UW-Oshkosh Wins Women’s Volleyball Championship

**UW-Oshkosh Sports Information contributed to this recap

EAU CLAIRE, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh secured at least a share of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women’s volleyball regular-season championship with a 25-17, 20-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-8 win over UW-Eau Claire at Sonnentag Event Center on Oct. 24.

It is the fourth straight title – and 17th overall – for the Titans. UW-Oshkosh (23-3 overall, 5-0 WIAC) can claim the championship outright with a win in either of their two remaining matches – at UW-Platteville on Oct. 28 or vs. UW-Whitewater on Nov. 6. UW-Platteville, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater all sit in second place in the WIAC standings two losses behind the Titans.

Against UW-Eau Claire (13-7, 2-3), UW-Oshkosh finished with 62 kills on 177 attacks for a .249 hitting percentage, while holding the Blugolds to 62 kills and a .154 clip. The Titans also recorded 13 total blocks compared to four for UW-Eau Claire. UW-Oshkosh held a narrow 90-89 advantage in digs.

Grace Juergens led the Titan attack with a team-high 17 kills on 44 swings, while adding 13 digs and a service ace for a double-double. Lauren Grier turned in another efficient performance, putting down 16 kills with just two errors on 35 attacks for a .400 hitting percentage. Grier also was strong defensively with a match-high nine block assists.

Samantha Perlberg added 14 kills and a team-high 17 digs for a double-double, while contributing four total blocks, including a solo block. Riley Borrowman turned in the most efficient offensive performance of the match, recording eight kills without an error on 10 attacks for an .800 hitting percentage, while adding two block assists.

Emmy Wizcek contributed seven kills with just one error on 15 swings for a .400 hitting percentage, while Clare McEniry added seven block assists. Alex Hopp directed the offense with a match-high 29 assists and eight digs.

The Titans came out firing in the opening set, recording 15 kills with just two attack errors on 35 swings for a .371 hitting percentage. Juergens, Grier and Perlberg helped pace an efficient attack, while the Titan defense forced UW-Eau Claire into eight attack errors and held the Blugolds to a .146 hitting percentage. UW-Oshkosh controlled the frame from start to finish 25-17.

UW-Eau Claire responded in the second, putting down 12 kills with just three errors on 42 attacks for a .214 hitting percentage. UW-Oshkosh countered with 15 kills of its own, but six attack errors limited the Titans to a .200 clip. The Blugolds secured a 25-20 victory to even the match at one set apiece.

The third set brought a tightly contested battle featuring four ties and three lead changes. UW-Oshkosh recorded 13 kills on 45 swings, while hitting .178, while its defense held UW-Eau Claire to a .114 clip by forcing eight attack errors. Grier and McEniry helped lead the Titan front line, while Perlberg and Panasuk contributed to the defensive effort behind them. UW-Oshkosh prevailed, 25-23, to regain the set advantage 2-1.

The Blugolds answered in the fourth with their strongest offensive set of the contest, putting down 20 kills on 47 attacks for a .255 hitting percentage. UW-Oshkosh countered with 11 kills and a .257 clip, but UW-Eau Claire's offensive production proved to be the difference. The teams battled through 11 ties and four lead changes before the Blugolds secured a 25-21 victory to force a decisive fifth.

UW-Oshkosh took control in the final frame behind a strong defensive effort. Grier, McEniry and Borrowman helped lead the Titans at the net as UW-Eau Claire managed three kills, while committing five attack errors on 21 swings for a -.095 hitting percentage. The Titans countered with eight kills on 17 attacks for a .294 clip. UW-Oshkosh emerged with a 15-8 victory.

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