UW-Oshkosh outside hitter Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee) has been named one of 12 players on the 2011 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Volleyball Team.

Bratel, a first-team selection, played in 131 of the Titans’ 134 sets this season. She ranked second on the team with 334 kills, while posting a hitting percentage of .145. Bratel also compiled 302 digs, 60 blocks and 24 service aces.

During a 3-1 victory over UW-Superior on Oct. 7, Bratel slammed down 18 kills with a .552 hitting percentage. She also racked up 18 kills in a 3-1 triumph over UW-Stout on Oct. 28. Bratel helped the Titans to two more victories with four service aces against Saint Mary’s College (Ind.) on Oct. 14 and five blocks against UW-La Crosse on Oct. 19.

Three teams placed a trio of members on the all-league squad. UW-Eau Claire had Liz Amici, Anne Satterlee and Laura Slinger, while UW-Stevens Point owned Morgan Bartkowiak, Christina Brinkman and Alexis Hartman. UW-Platteville’s selections were Briana Kaiser, Stephanie Kirchner and Ali Sakic. The final two players to earn honors were Erin Green of UW-River Falls and Sofia Sanchez of UW-Whitewater.

Amici received the WIAC’s Player of the Year award, while Sikic was named the Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete of the Year. UW-Stevens Point’s Stacey White was selected as the league's Coach of the Year.

UW-Oshkosh’s Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac) was among the eight players receiving honorable mention status. Nick played in all 36 matches this year and compiled a team-best 359 kills. Her 2.76 kills per set ranks sixth in the WIAC. Nick, who posted 50 blocks, was one of three freshmen to receive all-conference recognition.

The remaining members of the honorable mention team were Heidi Buss and Alivia Holman of UW-Whitewater, Kayla Ashland of UW-La Crosse, Emily Kaiser of UW-Platteville, Kate Mikutowski of UW-Stout, Emily Neave of UW-Eau Claire and Jean Theis of UW-River Falls.

The all-defensive team consisted of UW-Stevens Point's Ally Groth, UW-River Falls' Courtney Preiner, UW-Whitewater's Kelli Trautmann and UW-Superior's Farrah Wirtz. UW-Oshkosh’s Kelsey Mauer (Jr. • Sheboygan Falls) was chosen for the league’s all-sportsmanship team.

UW-Oshkosh finished the season with an 18-18 record, including a fourth-place 4-4 mark in the WIAC.

2011 All-WIAC Women's Volleyball Team

Five former UW-Oshkosh players were among 12 honorees on the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women's Volleyball All-Time Team. Each member of the squad played during the past 25 years and was picked as part of the league's centennial anniversary celebration.

UW-Oshkosh's group consisted of libero Christina Cahoon (2007-10), middle blocker Amy Cayemberg (1988-91), middle blocker Leah Rosenbaum (2004-07), setter Christina Southward (1998-2001) and setter Amy Ward (1993-96). These five standouts were each named All-America at least twice during their UW-Oshkosh careers.

Cahoon (Watertown • Watertown High School) led UW-Oshkosh to a 135-26 record and three WIAC titles. The Titans made four National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III postseason appearances, including finishes of third in 2009 and fifth in 2008. Cahoon was named a NCAA Division III All-American in 2008 and 2009, while receiving the national Player of the Year award in 2009. She is the WIAC's all-time leader with 2,753 career digs.

The conference's career leader in kills (2,292), Cayemberg (Manitowoc • Manitowoc Lincoln High School) earned National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and NCAA Division III All-America honors from 1989-91. UW-Oshkosh went 166-49, qualified for the postseason four times and won a pair of league titles with Cayemberg. She ranks second in WIAC history with a .387 career hitting percentage.

Rosenbaum (Wrightstown • Wrightstown High School) collected NCAA Division III All-America honors from 2005-07. Leading the Titans to three NCAA postseason tournaments and a 122-28 record, Rosenbaum was part of WIAC championships in 2005 and 2006. She ranks third in league records for career hitting percentage (.385) and fifth in career kills (1,726).

Southward (St. Anthony, Minn. • St. Anthony High School) received All-WIAC first team honor all four years, with her squads going 90-57. During her last two years, she helped the Titans to a ninth-place finish in the NCAA Division III Championship. Southward was the conference's Player of the Year in 2001 when UW-Oshkosh earned the league title. She ranks first in WIAC history in both career assists (6,122) and career hitting percentage (.436).

Ward (Palatine, Ill. • Palatine High School), the 1996 national Player of the Year, stands fifth in the league with 5,470 career assists. UW-Oshkosh compiled a 153-31 record and participated in four NCAA Division III tournaments during her career, highlighted by a second-place finish in 1994 and a fourth-place standing in 1996. Ward earned All-America honors her final three seasons and led the Titans to a pair of WIAC titles.

UW-Whitewater also had five players on the all-time team with Denise Cobb (1990-93), Allison Erickson (1998-01), Melinda Erickson (1998-01), Lynn Olsen (1996-99) and Pam Kane (1986-89). The remaining two members were UW-La Crosse's Brianne Stankus (2006-09) and UW-Eau Claire's Kristi Griggs (1985-88). Kris Russell, who guided the Warhawks from 1981-2004, was named the all-time coach.

The WIAC is recognizing the outstanding individuals from the league's 100-year history. All-time teams are being selected in those men's and women's sports that have been classified as "championship" sports at some point since 1913. Additional teams will be released on a weekly basis throughout much of the 2011-12 academic year. 

All-time team members will receive certificates from the conference and it is hoped that most, if not all, of the recipients will be in attendance or represented at the WIAC Centennial Banquet in Madison on Aug. 4, 2012.

More information on the activities and events associated with the WIAC Centennial is available at www.wiacsports.com.

UW-Platteville led throughout and cruised to a 3-0 decision over UW-Oshkosh in a first-round match of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women's Volleyball Tournament on Tuesday (Nov. 1) in Kolf Sports Center. The Pioneers (21-14) advance to play UW-Stevens Point (25-6) in the semifinals on Friday (Nov. 4) in Stevens Point.

In Tuesday's other first-round match, UW-Eau Claire (21-11) defeated UW-River Falls (16-18) by set scores of 25-16, 25-22, 23-25 and 25-19. The Blugolds will play UW-Whitewater (24-7) in the semifinals on Friday in Stevens Point. Semifinal round winners meet Saturday in Stevens Point for the WIAC's automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championship.

The Titans (18-18) fell to the Pioneers by set scores of 25-20, 25-21 and 25-17. After alternating points for most of the opening set, UW-Platteville scored four in a row to pull away from a 19-18 margin. The Pioneers tallied six straight during the second game to go up, 19-12, and they never looked back after going ahead, 8-2, in the third set.

UW-Platteville hit .333 for the match, including .536 in the third set and .341 in the first. The Pioneers used 12 kills and a .417 hitting percentage from Emily Kaiser to erase a 3-1 loss to UW-Oshkosh earlier in the season. UW-Platteville also received 11 kills and three digs from LeeAnn Mizgalski, 11 kills and five blocks from Briana Kaiser, 42 assists from Ali Sikic and 13 digs from Brooke Nichols.

Completing its 13th straight season of .500 or better, the Titans hit .190 against the Pioneers. Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac) was the kill leader at 10, as Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend) posted 25 assists, seven digs and three kills. UW-Oshkosh also acquired 16 digs from Robyn Eggert (So. • Woodridge, Ill.) and eight from both Sarah Petermann (So. • Appleton) and Danielle Stoppenbach (Fr. • Burlington).

UW-Platteville makes its second visit of the season to UW-Oshkosh when the two women's volleyball teams meet in an opening-round match of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament on Tuesday (Nov. 1) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh enters the 7 p.m. contest with an 18-17 record. The Titans shared fourth place in the WIAC's regular-season standings with UW-Platteville (20-14), but UW-Oshkosh earned the six-team tournament's fourth seed due to its 3-1 (20-25, 15-19, 25-18, 25-23) victory over the fifth-seeded Pioneers on Sept. 21.

Another opening round game on Tuesday has sixth-seeded UW-River Falls (16-17) traveling to third-seeded UW-Eau Claire (20-11). The host Blugolds shared the WIAC's regular-season title with UW-Stevens Point (25-6) and UW-Whitewater (24-7).

The winner of Tuesday's match between UW-Oshkosh and UW-Platteville will play top-seeded UW-Stevens Point on Friday (Nov. 4) in Stevens Point. Friday's other semifinal round contest in Stevens Point has second-seeded UW-Whitewater challenging the winner between UW-Eau Claire and UW-River Falls.

Matches for first and third places will be held Saturday (Nov. 5) in Stevens Point. The winner of the WIAC Tournament receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

UW-Oshkosh won the WIAC Tournament in 1990, 1991, 1994 and 2008.

Ticket prices for UW-Oshkosh's match against UW-Platteville are $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens (55 and older) and $3 for students (Grades K-12, College).

Erin Green totaled 24 kills and five blocks to give UW-River Falls a 3-0 victory over the UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team on Saturday (Oct. 29) in River Falls.

The Falcons (16-17/3-5 WIAC) swept the match with set scores of 25-22, 25-13 and 25-20. UW-River Falls dominated right away with hitting percentages of .405 in the first game and .357 in the second. The Titans finish their regular season with an 18-17 (4-4 WIAC) record.

As Green hit .559, Danielle Gibbemeyer added a mark of .290 with 12 kills. Mackenzie Suda earned all 30 of the Falcons’ assists. UW-River Falls totaled 54 digs, led by 15 from Courtney Preiner and 14 from Gibbemeyer.

UW-Oshkosh’s hitting percentage was .111, and it got 10 kills from Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee). Kayla Powers (Jr. • Tomahawk) tacked on nine kills, while Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend) booked all 30 Titan assists. Sarah Petermann (So. • Appleton) paced the visitors with 18 digs and Robyn Eggert (So. • Woodridge, Ill.) scooped 10 attempts.

The Titans will host UW-Platteville in round one of the WIAC Tournament on Tuesday (Nov.1) at 7 p.m.

UW-Oshkosh kept its hopes alive of hosting a WIAC Tournament match with its 3-1 victory over the UW-Stout women’s volleyball team on Friday (Oct. 28) in Menomonie.

The Titans (18-6) improved their league record to 4-3 and remain tied for fourth in the conference. UW-Oshkosh took down the Blue Devils (5-22/1-6 WIAC) by scores of 25-20, 25-27, 25-15 and 28-26. During the fourth set, the Titans overcame a 20-13 deficit to leave with a win.

Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend) posted all of her team’s 49 assists, as UW-Oshkosh hit .253 on the night. Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee) topped the squad with 18 kills, while Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac) slammed down 11. The Titans’ 65 digs featured 19 by Sarah Petermann (So. • Appleton) and 13 from Bratel. Kayla Powers (Jr. • Tomahawk) assisted on five blocks at the net.

UW-Stout had three players with double-digit kills, led by 13 from Kate Mikutowski. Karley Wiensch compiled 39 assists, to go along with 18 digs by Megan Shanahan. The Blue Devils, who hit .217, also received 11 kills and four blocks from Morgan Denny.

UW-Oshkosh’s final regular-season match will be at UW-River Falls on Saturday (Oct. 29).

UW-Whitewater scored 10 of the last 11 points to earn a 3-2 women’s volleyball decision over UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday (Oct. 26) in Kolf Sports Center. The Warhawks (22-7/5-1 WIAC) entered the match ranked 21st in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

During the fifth set, UW-Whitewater expanded on its 5-4 lead to win the game, 15-5. The Warhawks also captured the second set by a 25-13 score and the third by a 25-21 figure. UW-Oshkosh won the first (25-13) and fourth (25-19) sets to extend the match.

UW-Oshkosh (17-16/3-3 WIAC) started off on fire, bolting to cushions of 11-4 and 20-9 in the opening game. The second and third sets were close, but UW-Whitewater found a way to prevail in each. UW-Oshkosh posted an 8-1 scoring run late in the fourth set to obtain a 21-17 advantage.

Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee) led the Titans with 17 kills, in addition to her 16 digs. UW-Oshkosh also got a match-high 23 digs from Sarah Petermann (So. • Appleton) and 41 assists from Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend). Larissa Krumplitsch (Jr. • Appleton) paced all players with eight blocks.

UW-Whitewater used 18 kills by Sofia Sanchez to compile a .143 hitting percentage. Kelsey Nobilio dug out 19 shots, while Heidi Buss led the Warhawks with 39 assists.

UW-Oshkosh has its next two matches on the road, beginning with UW-Stout on Friday (Oct. 28) in Menomonie.

Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee) totaled 22 kills and six blocks as UW-Oshkosh dropped a trio of matches at the UW-Whitewater Women's Volleyball Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 21-22) in Whitewater.

The Titans (17-15) went up against teams that have a combined record of 70-17. Carthage College (24-5) topped UW-Oshkosh by a 3-0 score on Friday. While Carthage College is the 10th-ranked team in the NCAA Division III, the Titans’ next opponent was Wittenberg University (Ohio), the fourth-ranked squad in the country. Both Wittenberg University (26-3) and Wartburg College (Iowa) defeated UW-Oshkosh by a 3-0 score on Saturday.

In their contest with Carthage College, the Titans were on the short end of 25-19, 25-16 and 25-22 scores. Kayla Powers (Jr. • Tomahawk) hit .500 and marked eight kills, while Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend) booked 23 assists. Sarah Petermann (So. • Appleton) tacked on 19 digs for UW-Oshkosh.

Wittenberg University, posting wins of 25-17, 25-18 and 25-20, limited the Titans to a hitting percentage of .024. Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac) led the way with nine of her team’s 24 kills, to go along with 15 assists and 14 digs from Liebetrau.

UW-Oshkosh finished the tournament with its best effort, as it hit .345 during the third set of its 25-17, 25-18, 25-22 defeat to Wartburg College (20-9). Bratel (nine kills) and Liebetrau (28 assists) again ran the offense. The defensive leader was Larissa Krumplitsch (Jr. • Appleton), who contributed four blocks.

For the event, Nick totaled 19 kills in three matches. Petermann topped the squad with 37 digs, while Liebetrau posted 66 assists. UW-Oshkosh hit .119 overall.

The Titans have their next challenge against UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Oct. 26) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh captured the odd-numbered sets to come away with a 3-2 women’s volleyball triumph at UW-La Crosse on Wednesday (Oct. 19).

The Titans (17-12/3-2 WIAC) were victorious in the first, third and fifth games by scores of 25-18, 25-17 and 15-11. Extending the match, the Eagles (5-18/1-4 WIAC) earned the second and fourth games with 25-20 and 25-15 margins.

Each team had a run of nine straight points, with UW-Oshkosh’s coming in the first set for a 15-10 lead. The Titans were down 7-1 during the third, but they dominated the rest of the way to take a 2-1 overall cushion.

UW-La Crosse owned a 16-15 advantage in the fourth game before recording nine unanswered points to take the set. In the final bout, UW-Oshkosh jumped to a 9-3 lead and closed out the match. It was the Titans’ seventh straight victory over UW-La Crosse.

Sarah Petermann (So. • Appleton) notched 10 kills to lead the visitors, who also received 32 assists from Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend). Robyn Eggert (So. • Woodridge, Ill.) tacked on 16 digs and three service aces, while Kayla Powers (Jr. • Tomahawk) turned in six blocks.

Hitting .371, Katie Gunderson led UW-La Crosse with 14 kills. Liz Schlobohm paced the squad with 31 assists. Other main contributors for the Eagles were Brianna Jacobson (nine blocks) and Meghan Ashwill (17 digs).

UW-Oshkosh has three non-conference matches scheduled for Friday and Saturday (Oct. 21-22) in Whitewater.

UW-Oshkosh won a pair of matches before dropping two against stiff competition at its own women's volleyball invitational on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 14-15) in Kolf Sports Center.

The Titans (16-12) defeated both Saint Mary’s College (Ind.) and Central College (Iowa) by 3-1 scores on Friday. Saturday's matches included 3-0 sweeps by Dominican University (Ill.) and Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.), Dominican University won the six-team event with a perfect 4-0 record.

In the first matchup, UW-Oshkosh marked a 20-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-10 victory over Saint Mary’s College (7-10). The Titans’ comeback featured hitting percentages of .250 in the second set and .316 in the fourth. Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee) pounded 17 kills while scooping 10 digs. Sarah Petermann (So. • Appleton) also kept numerous rallies alive with 23 digs.

Against Central College (16-8), the Titans started strong and rolled to a 25-13, 19-25, 25-20, 25-21 decision. Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac) handled the scoring duties with 15 kills, as Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend) booked 41 assists. UW-Oshkosh also used 30 digs from Robyn Eggert (So. • Woodridge, Ill.).

The Titans totaled a negative hitting percentage in their final two sets of a 26-24, 25-14, 25-20 loss to Dominican University (21-4). Nick led the way with 12 kills, while Kayla Powers (Jr. • Tomahawk) got up for four blocks. Liebetrau obtained three points on service aces.

UW-Oshkosh had 13 players see the court in their 25-22, 25-20, 25-17 setback to Gustavus Adolphus College (18-7). Eggert paced the squad with 13 digs, as Powers contributed seven kills on just 11 attacks. Maddie Ogden (Sr. • Sheboygan) also booked 20 assists in the match.

Both Eggert and Liebetrau made the 10-person All-Tournament Team, which featured Dominican University's Jacy Lawrence as the event's most outstanding player. Liebetrau totaled 101 assists for the weekend, while Eggert notched a team-high 63 digs. The Titans also received 36 kills from Nick and 33 more from Bratel.

UW-Oshkosh returns to conference play at UW-La Crosse on Wednesday (Oct. 19).

UW-Eau Claire surged with five of the final six points to pull out a 3-0 women’s volleyball decision over UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (Oct. 8) in Kolf Sports Center.

The Blugolds (11-11/3-1 WIAC) dominated the first two sets on their way to a 25-16, 25-18, 27-25 victory. Liz Amici posted 15 kills and seven blocks to lead all players, while teammate Anne Satterlee hit .643 with 11 kills.

During game one, UW-Eau Claire went on an 8-2 scoring run to gain a 19-11 cushion. Trailing 5-4 in the second set, the Blugolds rattled off six straight points to take the lead for good.

UW-Oshkosh (14-10/2-2 WIAC) fought in its elimination set by marking 5-of-6 points to go ahead, 18-15. The Titans owned a set point at 24-22, but the Blugolds’ defense stepped up and closed out the match.

Emily Neave compiled 37 assists for UW-Eau Claire, while the hosts were led by 23 from Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend). Both the Blugolds’ Lauren Sutherland and the Titans’ Robyn Eggert (So. • Woodridge, Ill.) dug out 12 balls. UW-Oshkosh, which lost the hitting column (.326-.072), received eight kills from Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac).

The Titans will participate in their own six-team MVP Invitational next weekend (Oct. 14-15) in Kolf Sports Center.

Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee) and Kayla Powers (Jr. • Tomahawk) each hit above .530 as UW-Oshkosh recorded a 3-1 women’s volleyball win over UW-Superior on Friday (Oct. 7) in Kolf Sports Center.

The Titans (14-9/2-1 WIAC) took the match by scores of 25-21, 20-25, 25-13 and 25-19. Bratel topped all players with 18 kills and a .552 hitting percentage, while Powers checked in with 10 kills and a mark of .533. Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac) added 14 kills for UW-Oshkosh, which hit .258 on the night.

The first set was close, with the teams alternating nine consecutive points in the middle of the game. Leading, 22-21, the Titans broke away with the final three points to clinch a victory.

UW-Superior (11-9/1-3 WIAC) dominated the early part of the second set and posted a 20-11 cushion. UW-Oshkosh rallied to pull within 23-19, but the Yellowjackets evened the match at one game apiece.

The Titans grabbed the momentum by posting eight unanswered points in the middle of the third set. During the fourth, UW-Oshkosh flipped a 14-11 deficit and turned it into a 24-17 lead with its 13-3 run.

Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend) contributed 49 assists and 19 digs for the Titans, as Robyn Eggert (So. • Woodridge, Ill.) paced everyone with 20 digs. Kelsey Mauer (Jr. • Sheboygan Falls) tallied five blocks, while Liebetrau was posted four more.

The Yellowjackets, who hit .074, received seven kills from both Kitty Tynen and Salann Gilbert. Keely Deadrick compiled 21 assists, to go along with Erin Booth’s team-high 16 digs.

UW-Oshkosh has a home match against UW-Eau Claire on Saturday (Oct. 8).

UW-Oshkosh hit .230 during a win over Lawrence University after dropping a women’s volleyball match to St. Norbert College on Tuesday (Oct. 4) in Stevens Point.

The Titans (13-9) struggled in a 25-22, 25-19, 25-22 loss to the Green Knights (15-4). Bouncing right back, UW-Oshkosh posted a 25-21, 14-25, 25-17, 25-17 victory against Lawrence University (10-11).

St. Norbert College out-hit the Titans, .287-.034, in their three-set decision. Breanne Brocker and Alex Bresser each hammered 11 kills to lead the Green Knights. The victors also took advantage of 30 assists by Abby West and 21 digs from Catherine Guido.

UW-Oshkosh committed 24 errors on its 89 attacks. Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend) dished out 12 assists, while Larissa Krumplitsch (Jr. • Appleton) posted a team-high nine kills. The Titans stayed close thanks to 14 digs by Robyn Eggert (So. • Woodridge, Ill.) and seven more from Danielle Stoppenbach (Fr. • Burlington).

During the nightcap, UW-Oshkosh finished strong with hitting percentages of .370 in the third set and .400 in the fourth. Sarah Petermann (So. • Appleton) accounted for 13 kills, as Liebetrau marked 18 of the Titans’ 41 assists. Eggert again led the way with 14 digs.

Diane McLeod counted 28 assists for Lawrence University, which hit .045 for the match. The Vikings received 12 kills and four blocks from Clare Bohrer, along with 20 digs by Kathleen Rowland.

UW-Oshkosh has its next six matches at home, beginning against UW-Superior on Friday (Oct. 7).

UW-Oshkosh rattled off three consecutive wins before falling to a top-10 team at the Purple & Gold Women's Volleyball Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) in Rochester, N.Y.

The Titans (12-8) knocked off Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.) and Nazareth College (N.Y.) to begin the event on Friday. UW-Oshkosh then swept Baptist Bible College (Pa.) and took a 3-0 loss to Heidelberg University (Ohio) on Saturday. Heidelberg University is currently ranked eighth in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).

Against Rochester Institute of Technology (9-13), the Titans won by scores of 25-22, 25-13 and 25-18. UW-Oshkosh hit at least .188 in each set (.275 overall) and used 12 kills by Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac). A total of 31 points were set up by Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend), while she also compiled eight digs. Sarah Petermann (So. • Appleton) led the squad with 14 digs.

Nazareth College (12-8) took an early lead during its match, but UW-Oshkosh fought back for a 22-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-21, 15-12 triumph. Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee) handled the scoring duties with 12 kills, in addition to her 16 digs. The Titans prevailed thanks to 18 assists by Alison Tomczyk and 20 more digs by Robyn Eggert (So. • Woodridge, Ill.).

UW-Oshkosh’s best performance, hitting .305, came against Baptist Bible College (7-12). The Titans were able to pull out wins of 25-19, 25-23 and 25-23. Nine different players marked a kill, with seven coming from both Nick and Kelsey Mauer (Jr. • Sheboygan Falls). Liebetrau compiled 10 assists, as Danielle Stoppenbach (Fr. • Burlington) marked a team-best 11 digs.

During the final match of the road trip, Heidelberg defeated the Titans by a 25-22, 25-20, 25-20 count. The setback gave UW-Oshkosh second place in the seven-team field. Petermann and Larissa Krumplitsch (Jr. • Appleton) each slammed eight kills, but the Titans couldn’t overcome their 25 total errors. Liebetrau racked up 19 assists and Eggert 17 digs to pace the squad.

Bratel and Mauer were each named to the All-Tournament Team, which featured Heidelberg’s Venessa Haase as the MVP. For the event, Nick had 32 kills, Liebetrau notched 72 assists and Kayla Powers (Jr. • Tomahawk) booked 12 blocks. Eggert topped the Titans with 53 digs and eight service aces.

UW-Oshkosh heads to Stevens Point to face St. Norbert College and Lawrence University on Tuesday (Oct. 4).

UW-Stevens Point compiled a 19-4 edge in blocks to take down UW-Oshkosh, 3-2, in a women’s volleyball match on Wednesday (Sept. 28) in Stevens Point.

The Pointers (10-6/3-1 WIAC) took the five-set contest by scores of 25-23, 23-25, 21-25, 25-14 and 15-10. UW-Oshkosh (9-7/1-1 WIAC) held a 7-6 lead in the deciding fifth game, but UW-Stevens Point responded with five straight points – including the last four on Titan errors.

Morgan Bartkowiak was part of 13 Pointer blocks that limited UW-Oshkosh to a hitting percentage of .084. Alexis Hartman also recorded seven block assists while setting up her teammates with 53 assists. Christina Brinkman and Sarah Wildish each paced the victors with 19 kills.

UW-Stevens Point, which hit .224 for the night, marked an 8-1 spurt during game one to take control. The Titans reversed the score in the second set by bolting to a 14-7 cushion. Tying the game four times in the closing minutes, the Pointers couldn’t finish during a two-point defeat.

Consecutive blocks gave UW-Oshkosh a 7-3 advantage in game three. Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac) then closed out the 25-21 win with kills on the final two points. The fourth set was a completely different story, as the Pointers tallied six unanswered points to go ahead, 16-9, and lead the rest of the night.

The Titans benefitted from Jordyn Bratel’s (So. • Milwaukee) 17 kills, Morgan Liebetrau’s (Jr. • West Bend) 43 assists and Sarah Petermann’s (So. • Appleton) 22 digs. UW-Oshkosh committed 37 errors to the Pointers’ 22, while UW-Stevens Point posted a slim, 83-81 margin in digs.

UW-Oshkosh will play four matches at the Purple & Gold Invitational in Rochester, N.Y. on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 30-Oct. 1).

UW-Oshkosh hit over .400 during the second and third sets as it rallied for a 3-1 women’s volleyball victory over UW-Platteville on Wednesday (Sept. 21) in Kolf Sports Center. The match was the WIAC opener for both squads.

The Pioneers (8-5/0-1 WIAC), ranked 23rd n the NCAA Division III, took control early with a 25-20 win in the first set. The Titans (9-6/1-0 WIAC) then picked up their intensity and captured the final three games by scores of 25-19, 25-18 and 25-23. UW-Oshkosh, the defending league co-champion, won its WIAC opener for the seventh straight year.

During game one, UW-Platteville bolted to a 13-6 lead after five consecutive points. The Titans responded with the next six points to pull within one, but they could never tie the score. The Pioneers marked a .429-.161 hitting advantage to prevail.

UW-Oshkosh again trailed early in the second set, but it responded with an 8-2 scoring run to go in front, 16-11. The Titans closed out the game with six of the final nine points. Committing just two errors, UW-Oshkosh hit .406 compared to the visitor’s figure of .222.

Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac) dominated the middle of set three as the Titans booked a .486 hitting percentage. Nick slammed down multiple kills in succession to build on a 19-16 lead. UW-Platteville hit .250 for the third game.

The Pioneers refused to go away, obtaining a 16-12 advantage during the fourth set. UW-Oshkosh slowly chipped away at its deficit before finishing with a 7-3 scoring run for the triumph.  The Titans recorded 17 kills on 50 attacks to hit .240, while UW-Platteville succeeded on just 10 of its 40 attacks for a mark of .125.

UW-Oshkosh finished with 19 kills and a hitting percentage of .459 from Nick, along with 15 kills and two service aces from Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee). Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend) handled the set-up duties, booking 58 of her team’s 60 assists. The Titans also benefitted from 30 digs by Robyn Eggert (So. • Woodridge, Ill.) and 13 more by Brittney Cote (Jr. • Orland Park, Ill.).

LeeAnn Mizgalski paced UW-Platteville with 12 kills, as Ali Sakic compiled a team-high 35 assists. The Pioneers received 17 digs from Brooke Nichols and four blocks from Emily Kaiser.

The Titans’ next match will be at UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday (Sept. 28).

The UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team won six sets by two points on their way to a 4-0 record in capturing the nine-team UW-Oshkosh Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 16-17) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (8-6) took care of Concordia University Wisconsin, 25-11, 25-20, 23-25, 25-17 and Carroll University, 25-15, 26-24, 25-23 on Friday to secure first play in their opening pool. The Titans went on to defeat UW-Eau Claire, 26-24, 22-25, 25-21, 29-27 and Elmhurst College (Ill.), 26-24, 25-23, 14-25, 25-21 on Saturday to cap off the weekend.

Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend) led the offense by dishing out 154 assists, while adding 22 digs and seven service aces. Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac) slammed down 50 kills, Robyn Eggert (So. • Woodridge, Ill.) scooped up 94 digs and Kayla Powers (Jr. • Tomahawk) provided 26 kills and 15 blocks. Sarah Petermann (So. • Appleton) piled up 43 kills, 57 digs and six blocks and Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee) chalked up 30 kills, 23 digs and seven blocks.

In beating Concordia University Wisconsin (1-8) for the second time in one week all 16 UW-Oshkosh players received court time. Nick led the Titans with 10 kills on a .444 hitting percentage and Liebetrau provided 22 helpers. Eggert patrolled the back court with 21 digs and Danielle Stoppenbach (Fr. • Burlington) seized 10 digs and added four kills. Petermann had 11 kills on a .500 hitting percentage and added 13 digs and Sarah Micheli (Fr. • Wheaton, Ill.) had eight kills.

Maddie Ogden (Sr. • Sheboygan) tallied 15 assists and Kristin Kozlovsky (Fr. • Denmark) had nine assists and eight digs. Larissa Krumplitsch (Jr. • Appleton) had five kills on a .625 hitting percentage and Kelsey Mauer (Jr. • Sheboygan) added four kills on nine errorless attempts. Jessie Schira (Sr. • Wausau), Kozlovsky, Nick and Powers each had three blocks.

Nick provided the offense in the sweep of Carroll University (5-8) with 12 kills, while adding three blocks. Liebetrau had 28 assists and eight digs, Powers amassed three service aces and three blocks and Bratel had seven kills and six digs. Eggert channeled 16 digs and Petermann provided seven digs and two blocks.

UW-Oshkosh had four players with double-digit kills in their dramatic victory over WIAC rival UW-Eau Claire (6-7) in the non-conference tilt. Bratel had 14 kills, followed by Petermann with 13 and Nick and Powers with 11. Krumplitsch added seven kills on nine attempts as the team hit .286 in the match.

Liebetrau dished out 57 assists and scooped up eight digs and had two service aces. Her lone block in the match came on match point. Eggert totaled 26 digs, Petermann 21 and Brittney Cote (Jr. • Orland Park, Ill.) 10. Powers had a team-high four blocks and Bratel and Petermann each recorded three service aces.

UW-Oshkosh turned the tables on Elmhurst College (9-2) in the championship match after losing to the Blue Jays, 25-18, 25-19, 23-25, 25-17 on Sept. 6.  Nick slammed down 17 kills on a .353 hitting percentage to pace the Titans. Petermann added 16 kills and 16 digs and Eggert had a career-high 31 digs and added two service aces. Liebetrau did the work on the offensive end with 47 assists and Powers contributed eight kills and five blocks.

Eggert, Nick and Petermann were named to the 10-person all-tournament team with Petermann capturing most outstanding player honors. Joining the Titans on the squad were Emily Cecka from Carroll University, Perrie Morgan and Antoneya Veasy Smith from Elmhurst College, Lisa Aguilar from Ripon College, Katelyn Hauf from Martin Luther College (Minn.), Liz Amici from UW-Eau Claire and Rachel Johnson from Wisconsin Lutheran College.

Next up for the Titans, who have now won seven of their last eight matches is a showdown with UW-Platteville on Wednesday (Sept. 21). The contest marks the WIAC opener for both teams and will be played in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh won its opening three contests before losing in the title match to place second at the Pizza Hut Women's Volleyball Classic on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 9-10) in Kolf Sports Center.

The Titans (4-6) defeated Concordia University Wisconsin, 25-21, 25-15, 25-19 and Lake Forest College, 25-21, 25-10, 25-17 on Friday, while beating St. Norbert College, 25-23, 20-25, 25-18, 25-19, and falling to the University of Chicago (Ill.), 17-25, 25-18, 25-15, 25-21 on Saturday.

Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac) paced the Titans in the tournament with 50 kills and hit .282. Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend) dished out 149 assists and added 25 digs, 17 kills, seven service aces and seven blocks. Robyn Eggert (So. • Woodridge, Ill.) collected 56 digs, Sarah Petermann (So. • Appleton) tallied 42 digs and 35 kills and Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee) contributed 43 kills, 31 digs and four service aces. Kelsey Mauer (Jr. • Sheboygan Falls) had 13 blocks, including 10 solo stuffs, and Brittney Cote (Jr. • Orland Park, Ill.) scooped up 37 digs.

UW-Oshkosh hit .305 as a team in its sweep of Concordia University Wisconsin (0-4). Bratel led the Titans with 14 kills and added six digs and two service aces. Liebetrau racked up 37 assists and Cote had a season-high 16 digs. Eggert posted eight digs, while Nick chipped in 11 kills and two blocks. Kayla Powers (Jr. • Tomahawk) piled up four blocks and six kills, as Petermann booked seven kills on 15 errorless attempts for a .467 hitting percentage.

Nick led UW-Oshkosh with 11 kills in the win over Lake Forest College (1-6). Liebetrau provided 33 assists, seven kills, six digs and two service aces, while Bratel contributed 12 digs and six kills and Eggert 13 digs. Petermann again did not commit a hitting error on her 13 attempts, finishing with six kills and a .462 hitting percentage, to go along with 12 digs. Mauer slammed down six kills and Powers provided five kills and three blocks. The Titans finished with a .322 hitting percentage.

Nick once again provided the offense for the Titans against St. Norbert College (3-4) with a career-high 22 kills on a .366 hitting percentage. Liebetrau provided 49 assists on UW-Oshkosh’s 60 kills and added nine digs. Mauer recorded six solo blocks and Eggert had a team-leading 19 digs. Petermann collected 14 digs and 11 kills, with Bratel soaring to a .407 hitting percentage on 14 kills.

In the championship match of the tournament, UW-Oshkosh started off strong against 21st-ranked ranked University of Chicago (9-0). The Titans piled up six blocks, including two solo blocks apiece by Liebetrau and Mauer to take an early lead in the match.

Tied 17-17 in set two, the Maroons scored eight of the next nine points to even the match. The Titans could only manage six kills in the third set and trailed 19-12 during set four before mounting a comeback. UW-Oshkosh went on an 8-2 scoring skein to inch to within 21-20. The University of Chicago responded with a side-out on a kill and recorded a service ace to claim a 23-20 advantage. After receiving another point off a hitting error by the Titans, the Maroons served for match point at 24-20. UW-Oshkosh received a kill by Petermann before losing the contest on a kill by the Maroons.

Petermann finished with a team-leading 11 kills and added nine digs. Eggert amassed 16 digs, Bratel nine kills and six digs and Nick six kills and four blocks. Mauer also had four blocks, while Liebetrau snagged 30 assists, six digs, three blocks and two service aces.

Liebetrau and Nick were named to the 10-player all-tournament squad. Others named to the team were Allison Davis from Lakeland College, Tia Rupnick from Lake Forest College, Clare Bohrer from Lawrence University, Catherine Guido and Danielle Remy from St. Norbert College, Nikki DelZenero and Isis Smalls from University of Chicago and Keely Deadrick from UW-Superior. DelZenero was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

UW-Oshkosh lost the first two sets of each match as it fell to the UW-Stevens Point and Elmhurst College (Ill.) volleyball teams on Wednesday (Sept. 7) in Kolf Sports Center.

The Pointers improved to 5-0 on the season with a 25-23, 25-15, 25-17 win over UW-Oshkosh in the first match of the triangular. Elmhurst College (5-1) then defeated UW-Stevens Point before topping UW-Oshkosh by a 25-18, 25-19, 23-25, 25-17 tally.

The Titans (1-5) hit just .022 against UW-Stevens Point, while the Pointers marked a hitting percentage of .247. UW-Stevens Point totaled a hitting advantage of .423-.045 during its strong second set. Christina Brinkman led the victors with 15 kills, as Alexis Hartman served up 24 assists. UW-Oshkosh used six kills apiece from Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac) and Kayla Powers (Jr. • Tomahawk).

Elmhurst College dominated at the net thanks to 17 kills on 22 attacks by Megan Reynolds. The Bluejays used that production to take the hitting category, .309-.129. Erin Thill (27 assists) and Katie Rueffer (19) were each vital to the Elmhurst victory. For UW-Oshkosh, Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend) booked 33 assists and Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee) 14 kills. The Titans received 20 digs from Sarah Petermann (So. • Appleton) and 12 more from Bratel.

UW-Oshkosh will host the eight-team Pizza Hut Classic Friday and Saturday (Sept 9-10) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh struggled with consistency as it dropped 3-of-4 volleyball matches at the season-opening Northwestern College Invitational on Thursday and Friday (Sept. 1-2) in St. Paul, Minn.

The Titans (1-3) notched a win over Northwestern College (Minn.) in their first action before losing to UW-River Falls, Wisconsin Lutheran College and Bethel University (Minn.).

Winning the second, fourth and fifth sets, UW-Oshkosh battled for a 16-25, 25-20, 21-25, 25-21, 15-11 victory over Northwestern College (0-1). The Titans used 17 kills from Morgan Nick (Fr. • Fond du Lac) to compile a team hitting percentage of .135. Morgan Liebetrau (Jr. • West Bend) totaled a match-best 43 assists, while Robyn Eggert (So. • Woodridge, Ill.) contributed 21 digs and Jordyn Bratel (So. • Milwaukee) 20. Northwestern College was paced by 17 kills from Chelsea Koth and 43 assists from Krista Stoltz.

UW-River Falls dominated the first two sets on its way to a 25-12, 25-18, 15-25, 25-23 triumph over the Titans. The Falcons had four players register double-digit kills, led by 12 each from Erin Green and Kayla Slaikeu. UW-Oshkosh hit .209 while getting a dozen kills from Bratel, 30 assists from Liebetrau and 19 digs by Eggert.

Wisconsin Lutheran College took its match to the limit, finally prevailing by a 26-24, 19-25, 25-16, 21-25, 15-13 tally. The Titans hit .400 during the fourth set to force a deciding game. UW-Oshkosh out-hit Wisconsin Lutheran College, .225-.117, but lost the kills category, 55-47. Nick slammed a match-high 18 kills as Bratel and Danielle Stoppenbach (Fr. • Burlington) booked 16 digs apiece. Kayla Ridgeman kept numerous points alive for WLC in recording 25 digs.

UW-Oshkosh was hampered by 32 hitting errors in its 25-19, 14-25, 25-23, 25-16 defeat to Bethel. Both teams hit .000 in the fourth set, but Bethel University compiled a 50-43 overall edge in kills. The Titans’ .154 hitting featured nine kills on 17 attacks by Heidi Gors (Jr. • Madison). UW-Oshkosh also received 27 assists from Maddie Ogden (Sr. • Sheboygan), while Bethel University rode the 34 assists by Kate Smith.

Bratel was selected to the all-tournament team after marking 41 kills, 62 digs and nine blocks in the four matches. The Titans were led by Eggert in digs (77) and Nick in kills (46). Liebetrau ended the event with 112 assists and 25 digs. UW-Oshkosh averaged 10.67 kills per set to post a .176 hitting percentage.

The Titans open up their home schedule against UW-Stevens Point and Elmhurst College (Ill.) on Wednesday (Sept. 7).

The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team has been projected to finish second in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings for 2011, according to a preseason poll conducted by the league's sports information directors.

UW-Oshkosh, which has won or shared the WIAC title five times in the past six years, captured four first-place votes in the survey. The Titans return nine letter winners and two starters from last year's squad that compiled a 24-14 record and shared the WIAC crown with UW-Eau Claire. The Titans suffered a 3-0 loss to Carthage College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship and finished the season as the 23rd-ranked team in the country.

UW-Whitewater collected three first-place votes and came in as the preseason favorite, while UW-Eau Claire was predicted to finish third. UW-Platteville, tabbed to finish fourth, picked up a pair of first-place votes.

Rounding out the poll were fifth-place UW-River Falls, sixth-place UW-La Crosse, seventh-place UW-Stevens Point, eighth-place UW-Stout and ninth-place UW-Superior.

UW-Oshkosh and UW-Eau Claire compiled 7-1 records to split last year's WIAC championship. UW-Platteville and UW-Whitewater shared third place with 6-2 league marks. Tied for fifth place with 3-5 records were UW-La Crosse, UW-River Falls and UW-Stevens Point.

UW-Oshkosh, which has won 203 of its last 240 matches, opens its 2011 season against Northwestern College on Sept. 1 in St. Paul, Minn. The match is the first of four that the Titans will play over the course of the two-day ACR Homes Volleyball Opener hosted by Northwestern College. UW-Oshkosh's first WIAC contest is at home against UW-Platteville on Sept. 21.

2011 UW-Oshkosh Preseason Information

The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team received 26 votes to unofficially rank 28th in a preseason NCAA Division III poll executed by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

UW-Oshkosh, which has won 203 of its last 240 matches, returns nine letter winners and two starters from last year's squad that compiled a 24-14 record and shared the WIAC title with UW-Eau Claire. The Titans suffered a 3-0 loss to Carthage College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship and finished the season as the 23rd-ranked team in the country.

The WIAC had three teams listed in the top 25, ninth-ranked UW-Platteville, 20th-ranked UW-Eau Claire and 24th-ranked UW-Whitewater. In addition to matches against those opponents, UW-Oshkosh is also scheduled to play fifth-ranked Wittenberg University (Ohio), 11th-ranked Carthage College and 12th-ranked Heidelberg University (Ohio) this fall.

Defending national champion Calvin College (Mich.) earned the top spot in the preseason poll after collecting 599 points and 23 first-place votes. Emory University (Ga.) ranked second with 577 points and one first-place vote. Rounding out the top five teams were third-ranked Washington University (Mo.) with 552 points and fourth-ranked Christopher Newport University (Va.) with 511.

UW-Oshkosh opens its 2011 season against Northwestern College on Sept. 1 in St. Paul, Minn. The match is the first of four that the Titans will play over the course of the two-day ACR Homes Volleyball Opener hosted by Northwestern College. UW-Oshkosh's first home contest is against UW-Stevens Point on Sept. 7.

The Titans open their training camp for the 2011 season on Friday (Aug. 19).