The No. 3 nationally ranked UW Oshkosh women’s volleyball team defeated UW-La Crosse 3-0, improving its record to 21-2. Samantha Perlberg achieved her tenth double-double with 16 kills, two aces, two blocks and 10 digs.
Coach Jon Ellmann said that Perlberg raises the standard of the program and that she is the result of putting everything into her craft.
“Samantha is a shining example of what hard work and dedication to your craft can result in,” Ellmann said. “She is her authentic self, cares deeply about her teammates and helps to not only uphold but raise the standards we have set for our program.”
Oshkosh had its highest hitting percentage this season, hitting a .440. Ellmann said that the past is great, but it doesn’t guarantee the future, and they want to keep an underdog mindset.
“All of our goals are still out in front of us,” Ellmann said. “Our focus remains on the process of getting better, and we’re excited about what is possible for this group.”
UWO scored its first point off a kill from Perlberg and led the Titans to lead 4-2 in the first set. The Titans then kept their foot on the gas, gaining a massive lead and ultimately winning the set by a block from Perlberg.
In the second set, Oshkosh took another commanding lead with six points coming from four Perlberg kills and a block from Perlberg and her teammate Lauren Grier. Then, after service and attack errors and kills from Claire McEniry, Greir and Perlberg, the Titans led La Crosse 12-4. La Crosse battled back, making the score 16-14, but then UWO went on a run with kills coming from Grier, McEniry and Perlberg, ultimately winning the set with the Titans leading 2-0.
In the third set, UWL led the set 4-2, but once again Oshkosh went on another scoring run, scoring 6 unanswered points with UWO taking the lead 8-4. Both teams traded scores to put the Titans up 17-11. Then UWO went on a 7-point, unanswered run, and after a point scored by UWL, won the set and the match by a kill from Grace Juergens.
Oshkosh is now 21-2 on the season and has notched its 17th 3-0 game.
Coach Ellmann said that the Titans keep working hard to fine-tune and improve during their matches and that there are challenges in all of their matches, no matter the score.
“There have been tons of challenges in all of our matches, whether they were five-set losses or three-set wins,” Ellman said. “We want to be a team that runs headfirst into that challenge so that we can find ways to overcome it as soon as possible. Doing so is one of the ingredients of confidence.”
The Titans will face UW-Platteville on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at Kolf Sports Center at 7 p.m. The final score of the match can be found at uwoshkoshtitans.com/.
UWO will travel to UW-Whitewater to take on No. 10 Colby College (Maine) on Saturday at noon.
