The UW Oshkosh volleyball team continued their winning streak by sweeping four non-conference teams over the weekend, upping their current record to 26-0.
The Titans opened the Washington University in St. Louis’s WashU Invitational Oct. 13 against Simpson College (Iowa) and against Washington University in St. Louis, winning the matches by scores of 3-0 and 3-2, respectively.
Oshkosh swept Simpson with little resistance in the first set, scoring 25-7. In the following sets, Simpson improved their point totals but never came within eight points of the Titans in the remaining two sets.
The Titans then faced off against Washington University, a team the Titans were 0-15 against in their program history. Starting the match, Oshkosh suffered a two set deficit, endangering their current season record, but UWO was able to win the final three sets to win its 24th straight match.
In the first two sets, UWO lost 27-25 and 25-23, not escaping a 5-point deficit in either of the sets.
Oshkosh followed with three winning sets of 25-19, 27-25 and 15-8 against the Bears.
Head coach Jon Ellmann credited the comeback after the second set loss to the team not expecting every match to be perfect.
“We have no illusions of perfection when we walk on the court,” he said. “The whole team will spend hours and hours on and off the court to create the outcomes that will happen in a 60-120 minute match.”
On the next day of the tournament, UWO took on DePauw University (Indiana) and Illinois Wesleyan University, winning both matches 3-1.
Oshkosh lost the first set to DePauw, but won the following sets 25-14, 25-11 and 25-22.
Against the Tigers, UWO hit .347, while holding DePauw to just .156 and held leads in kills (58-36), assists (50-33) and digs (61-42).
In the final match of the WashU Invitational, Oshkosh bested Illinois Wesleyan University 3-1 in a clash of the Titans, leaving UWO on top.
Against the Titans of Illinois Wesleyan, Oshkosh took the first set of the match, lost the second, and recovered the third and fourth set to close the tournament 4-0.
At the end of the tournament, Riley Kindt and Riley Dahlquist were each named to the All-Tournament Team and were joined by Emily Williams from Simpson, Olivia Karwin from DePauw, Taylor French from Illinois Wesleyan and both Sam Buckley and Jasmine Sells from WashU.
The 26-0 Titans will hit the road for their next match when they take on UW-River Falls (17-7) on Oct. 20.
WIAC Standings
UW Oshkosh —————- 4-0
UW-Whitewater ———— 3-1
UW-Stevens Point———– 3-1
UW-Platteville ————– 3-1
UW-River Falls ———— 2-2
UW-Eau Claire ———— 1-3
UW-Stout —————— 0-4
UW-La Crosse ———— 0-4
