University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Titans

Rosenbaum Named To NCAA All-America Team

Leah Rpsenbaum Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown) became the third UW-Oshkosh player to receive NCAA Division III All-America status three times when she was named to the 12-person first team by the American Volleyball Coaches Association for the second consecutive season. In 2005, Rosenbaum was an All-America third team selection.

Rosenbaum joins Christina Southward (1999-2001) and Amy Ward (1994-1996) as UW-Oshkosh players who received multiple NCAA Division All-America awards. Amy Cayemberg (1989-1991) also was a three-time All-American recipient, twice competing in the NCAA Division III and once participating in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Joining Rosenbaum on the 36-member NCAA Division III All-America list from the Midwest Region were first team selection Kelly Bauer of Carthage College and Carlene Polk of UW-Whitewater, second team selections Kate LaZotte of UW-Whitewater and Jori Simmons of Carthage College and third-team selection Maggie Kelly of North Central College (Ill.)

Rosenbaum, who received NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region and All-WIAC first team honors in 2005, 2006 and 2007, also became the Titans' first three-time all-region first team selection since Christina Southward earned All-Midwest Region first team accolades in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

UW-Oshkosh's Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun) and Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison) received honorable mention on this year's NCAA Division III All-America team. Earlier this year, Schmidt and Vail earned NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region and All-WIAC first team accolades. Vail was also named a NCAA Division III honorable mention selection last year after being named to the All-Midwest Region and All-WIAC first-team.

UW-Oshkosh has had nine players total 17 NCAA Division III All-America awards. Rosenbaum joins Cayemberg (1990-91), Jane Copenhaver (2000), Amanda Delgadillo (2003), Jamie Ford (1991, 1993), Ashley Fischer (2005), Bridget Griepentrog (1994), Sara Lorens (1995), Southward (1999-2001) and Ward (1994-1996) as UW-Oshkosh All-Americans named to either the first, second or third team.

Rosenbaum led the WIAC in hitting percentage (.405) and was second in kills per game (3.88), blocks per game (1.18) and points per game (4.79). Despite missing seven matches due to an illness, the October 1-7 NCAA Division III National Player of the Week piled up 361 kills in 741 attempts and 110 blocks in 93 games played during the season. A two-time WIAC Player of the Week, she started 30 matches during the year and was named to four all tournament teams.

For her career, Rosenbaum slammed down 1,725 kills and amassed 518 blocks in 483 games played. Her kill total ranks third and fifth in school and conference history, respectively, and her block amount places her fourth in UW-Oshkosh annals.

Schmidt became the first libero in league history to be named All-WIAC first team after ranking second in digs per game (5.32) and third in service aces per game (.47). She garnered WIAC All-Defensive Team accolades in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and was named honorable mention all-conference in 2005 and 2006.

For the season, she piled up 638 digs and 57 service aces in 37 starts and 120 games played. Earlier this year, Schmidt broke the UW-Oshkosh all-time record in career digs and currently sits in third place in the WIAC with 2,275. Schmidt occupies the league's top two spots in season digs and is only 90 digs away from becoming the all-time dig leader in WIAC history.

Vail totaled 353 kills and 92 blocks in 117 games played and was named to three all-tournament teams while starting 35 matches. A 2007 WIAC Player of the Week, she finished third in the WIAC in hitting percentage (.312) and in the top-15 in points per game (3.52), kills per game (3.02) and blocks per game (.79).

For her career, she slammed down 1,172 kills and stuffed 282 blocks in 438 games played. Earlier this season, she became the 11th player in UW-Oshkosh's history to reach the 1,000-kill plateau and finished ninth all-time in school annals.

Rosenbaum, Schmidt and Vail led UW-Oshkosh to a 32-6. The Titans posted a 6-2 WIAC record and reached the 30-win plateau for the 14th time in school history. UW-Oshkosh appeared in its 12th NCAA Division III tournament this past season, reaching the second round before losing to eventual national champions Washington University (Mo.) in five games. UW-Oshkosh was ranked among the top-10 teams in the country for seven weeks and compiled a 2-3 record against teams that advanced to the elite eight of the NCAA Division III tournament.

Three Titans Receive All-Region Honors

UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball players Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown), Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun) and Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison) have received NCAA Division III Midwest Region first team accolades by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).

Rosenbaum, who received NCAA Division III Midwest Region and WIAC first team honors in 2005 and 2006, became the Titans' first three-time all-region first team selection since Christina Southward earned Midwest Region first team accolades in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Rosenbaum was also named a NCAA Division III All-American first team selection in 2006 and a third team honoree in 2005.

Rosenbaum became UW-Oshkosh's sixth player to be named WIAC first team on three occasions earlier this season. Rosenbaum, who was named a WIAC Player of the Week twice this year and a four-time all-tournament team honoree, was also a WIAC honorable mention choice in 2004.

Rosenbaum led the WIAC in hitting percentage (.405) and was second in kills per game (3.88), blocks per game (1.18) and points per game (4.79). Despite missing seven matches due to an illness, the October 1-7 NCAA Division III National Player of the Week piled up 361 kills in 741 attempts and 110 blocks in 93 games played during the season. She started 30 matches during the year.

Last season, Rosenbaum started all 42 matches and appeared in 134 of the Titans’ 141 games played. She was named WIAC Player of the Week twice and was named to three all-tournament teams. In 2006, Rosenbaum totaled 489 kills on 1,046 attempts for a .395 hitting percentage. She also tallied 140 total blocks, 56 digs and 15 service aces.

In 2005, Rosenbaum had a break out season, starting all 41 matches and playing in a team leading 141 games. Rosenbaum was named a WIAC Player of the Week and was named to three all tournament teams. She slammed down 558 kills on 1,212 attempts for a glossy .391 hitting percentage. She also accumulated 164 blocks and 79 digs during the season. Her season kill and kill attempts totals were the fifth highest ever at UW-Oshkosh.

In 2004, Rosenbaum hit .341 with 318 kills and 32 solo blocks while starting all 33 matches while appearing in 115 games.

For her career, Rosenbaum slammed down 1,725 kills and amassed 518 blocks in 483 games played. Her kill total ranks third and fifth in school and conference history, respectively, and her block amount places her fourth in UW-Oshkosh annals.

Schmidt gained first NCAA Division III Midwest Region first team award after being named honorable mention last season and the 2005 Midwest Region Freshman of the Year.

Schmidt became the first libero in league history to be named WIAC first team after ranking second in digs per game (5.32) and third in service aces per game (.47). She garnered WIAC All-Defensive Team accolades in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and was named honorable mention all-conference in 2005 and 2006. Schmidt was named to one all-tournament team during her junior campaign.

For the season she piled up 638 digs and 57 service aces in 37 starts and 120 games played. Earlier this year, Schmidt broke the UW-Oshkosh all-time record in career digs and currently sits in third place in the WIAC with 2,275. Schmidt occupies the league's top two spots in season digs and is only 90 digs away from becoming the all time dig leader in WIAC history.

Last season she started 41 matches and totaled 833 digs and 35 service aces in 133 game played. Schmidt’s dig total set UW-Oshkosh and WIAC season records, breaking the standard she set as a freshman. Schmidt set an UW-Oshkosh record in 2006 when she scooped up 41 digs in a five-game win over Carthage College.

During her freshman campaign, Schmidt started all 41 matches and appeared in 138 games. Named to one all-tournament team, she amassed 50 service aces and 804 digs. Schmidt became the Titans' and WIAC all-time season dig leader by recording eight more digs than UW-Oshkosh’s Donna Mleziva who had set the standard in 1988 with 796 saves.

Vail became only the second right side hitter at UW-Oshkosh to be named Midwest Region first team on two occasions. Starting 35 matches, Vail totaled 353 kills and 92 blocks in 117 games played and was named to three all-tournament teams.

A 2007 WIAC Player of the Week, she finished third in the WIAC in hitting percentage (.312) and in the top-15 in points per game (3.52), kills per game (3.02) and blocks per game (.83) as she garnered her second straight WIAC first team nod.

In 2006, the WIAC first team selection totaled 422 kills on 998 attempts for a .301 hitting percentage while collecting 119 digs and blocking 85 shots. Vail was a three-time all-tournament honoree while starting 37 of the Titans’ 42 matches and played in a team-leading 137 games.

Starting 37 matches in 2005, she totaled 353 kills, 79 blocks and 89 digs in 141 games played while being named to one all-tournament team. Her freshman campaign she played in 43 games while totaling 44 kills, 28 digs and 26 blocks.

For her career, she slammed down 1,172 kills and stuffed 282 blocks in 438 games played. Earlier this season she became the 11th player in UW-Oshkosh's history to reach the 1,000-kill plateau and finished ninth all-time in school annals.

The trio helped UW-Oshkosh compile a 32-6 record and a berth into the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament. The Titans competed in their 12th NCAA Division III post-season tournament and were ranked among the top-10 teams in the country for seven weeks.

Since 1984, 19 UW-Oshkosh players have combined to collect 28 NCAA Division III all-region awards.

Joining the UW-Oshkosh trio on the 12-member NCAA Division III Midwest Region first team squad were Kelly Bauer and Jori Simmons of Carthage College, Maggie Kelly of North Central College (Ill.), Katelyn Carlson and Brianne Stankus of UW-La Crosse, Kelly Laschinger of UW-Platteville, Kate LaZotte and Carlene Polk of UW-Whitewater and Mallory Sullivan of Wheaton College (Ill.).

Rachel Swoboda of Carthage College was named the Midwest Region Freshman of the Year ending the six-year reign of the WIAC winning the award, including three by UW-Oshkosh.

Three Titans Named All-WIAC First Team

Three members of the UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team were awarded 2007 postseason accolades by the WIAC.

The Titans (32-6), who finished second in the league with UW-Eau Claire, had three first-team all-conference performers for the first time since the 2001 season.

The UW-Oshkosh players honored were middle blocker Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown), libero Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun) and right-side hitter Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison). Schmidt also was named to the four-member All-WIAC Defensive Team.

Rosenbaum became UW-Oshkosh's sixth player to be named All-WIAC first team on three occasions and looks to become the Titans fourth three-time All-American. Rosenbaum was named to the NCAA Division III All-America third team in 2005 and was named first team last season after being named Midwest Region first team both years. Rosenbaum was also a WIAC honorable mention choice in 2004.

Rosenbaum led the WIAC in hitting percentage (.405) and was second in kills per game (3.88), blocks per game (1.18) and points per game (4.79). Despite missing seven matches due to an illness, the October 1-7 NCAA Division III National Player of the Week piled up 361 kills and 110 blocks in 93 games played during the season.

For her career, Rosenbaum slammed down 1,725 kills and amassed 518 blocks in 483 games played. Her kill total ranks third and sixth in school and conference history, respectively, and her block amount places her fourth in UW-Oshkosh annals. Rosenbaum, a 2007 two-time WIAC Player of the Week, was named to four all-tournament teams during the year.

Schmidt became the first libero in league history to be named WIAC first team after ranking second in digs per game (5.32) and third in service aces per game (.47). She garnered WIAC All-Defensive Team accolades in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and was named honorable mention all-conference in 2005 and 2006. Last season she was named a Midwest Region honorable mention choice and was named the 2005 Midwest Region Freshman of the Year.

For the season, she piled up 638 digs and 57 service aces in 120 games played. Earlier this year, Schmidt broke the UW-Oshkosh all-time record in career digs and currently sits in third place in the WIAC with 2,275. Schmidt occupies the WIAC's top two spots in season digs and is only 90 digs away from becoming the all-time dig leader in WIAC history.

Vail became only the second right side hitter at UW-Oshkosh to be named All-WIAC first-team on two occasions. A 2007 WIAC Player of the Week, she finished third in the WIAC in hitting percentage (.312) and in the top-15 in points per game (3.52), kills per game (3.02) and blocks per game (.83).

The 2006 Midwest Region first team selection totaled 353 kills and 892 blocks in 117 games played. For her career she slammed down 1,172 kills and stuffed 282 blocks in 438 games played. Earlier this season she became the 11th player in UW-Oshkosh's history to reach the 1,000-kill plateau and finished ninth all-time in school annals.

Perennial Power Ousts Titans From NCAA Championship

UW-Oshkosh had its 2007 season come to an end when it dropped a 3-2 decision to Washington University (Mo.) in the second round of the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship held Friday (Nov. 9) in Kenosha.

Washington University (29-5) outlasted UW-Oshkosh (32-6) in a match that featured game scores of 27-30, 30-26, 28-30, 30-24, 15-9. Washington University, an eight-time NCAA Division III champion, advances to play Carthage College in a third round match on Saturday (Nov. 10) in Kenosha.

Game one was a one or two-point contest until UW-Oshkosh opened up a four-point lead, 17-13. The Titans still had a four-point lead, 24-20, before things tightened up. The Bears tied the game, 26-26, and the contest was tied again at 27 before UW-Oshkosh ran off the final three points for a 30-27 win.

Washington University inched away to a 13-9 lead in game two and led by as much as six, 16-10, before UW-Oshkosh tied things at 17-17. The Bears had a four-point lead, 24-20, and another at 28-24. The Titans closed to within two at 28-26, before the Bears took the last two points for a 30-26 decision.

UW-Oshkosh took a 13-8 lead in game three and was still leading by three, 17-14, when the Bears used a 5-1 run to take their first lead, 19-18. The Titans re-gained the lead, 23-22. The Bears took a 25-24 lead. Following a tie at 25, Washington University took the next two points for a 27-25 lead. UW-Oshkosh came right back to tie at 27. There was another tie at 28 before the Titans scored the last two, including the game-winning point on a service ace, for a 30-28 decision.

Washington University took the lead to stay in game four at 10-9. The Bears opened up a seven-point lead, 25-18, and the lead went to eight at 27-19. UW-Oshkosh closed to within four, 27-23, but the Bears took three of the final four points for a 30-24 victory.

In the decisive fifth game, Washington University took a 7-5 lead. UW-Oshkosh tied things at 7-7 before the Bears ran off four-consecutive points to go up, 11-7.

UW-Oshkosh had five players with double-digit kills led by Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison) with 13. Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac) and Jacque Ray (So. • Richland Center) added 12, Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown) had 11 and Megan Fischer (So. • Fond du Lac) finished with 10.

The Titans also received 54 assists and 11 digs from Katelyn Vara (So. • New Berlin), 17 digs from Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown), 15 digs from Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun) and 12 digs from Rebecca Masephol (Sr. • Pittsville). Smith led UW-Oshkosh with 20 digs and Rosenbaum had three blocks.

Washington University's Nikki Morrison had a match-high 18 kills and hit .372. Erin Albers had 12 kills and hit .304 with five blocks, while Haleigh Spencer collected 14 kills.

Titans Outlast Pioneers In NCAA Postseason Opener

UW-Oshkosh overcame a 12-10 deficit in the fifth and deciding game to defeat UW-Platteville, 3-2, in a first round match of the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship held Thursday (Nov. 8) in Kenosha.

UW-Oshkosh (32-5) took the match from UW-Platteville (24-13) in game scores of 26-30, 30-22, 30-32, 30-26, 15-13. It was the fourth meeting of the season between the two WIAC rivals, with UW-Oshkosh winning the season series three matches to one. Just nine days ago (Oct. 30), UW-Platteville eliminated UW-Oshkosh in the quarterfinal round of the WIAC Tournament with a 3-1 victory.

With the triumph, UW-Oshkosh advances to meet Washington University (Mo.) at 4:30 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 9) in Kenosha. The Bears (28-5) qualified for their match with the Titans by sweeping Hanover College (Ind.), 3-0 (30-19, 30-22, 30-23), on Thursday in Kenosha. Washington University enters Friday's match ranked seventh in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and UW-Oshkosh 14th.

Two other first round matches were played Thursday in Kenosha as 15th-ranked Calvin College (Mich.) defeated 18th-ranked UW-La Crosse, 3-1 (26-30, 30-26, 30-20, 30-15), and sixth-ranked Carthage College routed Carroll College, 3-0 (30-21, 30-11, 30-17). Calvin College (30-4) and Carthage College (32-4) will play its second round contest at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Friday's winners will battle at 7 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 10) for the right to advance to the eight-team finals of the NCAA Division III Championship on Nov. 15-17 in Bloomington, Ill.

UW-Oshkosh hit .139 against UW-Platteville, including .324 in the second game and .312 in the fifth. The Titans hit a negative .067 in the first game. UW-Platteville posted a hitting percentage of .146. The Pioneers hit .333 in the fifth game and .226 in the third.

Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown) hit .400 for the Titans with 17 kills in 35 attempts. She also counted six digs and five assisted blocks.

UW-Oshkosh also received 14 kills and 13 digs from Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac), 12 kills and four digs from Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison), 12 kills and three digs from Megan Fischer (So. • Manitowoc), 41 assists, 11 digs and three service aces from Katelyn Vara (So • New Berlin) and 15 digs and five service aces from Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown).

UW-Platteville was led by Lisa Bell and Rachel Chapman. Bell hit .488 with 22 kills in 41 attempts, while Chapman totaled 15 kills and 14 digs.

The Pioneers also acquired 56 assists and two service aces from Kelly Laschinger, 20 digs and two service aces from Emily Walker and eight kills and three digs from Melissa Hillebrand.

Game one of the match was close all the way, with UW-Platteville leading by no more than five at any point. The Pioneers jumped to an 8-4 lead before the Titans stormed back to take a 10-9 advantage. UW-Platteville then held leads of 15-12, 20-15 and 23-18 before UW-Oshkosh rallied to force a 25-25 tie. The Pioneers then ended the game by scoring five of the last six points.

The second game was tied 11-11 before UW-Oshkosh scored 14 of the next 17 points to take a 25-14 lead. UW-Platteville got as close as 29-22, but UW-Oshkosh scored the next point to win the game.

In game three, UW-Platteville overcame deficits of 18-12 and 26-22 to pull out the victory. The game was tied four times down the stretch, including a 30-30 score.

In game four, the Titans built leads of 14-6, 19-11 and 24-16, before the Pioneers used a 9-4 scoring run to close the gap to 28-25. UW-Oshkosh then scored three of the next four points to win the game.

Game five featured a margin of no more than two points all the way. The game had nine deadlocks, with UW-Oshkosh breaking a 13-13 tie by scoring the last two points.

Titans Receive Third Straight NCAA Postseason Bid

A 31-5 record and a second-place finish in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) earned UW-Oshkosh its third consecutive appearance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.

The NCAA announced Monday (Nov. 5) its field of 61 teams for its Division III postseason tournament and UW-Oshkosh will be among eight teams competing at the Midwest Regional Tournament this weekend at Carthage College in Kenosha.

The single-elimination Midwest Regional features seven matches, with four scheduled for Thursday (Nov. 8), two for Friday (Nov. 9) and one for Saturday (Nov. 10). The winner of the Midwest Regional will join seven other regional champions in the quarterfinal round of the 61-team NCAA Division III Championship on Nov. 15 in Bloomington, Ill.

Joining UW-Oshkosh (31-5) in the Midwest Regional are the Titans' WIAC associates UW-La Crosse (24-9) and UW-Platteville (24-12). This marks the fifth straight year that the WIAC has had at least three teams involved in NCAA Division III postseason party. Three schools participated in the tournament a year ago and in 2003 and 2004, while four teams competed in the 2005 event. UW-Whitewater (31-4) and UW-Eau Claire (22-10) have also been invited to the NCAA Division III tournament this season, joining six other teams in the Central Region hosted by the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) (26-4).

This year's Midwest Regional also features Calvin College (Mich.) (29-4) of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), Carroll College (20-13) of the Midwest Conference, Carthage College (31-4) of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), Hanover College (Ind.) (23-10) of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and Washington University (Mo.) of the University Athletic Association (UAA).

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) had Washington University ranked fourth, Carthage College sixth, UW-Oshkosh ninth, Calvin College 16th and UW-La Crosse 17th. This year UW-Oshkosh has a 1-0 record against UW-La Crosse, while posting marks of 2-1 against UW-Platteville and 0-1 against Carthage College.

Washington University will be making its 21st consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III regional tournament appearance (1987-2007), Calvin College its 17th appearance (1984-86, 1988-1992, 1995, 1997-1999, 2001, 2004 2007), UW-Oshkosh its 12th appearance (1990-91, 1993-97, 2000-01, 2005-07), UW-La Crosse its 11th appearance (1982-86, 1992, 1997-98, 2003-04, 2007), UW-Platteville its fifth appearance (1983, 1992, 1997, 2005, 2007), Carthage College its fourth appearance (1990, 2005-07) and the first appearance for both Carroll College and Hanover College.

Competition begins Thursday at 1:00 p.m. with Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champion Hanover College taking on Washington University in Carthage College's Physical Education Center. That contest will be followed by a 3:30 p.m. encounter by WIAC rivals UW-Platteville and UW-Oshkosh and a 6:00 p.m. match between MIAA regular season and tournament champion Calvin College and UW-La Crosse. Thursday's schedule concludes with a game at 8:30 p.m. between Midwest Conference regular season and tournament champion Carroll College and CCIW regular season and tournament champion Carthage College.

Second round matches in the Midwest Regional will be held Friday at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. The championship match of the Midwest Regional will be held Saturday at 7 p.m.

Titans Stumble In WIAC Tournament Opener

Christina Cahoon Jacque Ray Leah Rosenbaum UW-Platteville turned UW-Oshkosh's Kolf Sports Center into a house of horror for the second straight WIAC Tournament by upsetting the Titans, 3-1, in a quarterfinal round match held Tuesday (Oct. 30).

UW-Platteville, which tallied a 3-2 victory over UW-Oshkosh in quarterfinal round of last year's WIAC Tournament, won this year's rematch in game scores of 23-30, 30-25, 30-26, 30-25.

The victory advances seventh-seeded UW-Platteville (23-11) to a semifinal round contest against third-seeded UW-Eau Claire (22-8) on Friday (Nov. 2) in Whitewater. UW-Eau Claire qualified for its match with the Pioneers by posting a 3-1 win over sixth-seeded UW-Superior (20-13) on Tuesday.

Other quarterfinal round contests on Tuesday had top-seeded UW-Whitewater (29-4) defeat eighth-seeded UW-Stout (10-18) and fourth-seeded UW-La Crosse (23-8) oust fifth-seeded UW-Stevens Point (23-12) by 3-0 scores. UW-Whitewater and UW-La Crosse will meet in the semifinal round on Friday in Whitewater.

The championship match of the WIAC Tournament is scheduled for Saturday (Nov. 3) in Whitewater. The winner of the WIAC Tournament receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

The Titans, who had swept the Pioneers twice earlier this season, started off game one trailing 14-10 before a 8-2 run game them an 18-16 advantage. Trailing 20-19, UW-Oshkosh (31-5) scored seven consecutive points to leap ahead 26-20. The Titans finished game one with two service aces by Kelly Ketterhagen (Fr. • Burlington).

After only hitting .081 in game one, the Pioneers attack began to heat up as they hit .366 in game two and .452 in game four in taking the final three games. For the match UW-Platteville hit .273 to UW-Oshkosh's .242.

In an even statistical battle, second-seeded UW-Oshkosh barely got by UW-Platteville in kills (61-60), assists (60-54) and blocks (10-8). The Pioneers had six aces to the Titans' five and both teams had nine hitting errors. Both teams ended the night with 62 digs.

Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown) led UW-Oshkosh with 17 kills and added three blocks. Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison) had 11 kills and six blocks and Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun) had 18 digs. Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac) had 14 digs and eight kills and Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown) and Rebecca Masephol (Sr. • Pittsville) each had 12 digs. Leah Stumpf (So. • Kaukauna) had 41 assists and seven kills and Jacque Ray (So. • Richland Center) had 10 kills.

Lisa Bell led UW-Platteville with 17 kills and six blocks and Rachel Chapman had 15 kills and 15 digs. Kelly Laschinger had 54 assists and eight digs and Emily Walker had 17 digs. Rochelle Ripp added 16 digs and Abby Carey collected four service aces.

UW-Oshkosh entered the contest ranked ninth in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The Titans will find out on Sunday (Nov. 4) if their one of the at-large teams invited to this year's NCAA Division III Championship.

Titans To Host UW-Platteville
In WIAC Tournament Opener

The UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team opens WIAC Tournament play by hosting UW-Platteville at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 30) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh, 31-4 and owner of a four-match winning streak, enters Tuesday's quarterfinal round contest seeded second in the eight-team tournament. UW-Platteville, which dropped 3-0 decisions to UW-Oshkosh on Sept. 1 and Sept. 19, is seeded seventh in the tournament with a 22-11 record.

Other quarterfinal round contests on Tuesday have eighth-seed UW-Stout (10-17) at top-seed UW-Whitewater (28-4), sixth-seed UW-Superior (20-12) at third-seed UW-Eau Claire (21-8) and fifth-seed UW-Stevens Point (23-11) at fourth-seed UW-La Crosse (22-8).

Tuesday's winners advance to semifinal round action on Friday (Nov. 2) at the site of the highest remaining seed.

Titans Go 4-0 At UW-Whitewater Invitational

The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team won its 30th match for the third consecutive year and for the 14th time in program history as it went 4-0 at the UW-Whitewater Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 26-27) in Whitewater.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked ninth in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, began the tournament with wins of 30-20, 30-20, 30-27 over Illinois Wesleyan University and 30-20, 23-30, 30-21, 30-24 over Lakeland College on Friday and victories of 30-14, 30-18, 30-23 over Edgewood College and 31-33, 30-18, 30-13, 30-22 over Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.) on Saturday.

UW-Oshkosh's Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown) collected 47 kills on 88 attempts for a .477 hitting percentage and added 12 blocks to lead the team. Leah Stumpf (So. • Kaukauna) dished out 131 assists to lead the the Titans' offense and Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun) had 60 digs and Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown) had 51 to lead the defense. Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac) added 33 digs, 25 kills and seven service aces and Jacque Ray (So. • Richland Center) had 26 kills.

In the opening match of the tournament against Illinois Wesleyan University (17-15), UW-Oshkosh started off strong hitting .548 in game one and .452 in game two. UW-Oshkosh finished the sweep with a close third-game victory for its second win over the Titans on the season. UW-Oshkosh beat Illinois Wesleyan University 30-26, 30-17, 32-34, 24-30, 15-6 on Oct. 6 in Bloomington, Ill.

Rosenbaum led the Titans with 17 kills on 25 attempts and Smith added 11 and Ray 10. Stumpf produced 44 assists and seven digs, Schmidt scooped up 16 digs and Cahoon added 12. Rebecca Masephol (Sr. • Pittsville) added seven digs and all six of UW-Oshkosh's service aces.

In match two on Friday, UW-Oshkosh beat Lakeland College (19-13) for the third time this season behind 25 digs by Schmidt and 23 by Cahoon as the Titans collected 81 in the match. Smith added 12 digs, eight kills and four service aces and Stumpf had 41 assists and 10 digs. Rosenbaum led the team with 13 kills and five blocks and Ray added nine kills. Abby Halverson (Fr. • Manitowoc) contributed six kills and three blocks.

In the opening contest on Saturday, UW-Oshkosh started four freshmen in its second sweep of Edgewood College (9-20) this year. The Titans used 18 service aces, including eight by Callie Hainzinger (So. • Verona) to dominate the Eagles.

Christina Breitlow (Fr. • Hartford) had a career-high 11 kills to lead the Titans. Katelyn Vara (So. • New Berlin) added 24 assists, seven digs, five kills and four service aces and Sara Pannemann (Fr. • Waukesha) had a career-best 13 digs. Halverson and Kelly Ketterhagen (Fr. • Burlington) added four blocks and Stephanie Magnuson (Fr. • Lake Geneva) added six digs.

After losing a close first game against Stevens Institute of Techology (32-3), UW-Oshkosh dominated the Ducks in a clash of nationally ranked opponents. UW-Oshkosh entered the contest ninth-ranked and Stevens Institute of Technology the 17th-ranked team in the NCAA Division III, according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

After committing four hitting errors in game one, the Titans combined for only four total in games two, three and four to finish with a .321 team hitting percentage. Rosenbaum led the team with 17 kills and six blocks and Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison) added 11 kills.

Schmidt tallied 19 digs, Cahoon had 16 digs and Smith collected 18 digs, six kills and three service aces. Megan Fischer (So. • Manitowoc) added nine kills and four blocks, Stumpf amassed 46 assists, eight digs and eight kills and Masephol produced six digs and three service aces.

Warhawks Deny Titans A Share Of WIAC Title

Jacque Ray Kim Vail After losing two of its first three games and trailing 30-29 in the fourth, UW-Whitewater stormed back to capture the 2007 WIAC women's volleyball championship with a thrilling 3-2 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday (Oct. 24) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Whitewater (24-4/8-0 WIAC) grabbed its sixth WIAC title in eight seasons and 13th overall by taking custody of a match that featured game scores of 30-21, 24-30, 25-30, 32-30, 15-9.

UW-Oshkosh (27-4/6-2) was attempting to defeat the Warhawks and claim its third straight WIAC championship after sharing the 2005 title with UW-Whitewater and the 2006 crown with UW-Eau Claire. The Titans own eight WIAC championships.

Wednesday's match also involved two of the top teams in the country as UW-Whitewater was ranked seventh in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and UW-Oshkosh ninth.

UW-Whitewater won the first game as it scored 15 of 21 points after a 15-15 tie. The contest featured the Warhawks having two scoring runs of six points and another of five. UW-Oshkosh took the second game as it rallied from a 20-17 deficit with a contest-ending 13-4 scoring spree.

UW-Oshkosh pulled off another comeback in the third game as it erased an 18-11 deficit with a 12-2 scoring run. The Titans then yielded two points to the Warhawks before counting seven of the game's last nine points.

The fourth game was documented with 16 ties. UW-Whitewater had a 29-28 lead, but UW-Oshkosh scored two straight points to take a 30-29 advantage. The Warhawks then scored off the Titans' potential match-ending serve and added two more points to clinch the victory and force a fifth and deciding game.

The fifth game was all UW-Whitewater as the Warhawks jumped out to an 8-2 lead. UW-Oshkosh got as close as 13-9, but UW-Whitewater ended the game and the match with two straight points.

UW-Whitewater hit .221 for the match, including .383 in the fourth game and .355 in the fifth. UW-Oshkosh had a hitting percentage of .188, including .366 in the third game. The Titans also hit a negative .044 in the first game and .062 in the fifth.

Kelly Sorenson had 18 kills and 21 digs to lead UW-Whitewater, while Rebekah Nelson totaled 14 kills and 23 digs and Abby Schultz 13 kills and 21 digs. The Warhawks also benefited from the 54 assists and 13 digs of Kate Lazotte and 28 digs of Kristina Conlin.

Jacque Ray (So. • Richland Center) and Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison) paced UW-Oshkosh 13 kills each. The Titans also received 12 kills from Megan Fischer (So. • Manitowoc), 10 kills and 18 digs from Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac), 55 assists and 10 digs from Leah Stumpf (So. • Kaukauna), 29 digs and three service aces from Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun) and 19 digs and four service aces from Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown).

As the undisputed regular season champion, UW-Whitewater will be the top seed for the WIAC Tournament that begins on Oct. 30. The Warhawks will host eighth-seed UW-Stout in a quarterfinal round contest, while second-seed UW-Oshkosh will host seventh-seed UW-Platteville.

Other quarterfinal round contests feature fifth-seed UW-Stevens Point at fourth-seed UW-La Crosse and sixth-seed UW-Superior at third-seed UW-Eau Claire.

Quarterfinal round winners will advance to the semifinals at the site of the highest remaining seed on Nov. 2. The highest seed will also host the third-place and championship matches on Nov. 3. The winner of the WIAC Tournament earns the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship.

Titans To Play For WIAC Title

UW-Oshkosh can earn a share of the 2007 WIAC women’s volleyball championship with a victory over UW-Whitewater on Wednesday (Oct. 24) in Kolf Sports Center.

Wednesday's 7 p.m. contest is the WIAC regular season finale for both teams. UW-Oshkosh enters the match with a 27-3 overall record, including a second-place 6-1 mark in the WIAC. UW-Whitewater owns a 22-4 record, including a first-place 7-0 value in the WIAC.

UW-Whitewater has clinched at least a share of its sixth WIAC championship in eight years. The Warhawks can capture this year’s title outright with a win over the Titans.

UW-Oshkosh, which shared WIAC championships with UW-Whitewater in 2005 and UW-Eau Claire in 2006, can grab a piece of this year’s league title with a victory over UW-Whitewater.

Wednesday's contest also involves two of the top teams in the country as UW-Whitewater is ranked seventh in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and UW-Oshkosh ninth.

UW-Oshkosh Goes 3-1 At Own Invitational

After sweeping three opponents in its opening pool, the UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team settled for a second-place finish at the eight-team Titan Invitational held Friday and Saturday (Oct. 12-13) in Kolf Sports Center. The tournament featured five nationally ranked NCAA Division III teams.

UW-Oshkosh (25-2), ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III, opened the tournament by beating Lakeland College (14-9) for the second time this season 34-32, 30-25, 30-25 and UW-Stevens Point (15-9) 30-27, 30-24, 30-26 on Friday. On Saturday the Titans wrapped up first place in their pool with a 30-21, 30-24, 30-22 win over Milwaukee School of Engineering (7-15) and captured second-place when they fell 30-21, 31-29, 30-27 to number one ranked Juniata College (Pa.) (24-3) in the championship match.

For the weekend, Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac) led UW-Oshkosh with 33 kills and added 51 digs. Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison), who was named to the ten-person all-tournament team, added 31 kills, 11 digs and six blocks and Jacque Ray (So. • Richland Center) had 30 kills and eight blocks. Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun), who joined Vail with an all-tournament team nod topped the team with 82 digs. Rebecca Masephol (Sr. • Pittsville) added 39 digs and six service aces, Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown) chipped in 51 digs and Leah Stumpf (So. • Kaukauna) dished out 128 assists and collected 33 digs.

Smith led UW-Oshkosh against Lakeland College with 13 kills and added 15 digs and two service aces. Schmidt tallied 24 digs and two service aces and Vail slammed down 10 kills. Stumpf put up 27 assists and Katelyn Vara (So. • New Berlin) added 10 helpers. Both Cahoon and Masephol scooped up 10 digs as the Titans amassed 85 digs in the match.

In its non-conference battle against UW-Stevens Point, Smith led the Titans again with 12 kills and collected 15 digs. Ray added 10 kills and Stumpf had 33 assists and 10 digs. Schmidt led the team with 21 digs and Masephol added 12 digs and three service aces.

Kelly Ketterhagen (Fr. • Burlington) led the Titans with 10 kills against Milwaukee School of Engineering as all 16 available players saw court time. Stumpf dished out 31 assists and Vara had 13 as UW-Oshkosh had 48 kills and 45 assists in the match. Schmidt tallied 20 digs, Cahoon 16 and Masephol 10 to lead the defensive corps. Callie Hainzinger (So. • Verona) and Masephol each had three service aces.

In the championship match of the tournament, UW-Oshkosh could not overcome nine service errors, losing for the first time in 25 matches. Vail was the only Titan to muster double-digit kills with 10 and added three blocks. Masephol had eight kills and seven digs and Schmidt and Cahoon each scooped up 17 saves. Smith recorded 15 digs and Stumpf dished out 37 assists and had 11 digs.

UW-Oshkosh was playing without two-time All-American Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown) who missed the entire weekend due to illness. It was the first match missed for Rosenbaum in 125 career matches.

Titans To Host Five Nationally-Ranked Teams

Five of the top-25 ranked teams in the NCAA Division III invade Kolf Sports Center to participate in the UW-Oshkosh Invitational held this Friday and Saturday (Oct. 12-13). The eight-team tournament will have four matches played at the same time at 5 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. on Saturday.

UW-Oshkosh welcomes number ranked Juniata College (Pa.) for the first time since the 1996 season, when the Eagles beat the Titans in a five-game thriller in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III tournament. Juniata College is coached by Larry Bock, the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history with a record of 1,131-174.

Bock was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year in 1988, 1989, 1993, 2004 and 2006 and has led Juniata College to 26 NCAA Division III postseason appearances. The Eagles have reached the NCAA Division III semifinals 21 times and the national finals on seven occasions.

Last season the Eagles won their second NCAA Division III national championship en route to a 41-1 record. They also claimed the national championship in 2004 and were national runner-ups in 2005.

Juniata College (21-2), which has not lost to a NCAA Division III opponent this season, is led by 2006 AVCA First-Team selection Amber Thomas. Thomas was also named an AVCA Division III Second-Team selection in 2005 after being named the National Freshman of the Year.

The Eagles also had Beth Kozak and Megan Sollenberger gain First Team All-Region accolades last season.

With a sparkling 19-2 record, UW-Whitewater enters the weekend as the third-ranked team in the nation with one of its losses coming to the hands of Juniata College. The Warhawks claimed the 2005 NCAA Division III championship by beating Juniata College in five games and also claimed the title in 2002.

For her efforts, UW-Whitewater's mentor Stacy Boudreau was named the 2005 AVCA National Coach of the Year. Boudreau has an all-time coaching record of 145-48 with a 94-13 mark with the Warhawks. UW-Whitewater features a roster of five seniors, including returning All-Americans Carly Polk and Rebekah Nelson. Last season Polk was named to the All-American Second-Team and Nelson the Third-Team in leading the Warhawks to a third-place national finish.

UW-Oshkosh moved into the top-five in the NCAA Division III poll for the first time this season and currently sits in the number five slot. The Titans are riding a 22-match winning streak since losing their first contest of the season to Carthage College. Along the way UW-Oshkosh set a new NCAA Division III record by winning 57 consecutive games, beating the old standard of 49 set by Washington University (Mo.) in 1995.

Brian Schaefer, who picked up his 100th career win this past weekend in a 3-2 victory over Illinois Wesleyan University, has a career coaching record of 100-18, all with the Titans.

UW-Oshkosh is led by reigning AVCA National Player of the Week Leah Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum was named a First-Team All-American in 2006 and Third-Team in 2005. Kim Vail was also named First Team All-Region last season. The Titans have advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament the last two seasons.

UW-La Crosse, who sits as the 19th-ranked team in the NCAA Division III boasts a record of 18-4, with two of those losses coming to UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater.

Head coach Shelia Perkins, who eclipsed the 400-win barrier last year, has an all-time coaching record of 435-246. At the helm for the Eagles she has led them to a mark of 333-135 and a quarterfinal round appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament in 2003 and 2004. The Eagles are led by the hitting of Katelyn Carlson and Amber Schoonover and the setting of Samantha Dries.

With a 24-12 record, UW-Stevens Point had a break-out season last year as head coach Stacey White led the Pointers to their most victories since 1995 and highest winning percentage since 1985. This season, despite some key injuries, UW-Stevens Point has climbed to a 14-8 record giving White an all-time coaching mark of 102-121 with the Pointers.

Shelly Maus, a First Team All-Region performer in 2006 leads the Pointers in hitting and blocking. Amanda Mix, Beth Richter and Jill Wittmann have also had solid seasons thus far for the Pointers. Lakeland College, a NCAA Division III tournament participant in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 has five players with over 120 kills.

Chad Schreiber, the head coach of the Muskies sports a record of 245-196. 14-8 on the year, Lakeland College is a perfect 9-0 in the Northern Athletic Conference and is led by the outside hitting tandem of Ashley Domask and Brittanie Paulus. Jessica Sparling runs the offense for the Muskies which has a seven-match winning streak.

Milwaukee School of Engineering, which is coming off of its best season in school history, is mentored by Adam Stikel. Last season, Stikel led the Raiders to a 19-12 record and has an all-time coaching record of 84-180.

MSOE is led by Erika Glapinski, Kelly Mavis and Allie Sowinski. The Raiders currently have a record of 7-12 and look to snap a four-match losing streak.

Titans' Rosenbaum Named National Player Of The Week

Leah Rosenbaum, a senior middle blocker for then seventh-ranked UW-Oshkosh, has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball National Player of the Week.

She earned the award for her play in helping the Titans win four matches at the Illinois Wesleyan University Tournament held Oct. 5-6, including an upset of then fourth-ranked Emory University (Ga.).

Rosenbaum hit .437 with 61 kills in 119 attempts as seventh-ranked UW-Oshkosh went unbeaten in four matches, including a 3-0 victory over fourth-ranked Emory University on Oct. 5. She also totaled seven digs, two service aces, two solo blocks and one assist to help the Titans extend their winning streak to 22 consecutive matches.

In UW-Oshkosh’s sweep of Emory University, Rosenbaum hit .700 with 15 kills in 20 attempts. She also counted two digs and assisted on two blocks. Rosenbaum then hit .375 with 18 kills in 40 attempts and counted two digs as the Titans defeated Hope College (Mich.), 3-1, on Oct. 5. UW-Oshkosh’s loss to the Flying Dutch in the first game, snapped the Titans’ NCAA Division III-record 57-game winning streak.

Rosenbaum concluded her week’s activity with strong performances against Millikin University (Ill.) and Illinois Wesleyan University on Oct. 6. In a sweep of Millikin University, Rosenbaum hit .619 with 13 kills on 21 attempts. In UW-Oshkosh’s 3-2 win over Illinois Wesleyan University, the two-time NCAA Division III All-American hit .263 with 15 kills in 38 attempts while compiling three digs and two solo blocks.

Rosenbaum is the third athlete from UW-Oshkosh to earn Sports Imports/AVCA Division III National Player of the Week honors, and the first since Christina Southward in October of 2001. The Titans are coached by Brian Schaefer.

UW-Oshkosh Wins Illinois Wesleyan University Invitational

The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team won its 22nd straight match, but saw its NCAA Division III consecutive games won record snapped at 57 games at the Illinois Wesleyan University Invitational held Friday and Saturday (Oct. 5-6) in Bloomington, Ill. The Titans won the tournament with a 4-0 record.

The Titans' winning scores were 30-21, 30-26, 30-23 over Emory University (Ga.) and 22-30, 30-22, 30-24, 30-27 over Hope College (Mich.) on Friday and 31-29, 30-19, 30-18 over Millikin Univ. (Ill.) and 30-26, 30-17, 32-34, 30-24, 15-6 over Illinois Wesleyan University on Saturday. The consecutive games winning streak was also the fourth-longest in NCAA history.

Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown), who was named to the six-member all-tournament team, led the Titans with 61 kills on a .445 hitting percentage, while adding 18 blocks. Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison) tallied 30 kills, Megan Fischer (So. • Manitowoc) slammed down 29 kills and hit .309 and Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac) had 29 kills to lead the front court for the Titans.

Leah Stumpf (So. • Kaukauna) totaled 144 assists to lead the Titans' offense. Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun) scooped up 62 digs, Rebecca Masephol (Sr. • Pittsville) added 45 digs and 11 service aces and Smith picked up 43 digs. Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown), who joined Rosenbaum on the all-tournament team had 57 digs and only two receiving errors.

In a battle of NCAA Division III top-10 teams, UW-Oshkosh (22-1) opened up play against Emory University (19-4) on Friday. The Titans entered the match ranked seventh and the Eagles fourth, according to the latest AVCA Division III poll.

UW-Oshkosh hit strong as a team, registering only eight hitting errors for a .296 hitting percentage. Rosenbaum paced the Titans offensively as she had 15 kills on 20 attempts and added two blocks. Smith led the team with 13 digs, Fischer added seven kills and Masephol had a match-high four service aces and scooped up nine digs.

After a lackluster start to the match against Hope College (12-6), UW-Oshkosh responded in the second, third and fourth games to finish the match with a tournament high 93 digs. Schmidt recorded 22 digs, Cahoon and Masephol each had 19 and Smith collected 11 in the victory.

Rosenbaum led the team with 18 kills, Smith and Vail each added nine and Masephol had three service aces. At the net, Rosenbaum had five blocks and Jacque Ray (So. • Richland Center) added four stuffs. Stumpf dished out 46 assists and added seven digs.

Down 17-10 to open the match against Millikin University (14-9) on Saturday, UW-Oshkosh responded by going on a 15-8 run to tie the score at 25-25. The score was knotted four more times until the Titans finally pulled out the victory on a hitting error by the Flying Dutchmen.

Games two and three were all UW-Oshkosh as they recorded double-digit wins in both stanzas. Rosenbaum led the team with 13 kills on 21 errorless attempts. Cahoon had 14 digs, Katelyn Vara (So. • New Berlin) had 28 assists and Smith amassed 10 digs and seven kills. Ray led the Titans with five stuffs at the net.

In the battle of the Titans, UW-Oshkosh survived its first five-game match of the year against Illinois Wesleyan University (10-11). After taking comfortable victories in the first two games, UW-Oshkosh lead 29-27 in game three before Illinois Wesleyan University came back to post the win.

After forcing a deciding fifth game, Illinois Wesleyan University found itself in a hole to start the final contest. Ahead 3-1, Callie Hainzinger (So. • Verona) served five straight points, three on service aces to give UW-Oshkosh a comfortable 8-1 lead at the side change. Illinois Wesleyan University could not get closer than six points the rest of the way in the nine-point loss.

Rosenbaum again led UW-Oshkosh with 15 kills and eight blocks. Vail recorded 13 kills and Smith racked up 10 kills and nine digs. Schmidt had 18 digs, Cahoon 16 and Masephol 11 to lead the defensive corps. Stumpf ran the offense with 57 assists and added six kills and three service aces. Masephol had four and Hainzinger three to push UW-Oshkosh to 15 team service aces.

Titans Pick Up Huge WIAC Road Win

Leah Rosenbaum The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team extended its own NCAA Division III record with a 3-0 (30-26, 30-28, 35-33) victory over UW-La Crosse on Wednesday (Sept. 26) in La Crosse.

The Titans have now won 54 consecutive games, tied for the sixth-best mark in NCAA history among Division I, II and III schools. UW-Oshkosh set the Division III record in a 3-0 victory over Beloit College on Sept. 24.

UW-Oshkosh, tied for seventh in the AVCA's NCAA Division III poll, improved to 18-1 overall and 4-0 in the WIAC with its win on Wednesday. The Titans have also won 18 straight matches. UW-La Crosse, ranked 18th in the AVCA's NCAA Division III poll, falls to 12-3 overall and 0-2 in the WIAC with the loss.

The Titans won the first game 30-26 and the second 30-28 before falling behind 20-13 in game three. They trailed 29-26 in game three, but went on to record a 35-33 victory.

Jacque Ray led UW-Oshkosh with 16 kills while Leah Rosenbuam added 14 and Megan Fischer 12. Leah Stumpf led the Titans with 38 assists while Samantha Schmidt finished with a match-high 28 digs. The team hit .247 as a team.

Katelyn Carlson led UW-La Crosse with 15 kills with Amber Schoonover finishing with 14. Schoonover also had 14 digs. Samantha Dries totaled 38 assists and 18 digs. Rosie Rislow and Melannie Tate finished with 15 digs while Brianne Stankus had 14.

The Eagles hit .200 as a team, including .115 in the third game with 17 kills and 10 errors in 75 attempts.

Titans Establish NCAA Division III Record

Leah Rosenbaum Kim Vail It was a historical match for the UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team on Monday (Sept. 24) in Kolf Sports Center as the Titans swept Beloit College and broke the NCAA Division III record for consecutive games won.

UW-Oshkosh (17-1), ranked eighth in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, won its 17th straight match and 51st consecutive game by outscoring Beloit College (8-7) in contests of 30-26, 30-15 and 30-28.

UW-Oshkosh's victory in the second contest surpassed a 49-game winning streak that Washington University (Mo.) put together for a NCAA Division III record in 1995. The Titans then won their 51st consecutive game in the third contest to establish the eighth-longest streak in NCAA Division I, II or III history. Division I member University of Florida won 105 consecutive games in 2003 to set the all-time NCAA record, while Division I member Long Beach State University (Calif.) ranks second with 69.

UW-Oshkosh had an attack percentage of .268 against Beloit College. The Titans totaled 54 kills, including nine by Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown) and eight by both Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac) and Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison).

UW-Oshkosh also received seven kills and two digs from Megan Fischer (So. • Manitowoc), 14 digs, six kills and two service aces from Rebecca Masephol (Sr. • Pittsville), 33 assists and four digs from Leah Stumpf (So. • Kaukauna), 14 digs from Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown) and 11 digs and three service aces from Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun).

Beloit College, which joined UW-Oshkosh as a participant in the 2006 NCAA Division III Championship, had an attack percentage of just .073. The Buccaneers compiled 21 kills, including six by Christine Brown, five by Katie McCool and four by Alli Thompson.

Beloit College also obtained 11 digs from Brown, 17 digs and three kills from Mary Parker, 12 digs from Esther Chiu and 10 digs and six assists from Caitlin O'Leary.

UW-Oshkosh hit .300 in the first game as it pulled away from a 6-6 tie with a 7-3 scoring run. Beloit College crawled to within 22-21, but UW-Oshkosh ended the game with an 8-5 scoring spree.

The second game was dominated by UW-Oshkosh as the Titans out-hit the Buccaneers, .471-.098. After a 3-3 tie, UW-Oshkosh scored 25 of the next 34 points to build a 28-12 advantage and roll to the victory.

In the third game, UW-Oshkosh manufactured leads of 10-4, 16-11 and 18-13 before Beloit College rallied to grab a 22-21 advantage. Following a 24-24 tie, UW-Oshkosh counted six of the last 10 points to win the game and capture the match.

Titans Swat Yellowjackets

Leah Rosenbaum Andrea Smith UW-Oshkosh's run at NCAA Division III women's volleyball history remained alive as the Titans posted a 3-0 victory over UW-Superior on Saturday (Sept. 22) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (16-1/3-0 WIAC) took the match from UW-Superior (9-6/0-2 WIAC) after winning games of 30-23, 30-13 and 30-24. The Titans have won 16 straight matches and 48 consecutive games, with the latter representing the second-longest streak in NCAA Division III history.

UW-Oshkosh has an opportunity to break the NCAA Division III record of 49 consecutive games won when it hosts Beloit College on Monday (Sept. 24) in Kolf Sports Center. Washington University (Mo.) established the current record during the 1995 season.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked eighth in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, had an attack percentage of .265. The Titans hit a match-best .333 in game one, .281 in game two and .200 in game three.

UW-Superior (9-6/0-2 WIAC) registered an attack percentage of .130. The Yellowjackets hit .412 in the first game, but was held to marks of .000 in the second and third contests.

Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown) counted 13 kills to pace UW-Oshkosh, while Megan Fischer (So. • Manitowoc) tallied six and Stephanie Magnuson (Fr. • Lake Geneva) and Valerie Yost (Jr. • Oshkosh) five each. The Titans also received eight digs, four kills and three service aces from Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac), 27 assists from Leah Stumpf (So. • Kaukauna), 14 assists and two digs from Katelyn Vara (So. • New Berlin) and 10 digs and two service aces from Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown).

Chelsie Christofferson notched 10 digs and nine kills to lead UW-Superior. The Yellowjackets also obtained 24 assists and six digs from Alicia Fairchild, 17 digs from Kayla Finck, 13 digs from Samantha Blake and seven digs and five kills from Brittany Jarvis.

UW-Oshkosh took control of the first game after it broke a 9-9 tie with an 8-1 scoring run. The Titans opened up a 21-13 lead before UW-Superior cut its deficit to 27-22. UW-Oshkosh then scored three of the next four points to win the game.

UW-Oshkosh overwhelmed UW-Superior in the second game as it scored 15 straight points to take a 19-2 lead. The Yellowjackets pulled to within 27-12, but the Titans won the game after scoring three of the last four points.

UW-Superior gave UW-Oshkosh all it could handle in the third game as it jumped out to leads of 7-3 and 19-15. The Titans then rallied to take a 24-21 advantage and fought off the Yellowjackets the rest of the way.

Titans Fight Off Blugolds

Leah Stumpf Kim Vail UW-Oshkosh overcame deficits of eight points in the first game and five points in the second to sweep UW-Eau Claire, 3-0, in a women's volleyball match held Friday (Sept. 21) in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Oshkosh (15-1/2-0 WIAC) took the match by winning games of 32-30, 30-27 and 30-25. The Titans have won 15 straight matches and 45 consecutive games, with the latter representing the fourth-longest streak in NCAA Division III history.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked eighth in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, hit .181 as Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison) totaled 13 kills and Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac) 11.

The Titans also received 11 digs from Smith, 42 assists, 10 digs, four kills and three service aces from Leah Stumpf (So. • Kaukauna), 16 digs from Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun), 13 digs from Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown) and eight digs and four kills from Rebecca Masephol (Sr. • Pittsville).

UW-Eau Claire, which shared last year's WIAC title with UW-Oshkosh, hit .137 as Abby Freiborg compiled 16 kills and Nikki Peterson seven.

The Blugolds (8-5/0-1 WIAC) also acquired 11 digs and five service aces from Freiborg, 33 assists, 14 digs and two service aces from Emily Haese and 13 digs from Heather Harnell.

UW-Oshkosh rallied to win the first game as it bounced back from deficits of 16-9, 19-11, 26-22 and 29-28. The Titans tied the score at 29-29 and then won the game after counting three of the last four points.

UW-Eau Claire jumped out to a 21-16 lead in the second game before UW-Oshkosh scored six straight points to take a 22-21 advantage. The Blugolds tied the score at 22-22 and took a 25-24 lead before the Titans countered with three consecutive points to take a 27-25 advantage. Following two straight points by UW-Eau Claire, UW-Oshkosh finished off the Blugolds with three unanswered points of its own.

The third game was all UW-Oshkosh as the Titans led from start to finish. UW-Oshkosh constructed leads of 12-7, 15-11 and 23-19 before UW-Eau Claire reduced its deficit to 25-24. The Titans then kept their winning streaks alive by scoring five of the remaining six points.

Titans Continue Winning Ways

The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team won its 13th straight match and 39th consecutive game at the Pizza Hut Classic held Friday and Saturday (Sept. 14-15) in Kolf Sports Center.

The Titans' winning scores were 30-11, 30-10, 30-24 over Lawrence University and 30-28, 30-22, 30-18 over Bethel University (Minn.) on Friday and 30-16, 30-10, 30-25 over Presentation College (S.D.) and 30-13, 30-15, 30-27 over Marian College on Saturday. The consecutive games winning streak is the ninth-longest in NCAA Division III history.

Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown),the tournament's most valuable player, led the Titans with 38 kills on a .550 hitting percentage while adding six blocks. Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison) continued her torrid hitting by adding 37 kills and nine blocks and Leah Stumpf (So. • Kaukauna) totaled 128 assists and five service aces. Both Vail and Stumpf were also named to the eight-person all-tournament team.

The Titans (13-1) had little trouble against Lawrence University (3-8) as they limited them to 21 total points in the first two games to start the tournament. Vail vaulted UW-Oshkosh to a .434 team hitting percentage as she connected on 11 kills on 12 errorless attempts. Stumpf had 24 assists and Samantha Schimdt (Jr. • Waupun) scooped up seven digs and added three service aces. Callie Hainzinger (So. • Verona) had six kills and Valerie Yost (Jr. • Oshkosh) had five kills and three blocks.

The Titans consecutive-game winning streak was in jeopardy in the first game against Bethel University (7-2) in Friday's nightcap. Trailing 28-23, Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown) rattled off seven straight points, two on service aces to salvage game one. The Titans survived 12 hitting errors in the opening stanza in pulling out the victory.

UW-Oshkosh sailed in games two and three as it committed only six hitting errors after game one. Rosenbaum led the Titans with 13 kills and two solo blocks, Vail added nine kills and Stumpf tallied 44 assists, eight digs, eight kills and three service aces. Cahoon finished the match with 11 digs and four service aces and Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac) added 13 digs and six kills. Schmidt had a team-leading 14 digs and Megan Fischer (So. • Manitowoc) added 11 kills.

UW-Oshkosh slammed down 51 total kills, including 21 in the opening game against first-time opponent Presentation College (7-5) on Saturday. Vail led the team with 11 kills and added three blocks and Yost came off the bench to amass nine kills and four blocks. Rosenbaum chipped in seven kills and Smith contributed 13 digs and five kills. Schmidt had 15 digs, Sara Pannemann (Fr. • Waukesha) nine and Cahoon eight as the Titans scooped up 84 in the match. Stumpf passed out 32 assists and Katelyn Vara (So. • New Berlin) added 13 helpers.

After completely dominating Marian College (2-11) in the first two games, UW-Oshkosh trailed the entire second game, including 23-19 before coming to life in Saturday's last match. After outscoring the Sabres two to one for the next four UW-Oshkosh servers, Schmidt put the match away by scoring the last two points on her serve to give the Titans the tournament title.

Rosenbaum shined in the match by connecting on 11 kills on 13 attempts. Kelly Ketterhagen (Fr. • Burlington) added seven kills and three service aces and Vail and Smith put down six kills. Hainzinger had nine digs and five kills and Cahoon added nine digs and five service aces. Splitting setting duties, Stumpf had 28 assists and Vara 13.

Titans Win Jefferson Sugar Loaf Classic

The UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball team won the St. Mary's University (Minn.) Jefferson Sugar Loaf Classic by sweeping four opponents on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 7-8) in Winona, Minnesota. With the wins, The Titans have now won nine straight matches and a team-record 27 straight games.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked ninth in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, began the tournament with wins of 30-22, 30-16, 30-26 over Loras College (Iowa) and 30-9, 30-10, 30-21 over Crown College (Minn.) on Friday and victories of 30-14, 30-14, 30-20 over Wartburg College (Iowa) and 31-29, 30-22, 30-22 over St. Mary's University (Minn.) on Saturday.

UW-Oshkosh's Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison) was named the most valuable player of the tournament after hitting .463 and collecting 44 kills, 13 digs and ten blocks in 11 games played. Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown) joined Vail on the all-tournament team by hitting .450 and amassed 32 kills and 17 blocks. The Titans also received 39 digs and 26 kills from Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac), 24 kills and 10 digs from Megan Fischer (So. • Manitowoc), 59 digs
and six service aces from Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun) and 138 assists and 27 digs from Leah Stumpf (So. • Kaukauna).

In the opening match of the tournament against Loras College, UW-Oshkosh started off slow, going down 9-3 before regrouping behind the play of Rebecca Masephol (Sr. • Pittsville). Coming off the bench, Masephol ignited the Titans on a 13-3 scoring run to give them a 16-12 lead. From there the Titans coasted to wins in games one and two.

Game three was close until UW-Oshkosh took a four-point lead after the score was knotted at 15-15. The two teams played side-out volleyball for eight consecutive serves for a 23-19 Titans' advantage. The Duhawks would not get closer than three points the rest of the way in the sweep.

Vail led the Titans with 13 kills and Masephol finished the match with nine kills and nine digs. Smith had eight kills and eight digs and Rosenbaum had eight kills. Schmidt tallied 17 digs and four service aces and Stumpf dished out 39 assists.

In match two on Friday, UW-Oshkosh raced out to a 23-1 lead in game one and dominated Crown College in every facet of the game. The Titans hit .500 in the match led by Vail who slammed down 10 kills in 11 errorless attempts. Kelly Ketterhagen (Fr. • Burlington) chipped in six kills, Stumpf had 22 assists, seven digs and three service aces and Valerie Yost (Jr. • Oshkosh) had five blocks. The Titans finished the match with 17 service aces and only committed four hitting errors in the match.

In the opening contest on Saturday, UW-Oshkosh continued its torrid hitting in the sweep of Wartburg College. The Titans opened play by connecting on 15 kills in 25 attempts for a .560 hitting percentage in the opening game. For the match UW-Oshkosh hit .396 and only had one receiving error.

Fischer and Smith each finished with 10 kills and Vail chipped in nine. Stumpf led the offense with 38 assists and added 10 digs and Schmidt and Smith had 16 and 14 digs, respectively.

In the championship match against St. Mary's University, UW-Oshkosh withstood a tight first game and then eventually wore down the Cardinals in games two and three. UW-Oshkosh, which also won the tournament title in 2001 and 2005, was led by Vail who had 12 kills. Rosenbaum contributed 10 kills and nine blocks and Fischer chipped in 10 kills. Schmidt had 21 digs and Stumpf had 39 assists.

Titans Sweep Green Knights, Eagles

The UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team extended a pair of winning streaks when it swept St. Norbert College and Edgewood College on Tuesday (Sept. 4) in De Pere.

UW-Oshkosh posted victories of 30-25, 30-27, 30-19 over St. Norbert College and 30-11, 30-21, 30-16 over Edgewood College to win its 15th straight game and fifth consecutive match. The Titans (5-1) entered the matches as the ninth-ranked team in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

In the first game of its match with St. Norbert College (4-1), UW-Oshkosh fell behind 9-5 before going on a 12-5 scoring run to take a 17-13 lead. The Titans then broke away from a 21-21 deadlock by scoring nine of the game’s last 13 points.

The second game was much like the first as UW-Oshkosh rallied from a 9-5 deficit to take a 21-14 lead. The Green Knights battled back to tie the score at 27-27 before the Titans won the game with a side-out and two service points by Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown).

The teams were tied 9-9 in the third game before UW-Oshkosh counted 12 of the next 15 points to take a 21-12 lead. St. Norbert College only got as close as seven points the rest of the game.

UW-Oshkosh hit .235 in the match as Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown) totaled 12 kills, Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison) 10 and Megan Fischer (So. • Manitowoc) and Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac) eight each. Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun) counted 21 digs, with her second one breaking the school's career record of 1,717 set by Amanda Delgadillo from 2000-03.

Against Edgewood College (0-1), UW-Oshkosh jumped out to a 21-3 lead in the first game and coasted to the victory. The Titans hit .565 in the opening contest and benefited from the 13 straight service points of Rosenbaum.

The second game was tied 6-6 before UW-Oshkosh scored 17 of the next 22 points to take a 23-11 advantage. Edgewood College pulled to within 27-21, but UW-Oshkosh responded by scoring the final three points.

Cahoon served the last nine points as UW-Oshkosh ended the third game with a 15-1 scoring run. The Eagles scored only two points after taking a 14-10 lead.

UW-Oshkosh served 16 aces and hit .403 in the match as Abby Halverson (Fr. • Manitowoc) counted eight kills, Smith six and Valerie Yost (Jr. • Oshkosh) five. The Titans also received 23 assists and five digs from Stumpf, nine assists and four digs from Katelyn Vara (So. • Berlin) and five digs and three service aces from Cahoon.

Titans End Elmhurst College Invitational
With Three Straight Wins

The UW-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team followed an opening loss with three straight victories at the Elmhurst College Invitational held Friday (Aug. 31) and Saturday (Sept. 1) in Elmhurst, Ill.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked ninth in the NCAA Division III by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, began the tournament and its 2007 season by suffering a 33-31, 17-30, 30-26, 30-22 loss to eighth-ranked Carthage College. The Titans then posted wins of 24-30, 30-27, 30-18, 30-24 over the College of St. Scholastica (Minn.), 30-24, 30-20, 30-14 over Lakeland College and 30-25, 30-28, 30-27 over UW-Platteville.

UW-Oshkosh’s Leah Rosenbaum (Sr. • Wrightstown) was named to the six-member all-tournament team after hitting .400 and totaling 58 kills, 12 digs, 10 solo blocks and two service aces. The Titans also received 41 kills and 13 digs from Kim Vail (Sr. • Madison), 33 kills and 17 digs from Megan Fischer (So. • Manitowoc), 24 digs and five solo blocks from Jacque Ray (So. • Richland Center), 153 assists and six service aces from Leah Stumpf (So. • Kaukauna) and 79 digs and six service aces from Samantha Schmidt (Jr. • Waupun).

In its nationally-ranked tussle with Carthage College, UW-Oshkosh rebounded from a 27-20 deficit in the first game to take a 30-29 lead. The Lady Reds then tied the score at 30-30 and counted three of the next four points to win the game. The second game was all UW-Oshkosh as the Titans hit .361 on 18 kills, including five by Ray.

UW-Oshkosh took a 23-20 lead in the third game, but three hitting errors and three receiving errors by the Titans allowed Carthage College to tally 10 of the next 13 points. The Lady Reds won the fourth game as they served seven aces.

UW-Oshkosh had five players with double-digit kills, including Ray and Rosenbaum who totaled 13 each. The Titans also received 12 kills and eight digs from Vail, 57 assists from Stumpf and 29 digs from Schmidt.

After hitting .000 in a first-game loss to the College of St. Scholastica, UW-Oshkosh regrouped to hit .409 in the remaining three games to pull out the victory. The Titans hit .474 with 20 kills in the fourth game.

UW-Oshkosh had 17 players participate in the match, including Rosenbaum who totaled 18 kills and two solo blocks, Fischer who compiled 10 kills and seven digs and Vail who tallied 10 kills. The Titans also acquired 58 assists and three service aces from Stumpf, 18 digs from Schmidt and 10 digs and three kills from Andrea Smith (Fr. • Fond du Lac).

UW-Oshkosh missed only five serves and committed just two receiving errors in sweeping Lakeland College. Rosenbaum had 13 kills for the Titans, while Schmidt added 14 digs and three service aces. UW-Oshkosh also received 26 assists and four service aces from Katelyn Vara (So. • New Berlin), 14 assists from Stumpf and 11 digs from Christina Cahoon (Fr. • Watertown).

UW-Oshkosh hit .281 as it swept WIAC-rival UW-Platteville. The Titans scored the last five points to win game one and jumped to a 22-15 lead in game three. Rosenbaum compiled 14 kills and five solo blocks to lead UW-Oshkosh, while Vail recorded 13 kills. The Titans also received 16 digs, seven kills and four service aces from Smith, 24 assists and six digs from Stumpf and 18 digs and three assists from Schmidt. Rebecca Masephol (Sr. • Pittsville) counted 11 digs in the match to increase her career total to 1,001.

Titans Open Season Ranked Ninth In Country

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) ranked UW-Oshkosh ninth in its preseason poll of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III women’s volleyball teams.

UW-Oshkosh, which ended the 2006 season as the 14th-ranked team in the country, listed ninth in this year’s preseason poll with 382 points. The Titans were also ninth in last year’s preseason rankings.

The top-ranked team in this year’s preseason poll is defending national champion Juniata College (Pa.). The Eagles received 572 points and 14 of the 24 first-place votes.

Rounding out the top-five listings were second-ranked Wittenberg University (Ohio) with 566 points, third-ranked UW-Whitewater with 542, fourth-ranked Washington University (Mo.) with 531 and fifth-ranked Emory University (Ga.) with 517.

In addition to UW-Oshkosh, other teams mentioned in the top 10 were sixth-ranked University of La Verne (Calif.) with 468 points, seventh-ranked Trinity University (Texas) with 446, eighth-ranked Carthage College with 412 and 10th-ranked Calvin College (Mich.) with 356.

UW-Oshkosh returns six of its seven starters from last year’s team that compiled a 32-6 record and lost a 3-2 decision to the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship. The Titans tallied a 7-1 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) record to share first place with UW-Eau Claire.

UW-Oshkosh, which has won 68 of its last 79 matches, opens its 2007 season by playing Carthage College on Friday (Aug. 31) in Elmhurst, Ill.