Titans Rally To Defeat Big Blue Before Sweeping Dutch

The nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team won a pair of matches to open play at the Linda Slagell Classic on Friday (Oct. 23) in Decatur, Ill.

The Titans, ranked 19th in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, erased a two-set deficit to stun host Millikin University (Ill.), 3-2, before defeating Central College (Iowa), 3-0.

UW-Oshkosh (22-6), which improved its season record to 7-3 in five-set contests, has won four matches this year after trailing 2-0.

The Titans outlasted Millikin University (19-9) in set scores of 14-25, 19-25, 25-16, 25-18, 15-9, before sweeping Central College (13-15) in set scores of 25-19, 25-9, 25-16.

Katelyn Malcheski had 13 kills to lead UW-Oshkosh past Millikin University. It was Malcheski's 21st match with double-digit kills this season.

Nerissa Vogt recorded nine kills and a match-best five blocks for the Titans, who also received seven kills from Brianna Witter, 31 assists from Lexi Thiel and 27 digs from Mandy Trautmann.

Millikin University, which had its four-match winning streak snapped, hit .387 in the first set and held UW-Oshkosh to a .025 percentage in the second frame on its way to building a two-set lead. The Big Blue closed the opening set with an 11-2 run and jumped out to a 14-3 advantage in the second frame.

The Titans gained their first lead of the match on the initial point of the third set and extended their cushion to 17-13 following a three-point run. Six unanswered points on the serve of Eilish Regan pushed UW-Oshkosh's lead to 23-14, and the Titans tallied their last seven points of the set on Big Blue errors.

UW-Oshkosh scored four consecutive points to take the lead for good in the fourth set at 10-6 on a kill by Carly Lemke. A kill by Vogt pushed the Titan advantage to 15-8, and UW-Oshkosh led by at least three points for the remainder of the set.

The Titans never trailed in the fifth set after scoring the first point on a Big Blue service error. Millikin University pulled within 9-8, but UW-Oshkosh earned four consecutive points for a 13-8 lead on kills by Malcheski and Witter and two Big Blue attack errors. After a UW-Oshkosh error made the score 13-9, the Titans finished off the comeback with a kill by Witter and an attack error by Millikin University on the final two points of the contest.

The Big Blue's Erin Syversen had a match-high 20 kills and 13 digs. Cortney Bohn chipped in 11 kills for Millikin University, while Cassidy Kingery and Emily Mihalkanin led all players with 34 digs and 37 assists, respectively.

UW-Oshkosh outhit Millikin University, .184 to .149, and had a 10-7 advantage in blocks. The Big Blue hit .086 in the third set and -.125 in the fifth.

In the second match of the evening, UW-Oshkosh outhit Central College, .305 to .032, as the Titans swept their 12th opponent of the season.

Malcheski had a match-high eight kills and four blocks for UW-Oshkosh. Witter had seven kills, Lemke six terminations on 11 errorless attempts and a match-best five blocks, and Tina Elstner and Vogt five kills apiece.

Thiel registered 28 assists and four kills on seven errorless attempts. Trautmann and Rachel Smith paced the Titan back row with 18 and 10 digs, respectively.

Kylie Gerstein and Emily Stoakes both had a team-high five kills for Central College, which lost its sixth straight match.

Regan Nelson paced the Dutch with 13 assists, while Nicole Ewoldt led all players with 20 digs.

UW-Oshkosh concludes play at the Linda Slagell Classic by battling Illinois opponents Monmouth College and 21st-ranked University of Chicago on Saturday (Oct. 24).