Titans Have Mixed Outcomes In Illinois

Carissa Sundholm had a team-leading 26 kills on the day, including 15 during the first contest, as the UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team split a pair of matches against Illinois institutions Friday (Oct. 8) in Wheaton, Ill.

UW-Oshkosh (12-9) outlasted Elmhurst University, 3-2, before suffering a 3-1 setback to host Wheaton College. The Titans, who improved to 4-3 this season in five-set matches, downed Elmhurst University in set scores of 20-25, 25-17, 20-25, 25-15, 15-13. Wheaton College then defeated UW-Oshkosh in set scores of 25-20, 21-25, 25-15, 25-17.

In the victory over Elmhurst University, the Titans had three players with double digit kills as Sundholm had 15, and Riley Kindt and Kate Nottoli added 10 apiece while Olivia Breunig chipped in seven. Nottoli, whose 10 terminations tied a career high, had a match-high five blocks.

UW-Oshkosh made up for deficits of 57-52 deficit kills and 8-2 in service aces by outhitting the Bluejays, .178 to .118, and owning advantages of 79-68 in digs and 7-6 in blocks. The Titans hit .333 during the second and fourth frames.

Kalli Mau and Emma Kiekhofer dished out 26 and 21 assists, respectively, while co-piloting the UW-Oshkosh offense. Kiekhofer collected 10 digs for her second straight double-double, fourth this season and eighth career. Mau, who registered nine digs, narrowly missed recording her team best seventh double-double of the season.

UW-Oshkosh's Abby Fregien led all players with a season best 20 digs. Amelia Hust contributed 12 digs for the Titans backrow defense.

Taylor Zurliene pounded down a match high 19 kills to go along with a team best 16 digs for Elmhurst University (9-9), which also received 12 terminations apiece from Elise Rossing and Jada Wiley, and 10 from Emily Duis.

Erin Murray distributed 31 assists for the Bluejays.

The teams traded comfortable wins during the first four sets, and the better hitting squad was victorious in each of the five frames.

During the decisive fifth set, UW-Oshkosh scored three consecutive points for a 10-7 cushion following a pair of Elmhurst University errors and a kill by Joslyn Wolff. A Nottoli termination later gave the Titans the lead for good at 11-10, and Sundholm tacked on a termination of her own for a 12-10 lead. Kindt's 10th and final kill provided UW-Oshkosh set-point at 14-12, and Sundholm secured the victory with a termination two points later.

In the loss against Wheaton College, the lone unbeaten team in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play, UW-Oshkosh hit .282 during its Set 2 win but was held to a .035 hitting percentage over the final two frames.

Kindt and Sundholm tied for the team lead with 11 kills for the Titans. Kindt has now been UW-Oshkosh's terminations leader 12 times this season and Sundholm on 11 occasions. Nottoli added six kills and a team best seven blocks during the nightcap for the Titans.

Kalli Mau recorded 22 assists and Kiekhofer 16 while directing the UW-Oshkosh offense. Fregien and Hust scooped up 14 and 10 digs, respectively, for the Titans defense.

Wheaton College (12-7) owned advantages of 52-40 in kills, .229 to .128 in hitting percentage, 60-51 in digs, 14-4 in service aces and 14-9 in blocks.

The Thunder's Colleen Smith had a match high 17 kills.

Wheaton College leaders also included Marlee Anderson with 23 assists, Allie High with 25 digs and four service aces, and Ashton Major with seven blocks.

Set 2 was tied for the 12th and final time at 19, when a Nottoli block, another Thunder attack error and a Nottoli kill gave the Titans a 22-19 lead. A Breunig termination upped the UW-Oshkosh cushion to 24-20, and a Wheaton College service error knotted the match at one set apiece two points later.

Wheaton College went on to hit .304 in the third set and .375 during the fourth frame to secure the victory.

UW-Oshkosh travels to play Concordia University Wisconsin on Wednesday (Oct. 13) in Mequon.