9/10 rundown: Wash U’s perfect streak reaches 30 sets

I was at the UW Oshkosh Pizza Hut Classic again today. Everything basically held to form. Chicago beat Oshkosh in four to win the title. St. Norbert beat UW-Superior in four to place third. Chicago got a slight wake-up call in the first and fourth sets of the championship, but once the net defense woke up the Maroons proved they’re a top 25 team. UC was simply the best team in Oshkosh.

Oshkosh’s progress took another step forward. UWO provided resistance at the net, the offense showed streaks of dominance and the back row attack is a newer element. St. Norbert was St. Norbert – tremendous rallying, touches at the net and good ball control. Superior’s 6-2 offense gave some teams fits. I also thought Lawrence played well and gained confidence. LU is pretty good up front. I think a MWC Tournament appearance is a reasonable goal.

It was nice to meet several of you over the two days. Thanks for stopping by to chat.

• No. 2 Washington 3, No. 20 UW-Whitewater 0. WU hit .485. Bears middle Lauren Budde went 14-0-18 with 10 digs. UWW scored 49 points. • No. 2 Washington 3, No. 6 Christopher Newport 0. WU (10-0) has not lost a set this season. All-American Kelly Pang (30 digs) led the Bears. CNU hit .043. • No. 8 Carthage 3, RV Ohio Northern 0. 25-18, 25-22, 25-13. No box score available. • No. 8 Carthage 3, No. 20 UW-Whitewater 0. 25-20, 25-21, 25-19. No box score available. • No. 6 Christopher Newport, RV Ohio Northern 0. 25-16, 25-17, 25-23. No box score available. ONU didn’t win a set in four matches this weekend. • RV Saint Benedict 3, RV UW-Eau Claire 2. UWEC’s Anne Satterlee and CSB’s Chelsie Sobieck had 22 kills apiece. Satterlee added nine blocks. Blazer libero Chelsea Rachel had 35 digs. Blugold setter Emily Neave had 58 assists, 18 digs and five aces. UWEC took seventh at the eight-team Augsburg Invitational. • No. 7 St. Thomas 3, Northwestern 1. UST hit .341 but lost the kills (54-38) and attempts (151-85) columns by a wide margin. NWC had 37 attack errors. • Wheaton (Ill.) 3, No. 16 Trinity (Texas) 0. 25-22, 25-19, 25-23. No box score available. TU (5-4) went 0-4 in Atlanta this weekend. Maybe the CCIW will now get recognized as one of the better volleyball conferences. • No. 4 Emory 3, No. 5 Eastern 1. Doc Partin Classic (Atlanta) title match. EU’s Natalie Schonefeld’s 56 assists fed the star hitting trio of Amelia McCall (23-3-50), Breanah Bourque (17-4-33) and Jessica McAlvany (15-6-38) to a .320 team hitting percentage. • Bethel 3, UW-River Falls 1. Bethel Invite title match. BU’s Caitie Helle went 16-1-30. UWRF’s Erin Green went 18-5-37 with eight blocks. • Illinois Wesleyan 3, Coe 1. Barker Classic I (IWU) title match. 25-23, 25-23, 15-25, 25-21. No box score available. Coe falls to 8-1. • Central 3, Edgewood 0. Three close sets, but the top half of the IIAC beats the top half of the NAC in this one. • Loras 3, Edgewood 1. LC’s Regan Riley went off for 27-1-46 and 13 digs. • Millikin 3, Loras 0. MU (7-1) hit .413. • No. 7 St. Thomas 3, No. 25 St. Scholastica 0. Augsburg Invite title match. UST (8-0) had 56 kills and hit .393. Ashley Maher (42 assists) and Taylor Cross (17-3-24) led the Tommies. Two of the three CSS (9-3) losses are to UST. • RV UW-Eau Claire 3, UW-Stevens Point 1. UWEC (4-6) got a much-needed nonconference win. UWEC was led by Anne Satterlee (16-2-30) and Emily Neave (54 assists, 11 digs). Morgan Bartkowiak had 10 blocks for UWSP (5-5). • Northwestern 3, RV Saint Benedict 0. Augsburg Invite third-place match. NWC (7-2) beat CSB (4-5) for the second time in four days. • No. 13 Colorado 3, Dominican 0. DU gave CC a run (23, 21, 22). The teams will meet in the Molten Colorado College Classic title match later tonight. UPDATE: CC won the rematch (18, 21, 22). • No. 3 Wittenberg 3, No. 11 Heidelberg 0. 25-21, 25-18, 25-19. No box score available. • No. 15 Concordia-Moorhead 3, No. 21 St. Olaf 1. Jenna Green had 24 kills and 11 digs to lead CCM. Green also took 43 percent of the team’s swings (71 of 166). • RV Nebraska Wesleyan 3, No. 21 St. Olaf 1. NWU (5-3) beat its second top 25 opponent of the weekend (Wartburg). SOC (4-4) went 1-3 this weekend, with three losses to teams receiving votes in the top 25. • No. 15 Concordia-Moorhead 3, No. 24 Wartburg 0. CCM (8-1) went undefeated at the Wartburg Invite with three wins over teams receiving top 25 votes. • St. Catherine 3, Luther 1. St. Kate’s Invite championship. Four tight sets. St. Kate’s (8-1) had 62 kills and hit .228. • No. 19 UW-Platteville 3, Central 1. UWP (5-3) continues to dig out of an early season hole with its fifth straight win. UWP hit .279 behind Ali Sikic’s 51 assists and four players – two were Stephanie Kirchner (14-0-27) and Samantha Rampart (14-3-25) – with double-figure kills. • Salisbury 3, No. 17 New York 2. NYU (4-3) went 1-3 against unranked opponents at the Nazareth Invite, but losses to Salisbury and Cortland aren’t bad. Cortland (8-0), a team I like a lot and one that should be getting more votes, won the invite. • No. 14 Southwestern 3, No. 10 Cal Lutheran 1. SU (7-0) goes 4-0 at the Posada Royale Invitational (Cal Lutheran). CLU falls to 6-2. SU beat its second top 10 team (UW-Platteville). No box score available.

-Ricky Nelson