Thiel finished one off her career high with 60 assists while adding a career-best 23 digs.

UW-Oshkosh recorded 18 kills in the opening set, but UW-Eau Claire committed just one attack error and outhit the Titans, .318 to .194, to claim the frame. The Titans recorded the first point of the match on a service error, but the Blugolds answered with three straight points and held the lead for the remainder of the set. UW-Oshkosh pulled within 22-21, but UW-Eau Claire tallied three of the last four points.

Set 2 was tied at 19 before UW-Oshkosh opened a 22-19 lead on two kills by Rueger and one by Malcheski. However, four consecutive UW-Oshkosh errors gave the lead back to UW-Eau Claire.

Kills by Trochinski fended off set points for UW-Eau Claire at 24-23 and 25-24. A Blugold attack error gave UW-Oshkosh a 26-25 advantage, but two straight kills by UW-Eau Claire provided the third and final set point opportunity for the Blugolds at 27-26. Consecutive kills by Vogt and Malcheski swung the lead back to the Titans, but a UW-Eau Claire kill tied the set for the 18th time at 28. A kill by Vogt gave UW-Oshkosh its third set point, which was converted on a service ace by Vogt. The teams combined for 38 kills in the set, including 20 by the Titans.

Trailing 13-12 in the third set, UW-Oshkosh scored six of the next seven points to take control. UW-Eau Claire closed its deficit to 20-19, but kills by Rueger and Brooke Brinkman and a Blugold attack error on the next three points proved to be decisive as the teams exchanged the last four scores on kills, including another by Rueger on set point.

In the fourth set, UW-Eau Claire scored three straight points for a 10-7 lead it wouldn't surrender. The Blugolds increased their lead to 21-16, but UW-Oshkosh pulled within 21-19 on a kill by Malcheski. However, the teams traded the last seven points to even the match.

UW-Oshkosh raced out to leads of 3-0 and 5-1 in the final set and never looked back. Leading 11-7, the Titans tallied the last four points on a kill by Rueger, a service ace by Stoppenbach, a UW-Eau Claire attack error and a kill by Trochinski on match point. The Titans recorded nine kills on 16 attempts in the decisive set. The Blugolds registered three kills on 14 attempts.

Katrina Raskie led UW-Eau Claire with 19 kills and 23 digs. Kelly Riesgraf and Alexis Wong added 18 and 15 kills, respectively. The Blugolds also received 53 assists from Jenna Smits.

UW-Oshkosh's victory snapped a three-match losing streak – all 3-0 losses – to UW-Eau Claire.