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Titans Cage Eagles

Andrea SmithAshley Sullivan The UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team kept its WIAC title hopes alive with a 25-15, 13-25, 25-23, 25-20 victory over UW-La Crosse on Wednesday (Oct. 8) in La Crosse.

UW-Oshkosh trails front runner UW-Eau Claire by one game in the loss column, with the Titans having one more conference match and the Blugolds four on their schedule.

Tied 13-13 in set one, UW-Oshkosh (21-2, 6-1 WIAC) went on an 8-0 scoring splurge to take a commanding 20-13 advantage. The Titans, ranked 11th in the NCAA Division III according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association, took the last three points of the set for the 10-point victory.

Set two was all UW-La Crosse (18-7, 3-2 WIAC) as they sprinted out to leads of 6-2 and 12-4 to start the stanza. After a short 3-0 run closed the gap to 14-8, UW-Oshkosh was outscored 7-2 to fall behind 21-10. Both teams traded side outs to go into the locker room tied at 1-1 in sets.

UW-Oshkosh responded after the break by storming out to a 10-3 cushion in set three. Trailing 15-7, the Eagles used a barrage of short serves to disrupt the Titans offense and knot the score at 17-17 after a 10-2 scoring run. Tied again at 22-22, UW-Oshkosh used a side out and then a service ace by Andrea Smith (So. • Fond du Lac) to take a 24-22 advantage. A kill by Ashley Sullivan (So. • De Forest) ended the set for the Titans after the Eagles closed to within 24-23.

Tied seven times in the early stages of set four, UW-Oshkosh inched out to a 16-12 lead after a kill and then a block by Kelsey Mauer (Fr. • Sheboygan Falls). The Titans’ cushion expanded to 20-14 and 23-17, and the Eagles could not get closer than four points the rest of the way as the match ended on a solo block by Smith. Christina Cahoon (So. • Watertown) added her fifth 30-plus dig performance of the year as she notched 33 to pace UW-Oshkosh.

Sullivan led the team with 15 kills and Mauer tallied 12 kills and four blocks. Smith finished the night with 10 digs, seven kills and four service aces and Stephanie Magnuson (So. • Lake Geneva) had 10 digs. Valerie Yost (Sr. • Oshkosh), honored before the match as the Titans’ lone senior, came off the bench to record six kills on 10 errorless attempts and produced four blocks.

Katie Reimer (Fr. • Fond du Lac) and Katelyn Vara (Jr. • New Berlin) split time at the setting position, producing 24 and 16 assists, respectively.

UW-La Crosse was led by Amber Schoonover who had 16 kills and 16 digs. Liz Schlobohm dished out 35 assists and added four service aces and Melannie Tate had 12 digs. Brianne Stankus had 12 kills and 12 digs and Elizabeth Carlisle had 13 digs.

Blugolds Hand Titans First WIAC Loss

Andrea SmithAshley Sullivan The UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team suffered its first WIAC loss of the season in a 25-23, 25-17, 25-20 defeat to UW-Eau Claire on Saturday (Oct. 4) in Eau Claire. The loss marked the first 3-0 sweep of the season for the Titans.

With the win, UW-Eau Claire (12-9, 3-0 WIAC) remains the only unbeaten WIAC team in conference play as they go for their second conference title in three years. UW-Oshkosh shared the conference title with UW-Eau Claire in 2006 and also won the WIAC crown in 2005 with UW-Whitewater.

UW-Oshkosh (20-2, 5-1 WIAC) could not muster any offensive support for its left side hitters as Ashley Sullivan (So. • DeForest) and Andrea Smith (So. • Fond du Lac) combined for 22 of the Titans' 31 kills.

In its five-set victory over UW-Superior on Friday (Oct. 3), Kelsey Mauer (Fr. • Sheboygan Falls) and Jacque Ray (Jr. • Richland Center) tallied 31 kills, but were limited to just four total against the Blugolds. Sullivan led the Titans with 15 kills on 32 attempts and Smith had seven kills and six digs.

Christina Cahoon (So. • Watertown) continued her torrid hot streak in the back court with 15 digs and Katie Reimer (Fr. • Fond du Lac) dished out 17 assists. Danielle Swindell (Jr. • Hortonville) contributed three service aces and Katie Beining (Jr. • Brookfield) had seven digs.

The Titans, ranked 10th in the NCAA Division III according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association, was playing without kill leader Megan Fischer (Jr. • Manitowoc) who was injured in the match the previous night. The three-set loss was just the second for the Titans in their last 81 matches.

Titans Exterminate Yellowjackets

Christina CahoonKelsey Mauer The UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team improved to 6-0 in five-set matches on the season in a 25-23, 25-17, 21-25, 24-26, 15-10 victory over UW-Superior on Friday (Oct. 3) in Superior.

With the win, the Titans have now recorded their 10th straight season of 20 or more wins.

UW-Oshkosh (20-1, 5-0 WIAC) won a close first set and dominated the second set to take a quick 2-0 lead in the match. Despite recording 15 kills in the third and fourth set, the Titans were forced to go to a fifth-set for the sixth time this year.

UW-Oshkosh dominated UW-Superior (6-10/0-4 WIAC) in the deciding set as Kelsey Mauer (Fr. • Sheboygan Falls) and Jacque Ray (Jr. • Richland Center) each had three kills. The pair combined for 31 kills in the match from the middle blocking position.

Christina Cahoon (So. • Watertown) set a new career-high with 35 digs in the match to pace the Titans. Mauer also set a new personal standard with 17 kills and added three solo blocks. Ray finished with 14 kills and five blocks and Andrea Smith (So. • Fond du Lac) had 15 digs, eight kills and six service aces. Katie Reimer (Fr. • Fond du Lac) set a career high with 55 assists and 15 digs and Katie Beining (Jr. • Brookfield) contributed nine kills and six digs. Stephanie Magnuson (So. • Lake Geneva) came off the bench for seven digs.

The Titans entered the contest ranked 10th in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. UW-Oshkosh hasn't lost to the Yellowjackets since the 1992 season.

WIAC Volleyball Set To “Dig for the Cure”

Christina Cahoon WIAC women’s volleyball teams will participate in a “Dig for the Cure” promotion during the 2008 season in cooperation with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to support Breast Cancer Awareness.

Each of the nine WIAC teams will be involved in at least one “Dig for the Cure” event during the month of October. Student-athletes will solicit pledges for their own team’s digs with all of the proceeds being donated to the Madison Komen Foundation. The average digs for each WIAC team is close to 20 per set.

The following WIAC matches that will feature the “Dig for the Cure” promotion: UW-Oshkosh at UW-Superior (Oct. 3), UW-River Falls at UW-Stevens Point (Oct. 3), UW-Whitewater at UW-Platteville (Oct. 7), UW-Eau Claire at UW-River Falls (Oct. 8), UW-La Crosse at UW-Oshkosh (Oct. 8), UW-Superior at UW-Stout (Oct. 8), UW-Platteville at UW-La Crosse (Oct. 15), UW-Stevens Point at UW-Whitewater (Oct. 15), UW-Stout at UW-Eau Claire (Oct. 15).

During the designated matches, teams will wear pink warm-up shirts featuring the WIAC “Dig for the Cure” logo, pink shoe laces and pink hair ribbons.

“This promotion is another example of the emphasis that the WIAC and its member institutions place on the involvement of student-athletes in activities that benefit worthwhile causes”, commented WIAC Commissioner, Gary Karner. “Our volleyball teams are very excited to have the opportunity to partner with the Komen Foundation to increase awareness of breast cancer and raise funds that will hopefully lead to a cure of this dreaded disease”, added Karner.  

Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Nearly $1 billion has been invested to fulfill the promise of finding a cure, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

Titans Tame Pointers

Megan FischerKatelyn Vara The UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team finished the first half of their WIAC slate undefeated with a 20-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-14 victory over UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday (Oct. 1) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (19-1, 4-0 WIAC), which entered the match ranked 10th in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, came back to win the match for the ninth time this season after losing the first set against the Pointers.

Tied at 13-13 in the first set, UW-Stevens Point (8-12; 0-3 WIAC) outscored UW-Oshkosh 7-3 to take a 20-16 lead. The Pointers held at least a three-point cushion in capturing the first set.

The Titans responded in set two, sprinting out to a 7-2 advantage. The Pointers closed to within 14-11 and 16-13 before UW-Oshkosh scored four out of the next five points to take a 20-14 lead. The Titans coasted from there to tie the match.

Set three was a back and forth affair with the score tied eleven times throughout the contest. Knotted at 15-15, UW-Oshkosh went on a 5-1 scoring run to take a 20-16 advantage. UW-Stevens Point responded with a four-point run to tie the score again at 20-20. The Pointers took a 22-21 lead before the Titans ended the set on a 4-1 scoring skein to take a 2-1 lead in sets.

UW-Oshkosh wasn’t threatened in set four, exploding to leads of 9-4 and 13-7. After trading side-outs, the Titans scored six straight points for a 19-8 advantage. The Pointers did not get closer than nine points the rest of way and were limited to a -.147 hitting percentage.

Megan Fischer (Jr. • Fond du Lac) led the Titans with nine kills, followed by Jacque Ray (Jr. • Richland Center) with eight. Christina Cahoon (So. • Watertown) scooped up 16 digs and Katelyn Vara (Jr. • New Berlin) dished out 22 assists and had three service aces. Andrea Smith (So. • Fond du Lac) led the team with six service aces as the Titans produced 15 in the match.

Jennifer Rueter led the Pointers with 15 kills and added eight digs. Amanda Mix tallied 18 digs and three service aces and Pam Nora had 15 digs and nine kills. Chantel York ran the offense to the tune of 31 assists and Michaela Rheineck had five blocks.

Titans Win Three Of Four Matches
At UW-Whitewater Invitational

Christina Cahoon Katie Reimer Jacque Ray Ashley Sullivan

After winning its first two matches on Friday (Sept. 26), the UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team lost its first match of the season on Saturday (Sept. 27) before finishing with a three-game sweep at the UW-Whitewater Invitational in Whitewater.

UW-Oshkosh (18-1) beat Luther College (Iowa), 26-24, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20, and Aurora University (Ill.), 26-24, 17-25, 25 16, 23-25, 15-12, on Friday and lost to Augustana College (Ill.), 26-24, 25-21, 19-25, 25-23, and defeated Iowa Wesleyan University, 25-15, 25-18, 25-13 on Saturday.

Ashley Sullivan (So. • DeForest) led the Titans on the weekend with 34 kills. Jacque Ray (Jr. • Richland Center) added 26 kills and six blocks and Andrea Smith (So. • Fond du Lac) had 29 digs and 23 kills. Christina Cahoon (So. • Watertown) led the team with 90 digs and nine service aces and Katie Beining (Jr. • Brookfield) contributed 29 digs and 20 kills. Katie Reimer (Fr. • Fond du Lac) dished out 82 assists to pace the Titans.

In the first match of the tournament, UW-Oshkosh came back from a 16-8 deficit in the first set against Luther College (12-4) to take the early lead. After losing a close second set, the Titans relied on better hitting to take the match. Fresh off of her 16-kill performance against UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Sept. 24), Megan Fischer (Jr. • Manitowoc) led the Titans with 14 kills. Cahoon scooped up 23 digs and Stephanie Magnuson (So. • Lake Geneva) added 15 as the Titans tallied 68 in the match. Katelyn Vara (Jr. • New Berlin) dished out 37 assists and added nine digs and six kills and Ray had eight kills and two blocks.

UW-Oshkosh handed Aurora University (1-13) its eighth five-set loss of the season in Friday’s nightcap. Beining led the Titans with 12 kills and totaled eight digs. Cahoon led UW-Oshkosh’s back court with 17 digs and Sullivan had eight kills and six digs. Vara produced 26 assists and Reimer 15 and Christina Breitlow (So. • Hartford) had seven kills.

In Saturday’s action the Titans had an opportunity to win a close first set against Augustana College (11-4), but a missed serve and two more miscues led to an early 1-0 set deficit. After losing the second set, UW-Oshkosh battled back to take set three before losing a back and forth fourth set. Sullivan led the Titans with 16 kills on a .333 hitting percentage. Smith added 12 kills and 14 digs and Cahoon had her third 30-plus dig performance of the year with 32 while accumulating six service aces. Reimer dished out 34 assists and Ray had eight kills.

In only its fifth, three-set sweep of the season, UW-Oshkosh was led by Sullivan with eight kills and three blocks in its win over Iowa Wesleyan University (7-11). Cahoon tallied 18 digs and Beining had 11 digs and seven kills on 15 errorless attempts. Reimer, in her first collegiate start, had 32 assists and nine digs and Danielle Swindell (Jr. • Hortonville) had seven digs.

UW-Oshkosh entered the invitational ranked ninth in the NCAA Division III according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Titans Top Warhawks In Nationally-Ranked Battle

Megan FischerJacque Ray In what turned out to be the fourth consecutive five-set battle in the series, the UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team overcame conference-rival UW-Whitewater 22-25, 25-22, 25-17, 22-25, 15-13 on Wednesday (Sept. 24) in Whitewater.

UW-Oshkosh (15-0/3-0 WIAC) entered the match ranked ninth and UW-Whitewater (9-5/2-1 WIAC) 11th in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

The two teams traded identical scores in the first two sets as they combined for 54 kills and a .347 hitting percentage to start the match. UW-Oshkosh forged out to a 2-1 advantage in sets as it dominated the third stanza. The Titans had 12 kills and hit .500 in the set as it held leads of 18-7 and 21-11 before settling for the eight-point victory.

The Warhawks responded by starting the fourth set with leads of 4-0 and 7-2. The Titans managed to tie the score at 11-11 before the Warhawks went on a 5-1 scoring run to grab a 16-12 advantage. UW-Oshkosh again responded to close to within 21-20 before UW-Whitewater tied the contest at 2-2 with a 4-2 run to set up the dramatic deciding set.

UW-Whitewater started the fifth set up 3-1 and 7-5 before UW-Oshkosh made the side switch leading 8-7. Both teams traded side outs until UW-Oshkosh led 10-9. From there, UW-Oshkosh relied on a skill they had been struggling with all night when Danielle Swindell (Jr. • Hortonville) scored three consecutive points, including one on a service ace to give the Titans a 13-9 advantage.

UW-Whitewater would not fold however, closing the gap to 13-11 before the Titans claimed a potential match point at 14-11 on a net violation by the Warhawks. After UW-Oshkosh’s missed another serve to make the score 14-12, UW-Whitewater inched to within one point after a hitting error on UW-Oshkosh.

Trailing 14-13, the Warhawks kept the contest alive with two digs in the rally before the Titans’ Kelsey Mauer (Fr. • Sheboygan Falls) finally ended the two-hour marathon on a kill from the middle. The victory by the Titans marked the six consecutive occasion that the road team has won the match in the series, with five of those matches going to the deciding fifth set.

Megan Fischer (Jr. • Manitowoc) led the Titans with 16 kills on 38 errorless attempts for a .421 hitting percentage. Christina Cahoon (So. • Watertown) had 17 digs and Katelyn Vara (Jr. • New Berlin) dished out 40 assists. Jacque Ray (Jr. • Richland Center) topped the team with seven blocks and Andrea Smith (So. • Fond du Lac) added nine kills and three blocks.

Keri Klotzbuecher led the Warhawks with 14 kills and Caitlin Hogan put down 10. Christina DeGroot added 32 assists and 11 digs and Alyssa Bauer had 22 digs.

UW-Oshkosh held advantages of 13-3 in blocks and .336 - .269 in hitting percentage. UW-Whitewater had cushions of 56-50 in kills, 59-40 in digs and 50-44 in assists. Both teams registered seven service aces with the Warhawks only committing eight missed serves compared to the Titans’ 21.

Titans Cage Falcons To Remain Unbeaten

Megan FischerKatelyn Vara The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team swept its second consecutive conference opponent in as many days, with a 25-11, 25-18, 25-22 victory over UW-River Falls on Saturday (Sept. 20) in Kolf Sports Center.

Before its 3-0 win over UW-Stout to open its conference slate on Friday (Sept. 19), UW-Oshkosh had played nine straight matches of three or more sets. UW-Oshkosh (14-0, 2-0 WIAC), ranked 10th in the NCAA Division III according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association found itself down 3-0 to start the first set before responding after trailing 5-2.

After a side-out, the Titans scored four more points on their serve for a 7-5 cushion. Tied 8-8, UW-Oshkosh scored 17 of the next 20 points, including the set's last ten points to take a 1-0 lead in sets in the contest.

Set two was similar to the first stanza as both teams were tied 9-9 before UW-Oshkosh scored nine of the next 12 points to take an 18-12 advantage. From there, the Titans coasted to a 2-0 set lead over the Falcons.

Set three was close throughout as neither team had more than a three point lead until the Falcons scored three consecutive points for a 16-11 bulge. Trailing 17-12, UW-Oshkosh closed the gap to 17-16 before UW-River Falls inched out to 21-19. The Titans put the match away by going on 6-1 scoring skein to end the contest.

In its second straight offensively balanced match, Megan Fischer (Jr. • Manitowoc) led the Titans with seven kills, with Kelsey Mauer (Fr. • Sheboygan Falls) adding six and Andrea Smith (So. • Fond du Lac) five. Katelyn Vara (Jr. • New Berlin) dished out 30 assists and added eight digs and Christina Cahoon (So. • Watertown) had a match leading 14 digs and tallied three service aces. Katie Beining (Jr. • Brookfield) topped the team with four service aces.

Kelsey Scheele contributed eight kills to lead the Falcons. Andria Vetsch had seven kills and Justine Speckel added four. No other UW-River Falls player had more than one kill. Mandy McKenzie scooped up seven digs and Becky Ponick had 12 assists and six digs.

UW-Oshkosh held leads of 34-22 in kills, 33-21 in assists and 11-1 in service aces. There were only five blocks in the match with UW-Oshkosh holding a small 3-2 advantage.

Titans Roll Past Blue Devils In WIAC Opener

Christina CahoonKelsey Mauer The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team started its WIAC slate in dominating fashion with a 25-15, 25-20, 25-14 win over UW-Stout on Friday (Sept. 19) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh, who entered the match as the 10th ranked team in the NCAA Division III according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association, held advantage of 34-21 in kills, 12-4 in service aces and 11-1 in total blocks in the three-set sweep.

After UW-Stout (2-9, 0-1 WIAC) closed to within 12-10 in set one, UW-Oshkosh (13-0, 1-0 WIAC) went on a 13-5 scoring run to end the first set. The Titans committed nine hitting errors in the first stanza, but also held a 14-6 advantage in kills and totaled five service aces and four blocks.

Set two saw the Blue Devils inch to a 10-9 cushion before the Titans scored nine consecutive points to vault to an 18-10 lead. The Blue Devils responded with a five-point run of their own to close the gap to 18-15 before the Titans scored four straight points for a 22-15 advantage. UW-Oshkosh coasted from there for a 2-0 lead in sets.

UW-Oshkosh started the third-set up 4-0 and 8-2 before UW-Stout came back to within 13-8. Again the Titans went on a big scoring run, this time a seven-point skein to lead 19-8. The Titans cruised from there as both teams traded side-outs until the final margin.

UW-Oshkosh, who beat UW-Stout for the sixth consecutive time, was led by Kelsey Mauer (Fr. • Sheboygan Falls) with seven kills on 12 attempts and five blocks. Christina Cahoon (So. • Watertown) had a match-high 14 digs and Andrea Smith (So. • Fond du Lac) had six service aces and six digs. Katelyn Vara (Jr. • New Berlin) and Katie Reimer (Fr. • Fond du Lac) shared setting duties with 18 and 13 assists, respectively.

Steph Nichols led UW-Stout with seven kills. Allie Moir tallied nine digs and Kim Labat had 16 assists and six digs.

Titans Go Unbeaten In UW-Oshkosh Pizza Hut Classic

Katie Beining Christina Cahoon Megan Fischer Katelyn Vara

The UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team won its third tournament title of the year by going 4-0 at the UW-Oshkosh Pizza Hut Classic on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 12-13) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (12-0) defeated Concordia University Wisconsin, 25-12, 25-22, 20-25, 25-13, Illinois Wesleyan University, 24-26, 17-25, 25-23, 25-20, 16-14, on Friday and Elmhurst College (Ill.), 15-25, 25-23, 20-25, 26-24, 15-4, and Concordia University Chicago, 25-10, 25-17, 16-25, 25-18 on Saturday.

The Titans, ranked 11th in the NCAA Division III according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association, is off to its best start since the 1996 season when they began the year 27-0. Of UW-Oshkosh’s 12 matches, 10 have gone to more than three sets, including three that have been determined in the deciding fifth set.

Leaders for the Titans on the weekend included Megan Fischer (Jr. • Manitowoc) with 50 kills, Andrea Smith (So. • Fond du Lac) with 40 kills, 34 digs and nine service aces and Jacque Ray (Jr. • Richland Center) with 35 kills and 15 blocks. Kelsey Mauer (Fr. • Sheboygan Falls) added 21 kills and 13 blocks, Katelyn Vara (Jr. • New Berlin) 174 assists and 32 digs and Christina Cahoon (So. • Watertown) 75 digs and nine service aces.

After dominating the first set against Concordia University Wisconsin (2-4), UW-Oshkosh trailed 20-14 in set two before Danielle Swindell (Jr. • Hortonville) went to work with her serve. After a Titan side out, Swindell scored nine straight points behind the service line, including three by service ace, to help UW-Oshkosh to a 24-20 advantage. The Titans held on from there for the three point victory.

After surrendering the third set, UW-Oshkosh rolled again in the fourth set to put away the Falcons. In a balanced attack, Fischer led the Titans with nine kills. Smith added eight kills and six digs and Cahoon had 14 saves. Vara dished out 32 assists and Ray had three blocks.

In a battle of the Titans, UW-Oshkosh had to come back from a 2-0 deficit in sets to claim their second consecutive five-set win over Illinois Wesleyan University (4-7). The left-side hitting duo of Fischer and Smith accounted for 36 of UW-Oshkosh’s 58 kills to lead the turnaround. Fischer ended the match with 20 kills and Smith had 16 put downs and added nine digs and five service aces.

Cahoon notched her second 30 plus dig outburst of the season with 31 and Vara ran the offense with 51 assists and added eight digs.

In its second consecutive five-set marathon, UW-Oshkosh again had to battle back from a deficit, this time trailing 2-1 in sets, for the victory over Elmhurst College. UW-Oshkosh found itself behind 18-14 in set four before going on an 8-4 run to tie the score at 22-22. The Titans went ahead 24-23 before settling for the extending win at 26-24.

UW-Oshkosh completed dominated Elmhurst College (4-3) in the fifth set by slamming down 13 kills on 17 attempts for a .706 hitting percentage. The Titans held advantages of 8-2 and 13-3 in the rout over the Bluejays.

Ray topped the Titans with 16 kills and added four blocks. Fischer contributed 13 kills and Vara dished out 53 assists and had seven digs. Smith amassed 11 digs and eight kills and Cahoon had 16 digs and three service aces. In her first collegiate start, Mauer had 10 kills and four blocks.

Despite a hiccup in the third set, UW-Oshkosh dominated Concordia University Chicago (4-5) in the last match of the tournament. Every available player for the Titans saw court time, led by Ray with 11 kills and five blocks. Fischer and Smith added eight kills and Stephanie Magnuson (So. • Lake Geneva) and Mauer each had six as the Titans had 57 in the match.

Cahoon scooped up 14 shots and Vara produced 38 assists and 13 digs. The Titans hit a season high .342 in the match.

Cahoon notched her third all-tournament team selection of the season as she was named the most valuable player of the tournament. Ray and Smith joined her on the 10-person all-tournament squad.

Others named to the all-tournament team were Sarah Potter from Concordia University Chicago, Stephanie Boehm and Katie Roessler from Concordia University Wisconsin, Katie Buechel and Alison Friedrich from Elmhurst College, Michelle Malinowski from Illinois Wesleyan University and Chelsea Lundgren from Northland College.

Titans Crowned UW-Platteville Invitational Champion

Katie Beining Christina Cahoon Megan Fischer Katelyn Vara

The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team beat all four of its opponents by identical 3-1 scores to capture the UW-Platteville Import Sports/Nike Invitational held Friday and Saturday (Sept. 5-6) in Platteville. With the wins, UW-Oshkosh advances to its first 8-0 start to a season since 2001.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked 15th in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, defeated Monmouth College (Ill.), 29-31, 25-14, 25-10, 25-15, and UW-Platteville, 21-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-22, on Friday and Augustana College (Ill.), 23-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-21, and Edgewood College, 25-13, 25-16, 21-25, 25-17, on Saturday.

Megan Fischer (Jr. • Manitowoc) led the Titans with 41 kills on 100 attempts, followed by Katie Beining (Jr. • Brookfield) with 28, Jacque Ray (Jr. • Richland Center) with 27, Andrea Smith (So. • Fond du Lac) with 24 and Ashley Sullivan (So. • DeForest) and Valerie Yost (Sr. • Oshkosh) with 21.

Katelyn Vara (Jr. • New Berlin) dished out 171 assists and added 18 digs, 14 kills, 11 service aces and 10 blocks. Christina Cahoon (So. • Watertown) tallied 93 digs and eight service aces, Smith scooped up 30 digs and Ray added 12 blocks. For the weekend the Titans committed only 13 receiving errors and hit .246 as a team.

After surrendering a close first set against Monmouth College (2-2), UW-Oshkosh held the Fighting Scots under 15 points in the next three sets for the victory. After committing 10 hitting errors in the first stanza, the Titans settled down and hit a combined .333 in sets two, three and four.

Smith led UW-Oshkosh with 13 kills and added eight digs. Cahoon tallied 21 digs and four service aces and Vara collected 48 assists and five service aces. Fischer and Ray added eight kills and Beining put down seven. UW-Oshkosh held a 20-1 advantage in service aces.

In its second meeting against UW-Platteville (3-4) on the season, UW-Oshkosh again lost the first set before winning the next three sets for the victory. Beining and Sullivan each had 11 kills to pace the Titans. Vara ran the offense with 39 assists and achieved six kills, six digs and three blocks. Fischer and Ray finished with eight kills and Cahoon had 23 digs. Smith added 11 digs and Ray seven blocks, including three solo stuffs.

In a battle of undefeated teams, UW-Oshkosh lost the first set for the fifth time in seven matches before clawing out the victory against Augustana College (6-1). Both teams entered the match with an unblemished 6-0 start to the season.

Fischer slammed down a career-high 17 kills on 40 attempts to pace the Titans. Ray and Yost each slapped down nine kills and Beining added eight. Vara handed out 41 assists and tallied four blocks and Cahoon added 22 digs.

In the final match of the tournament UW-Oshkosh dished out 50 team assists on 51 kills in a balanced attack. Fischer had eight kills, followed by Smith with seven and Kelsey Mauer (Fr. • Sheboygan Falls), Kelly Ketterhagen (So. • Burlington) and Yost with five. Cahoon scooped up 27 digs for her fifth straight match with 20 or more saves. Vara had 43 assists and three service aces and Smith, Danielle Swindell (Jr. • Hortonville) and Cahoon each had two service aces.

For their efforts Cahoon and Fischer were named to the six-member all-tournament team. This is the second all tournament selection this season for both players.

Titans Climb To Top Of Pikes Peak Challenge

Christina Cahoon Megan Fischer jacque Ray Katelyn Vara

The UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team started the season off on the right foot capturing the Molten Pikes Peak Challenge on Friday and Saturday (Aug. 29-30) in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Titans, ranked 15th in the NCAA Division III according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association, beat WIAC-rival UW-Platteville, 10-25, 26-16, 25-17, 25-20, and Colby-Sawyer College (N.H.), 25-18, 25-18, 25-18, on Friday and The College of St. Catherine (Minn.), 25-17, 25-14, 25-23, and Colorado College, 20-25, 25-11, 26-24, 15-25, 18-16, on Saturday.

In a balanced attack, Jacque Ray (Jr. • Richland Center) led the team with 32 kills, followed by Megan Fischer (Jr. • Manitowoc) and Andrea Smith (So. • Fond du Lac) with 30 and Stephanie Magnuson (So. • Lake Geneva) with 26 on the weekend.

Defensively UW-Oshkosh was led by Christina Cahoon (So. • Watertown) with 78 digs followed by Katelyn Vara (Jr. • New Berlin) with 37 and Magnuson with 27. Vara led the team with 134 assists and Cahoon and Smith each had seven service aces.

After hitting -.130 in the first set against UW-Platteville, UW-Oshkosh turned things around to hit a combined .269 in sets two, three and four to claim the four-set victory. Fischer led the Titans with 11 kills and added nine digs and Cahoon led the backcourt with 19 digs. Vara added 32 assists, six digs and two service aces and Smith tallied eight kills, six digs and two service aces.

In UW-Oshkosh’s second match of the day the Titans dominated Colby-Sawyer College by limiting them to 20 kills on a .012 hitting percentage. UW-Oshkosh also held advantages of 50 to 30 in digs, six to one in service aces and 35 to 20 in assists.

Ray topped the Titans with 11 kills. Cahoon scooped up 14 digs and produced three service aces and Vara dished out 26 assists and had 11 digs.

Despite only recording one block in its opening contest on Saturday, UW-Oshkosh held The College of St. Catherine to 19 kills and a .044 hitting percentage in the three set sweep. The Wildcats only had two players record more than one kill and were out dug 52-31.

The Titans were led by Cahoon with 15 digs. Vara chipped in 28 assists and 11 digs and Smith had seven kills and three service aces. Julie McGinnis (Fr. • Middleton) came off the bench to hit .800 on four kills.

In what turned out to be the championship match of the tournament, UW-Oshkosh came back to take set five after trailing 8-3 and 11-6 against Colorado College. Down by five points, the Titans’ Smith rattled off six straight serves to push the guests out to a 12-11 advantage. The two combatants traded points until a tip kill by Val Yost (Sr. • Oshkosh) delivered the victory at 18-16.

UW-Oshkosh had four players with double-digit kills lead by Yost with 13, including five in the fifth stanza. Smith finished with 12 kills and eight digs and Fischer and Ray had 11 kills each. Magnuson had nine kills and eight digs. Vara completed 48 assists and nine digs and Cahoon had a match-high 30 digs.

Vara was rewarded as the tournament’s most valuable player and Cahoon and Fischer each were selected to the eight-person all-tournament team.

Titans Ranked 15th In Preseason Poll

UW-Oshkosh is ranked 15th in the American Volleyball Coaches Association's (AVCA) preseason poll of NCAA Division III women's volleyball teams.

The Titans are coming off a 2007 season where they compiled a 32-6 record, including a 3-2 loss to eventual national champion Washington University (Mo.) in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship. UW-Oshkosh shared second place in last year's WIAC standings with UW-Eau Claire.

Juniata College (Pa.) earned the top spot in the poll after receiving 588 points and 13 of the 24 first-place votes. Washington University ranked second with 584 points (10 first-place votes), while Emory University (Ga.) listed third with 541 (one first-place vote), Wittenberg University (Ohio) fourth with 492 and the University of La Verne (Calif.) fifth with 466. UW-Oshkosh collected 233 points in the poll.

UW-Oshkosh was among four WIAC teams ranked. Defending WIAC champion UW-Whitewater was ranked ninth, UW-Eau Claire 19th and UW-La Crosse 20th. Along with playing matches against those teams, UW-Oshkosh will also battle 10th-ranked Carthage College (twice) and 12th-ranked California State University-East Bay during the 2008 campaign.

UW-Oshkosh returns 11 letter winners from last year's team, including starters Megan Fischer (Jr. • Manitowoc) at left-side hitter, Jacque Ray (Jr. • Richland Center) at middle blocker and Andrea Smith (So. • Fond du Lac) at left-side hitter. Katie Beining (Jr. • Brookfield), a left-side hitter, rejoins the team after missing the 2007 season with an injury. She received All-WIAC honorable mention recognition in 2005 and 2006.

UW-Oshkosh, which has won 100 of its last 117 matches, opens its 2008 season against UW-Platteville on Aug. 29 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Titans' first home contest is against Concordia University Wisconsin on Sept. 12.