Titans Split Matches Against CCIW Opponents

Riley Kindt had 26 kills on the night and Carissa Sundholm added 25 terminations as the UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team split a pair of matches against College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opponents North Park University (Ill.) and host Carthage College on Saturday (Oct. 16) in Kenosha.

UW-Oshkosh (14-11) swept North Park University, 3-0, in set scores of 27-25, 25-23, 25-11 before falling, 3-2, to Carthage College in scores of 27-29, 25-16, 19-25, 25-15, 15-12. The Titans have now won each of their five meetings with North Park University since 1995 and fall to 10-9 in the series with Carthage College over the past 27 seasons.

In the three-set win over North Park University (14-9), UW-Oshkosh outhit the Vikings in each set, finishing with considerable advantages of 38-25 in kills, .221 to .104 in hitting percentage, 67-55 in digs, 8-5 in service aces and 7-0 in blocks.

UW-Oshkosh hit a robust .444 and limited the Vikings to a .042 attack rate during the third set.

Kindt and Madyson Pearson combined for 20 kills on .563 hitting as Kindt led all players with 13 terminations on 21 swings and Pearson collected seven kills on 11 errorless attempts. Pearson and Kindt added four and three blocks, respectively.

Sundholm chipped in nine kills, 13 digs and a career high five service aces for the Titans, who also received 27 digs from Amelia Hust, 18 assists from Emma Kiekhofer, 13 assists from Kalli Mau and four blocks from Kate Nottoli.

North Park University leaders included Adriana Rodriguez with 13 kills and Christina Gatta with 26 assists, 16 digs and two service aces.

The opening set was tied for the 10th time at 20, when the Vikings scored three points in a row before the Titans responded with four unanswered points that featured an Olivia Breunig kill and a double block by Kate Nottoli and Joslyn Wolff for a 24-23 edge. North Park University denied set-points at 24-23 and 25-24, but back-to-back terminations by Sundholm and Pearson clinched the frame for the Titans.

The second set was tied for the 15th and final time at 23. A Vikings service error and an Abby Fregien service ace gave UW-Oshkosh the 25-23 Set 2 win and a two-set advantage.

UW-Oshkosh then secured the sweep by pounding down 14 kills on just 27 swings during a third set in which the Titans led each point. A Pearson termination extended the UW-Oshkosh cushion to 14-7 before a string of four straight points, including three total kills by Kindt and Sundholm, upped the lead to 18-8. UW-Oshkosh scored another six consecutive points – highlighted by three Sundholm service aces along with kills from both Kindt and Sundholm – to reach match-point at 24-9. Kindt then ended the match with her 13th kill three points later.

During the setback to CCIW co-leading Carthage College (18-9), the Firebirds and UW-Oshkosh traded set wins in the first five-set match between the teams since 2008. The Titans fell to 4-5 in five-setters this season while Carthage College, which reached the Final Four of the 2019 NCAA Division III Championship, is now 5-3 this year when going to five sets.

Carthage College held a 56-53 edge in kills, but UW-Oshkosh had advantages of .165 to .142 in hitting percentage, 82-79 in digs and 8-7 in service aces. Both teams recorded seven blocks after UW-Oshkosh entered the weekend ranked third in the country with 171 blocks on the year and Carthage College was fourth with 168.

Carthage College's Haley Horner, the national leader with 369 kills before the weekend, had a match best 18 terminations and four service aces against the Titans. Liv Carel and Molly Skoda chipped in 12 and 11 kills, respectively, for the Firebirds. Skoda also added 16 digs.

Jenna Millen distributed 30 assists and scooped up 11 digs for Carthage College, which also received 25 digs from Aubree Bucheger.

Sundholm registered a team best 16 kills and 13 digs to produce her fourth double-double of the season and sixth career.

Kindt had 13 kills against the Firebirds while Wolff matched a season high with 11 terminations and Breunig amassed seven. Sundholm has been the team's kills leader 14 times this season and Kindt on 13 occasions. Kindt, Sundholm and Fregien all recorded two service aces for the Titans.

Kiekhofer and Mau both dished out 22 assists in codirecting the UW-Oshkosh offense. Hust paced the Titans in digs for the 21st time this year with 27.

Neither team led by more than two points the entire first set that concluded on a Titans service error and a Firebirds kill on the final two points.

UW-Oshkosh claimed the second set lead for good at 11-10 following a kill by Hust. The Titans went on to close out the frame with a 9-3 run that was highlighted by three kills apiece from Kindt and Wolff.

The Titans and Firebirds exchanged a pair of lopsided set victories during the third and fourth frames Carthage College outhit UW-Oshkosh, .314 to .179 in the third before the Titans returned the favor by outhitting the Firebirds, .229 to .028, in the fourth.

Carthage College jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the final set. UW-Oshkosh pulled within 12-11 after a Kindt kill and 13-12 following a Firebirds service error. However, Carthage College secured the win following back-to-back Horner kills on the final two points.

UW-Oshkosh returns home to host UW-Stevens Point for a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match Wednesday (Oct. 20) in Kolf Sports Center.