Day 1 Oshkosh Regional observations

Right at the top, the losers today did not play as well as I have seen them play this season. This is at least my second time seeing all of these teams. In most cases I’ve seen all of them more than once before today. That out of the way, here are a few things you may not have known by reading a recap or box score. Please add your own thoughts from the regional openers, whether it be at Oshkosh or any of the other seven locations.

#3 UW-Whitewater 0, #6 St. Thomas 3 • I can unequivocally say I’ve never seen Whitewater play so poorly. And that goes back quite a few years. The Warhawks were never in it. In fact, I had UWW with the lead for all of one point the entire match: 4-3 in Set 3. When is the last time that happened? • Much of the credit for that is because St. Thomas was really good. The Tommies’ service pressure, combined with great play from setter Emily Foster and Swiss-army-knife-of-shots Kyley Crotty, made this one a breeze. Complete domination, thanks to a slow back-row D from Whitewater and great shot selection and setting options from St. Thomas. • If you bought the official NCAA program, I’ll send you on a treasure hunt. Try to find MIAC Player of the Year Emily Foster’s name on the St. Thomas roster. Good thing everyone knows who she is by now. Could have saved yourself $5 and printed one of the Regional Guides. At least I remembered to include Foster’s name a few times. On that front, if you’re out there, NCAA, I’m available to copy edit your programs for a nominal fee. For example, I’m fairly certain Garnett Purnell is not the AD at both Wittenberg and UW-Whitewater, etc., etc., etc.

#2 Saint Benedict 2, #7 Luther 3 • The NCAA doesn’t release the info, so there’s no way of knowing. But in my opinion, Luther was the last team to get a bid to the tourney. The Norse proved they belonged. After shaking off a lousy Set 1 (jitters in first tourney match?), Luther looked like the more confident team. • Luther’s Emily Cory can swing for any team in the country. If she played all rotations, she’d probably be my front-runner for MVP. • The Blazers can terminate with the best of them, but Luther played much better back-row D than St. Ben’s. That was the difference in my mind. That and St. Ben’s couldn’t get a pass near the end. • Luther MB Felicia Bridgers changed the match dynamic when she joined Emily Ellson in getting hands on balls at the net. Bridgers played bigger than her 5’9″ frame, as cliche as that is. The big Blazer swings seemed tempered when Bridges really got involved. • I’ve seen plenty of players get packed, and packed hard. But I’ve never seen a kill from 14 feet off of a face. Until today, and in a crucial point, too. Score was tied at 7 in Set 5, when a packed ball went off a Luther player’s noggin at right-back and fell untouched on the other side in the back-left corner at the side change. Wish I would have written down the player who got the first pack kill I’ve ever seen. I was laughing too hard to even think about that stuff.

#4 UW-Eau Claire 3, #5 St. Olaf 0 • National kills leader Kim Smisek got hers for St. Olaf, but she had to work for them. Smisek looked like a ’70s defensive lineman with a wrapped club for a right swinging hand, by the way. • A battle until the ends of the sets, when Eau Claire always found a way. • When Smisek was in the St. Olaf back row, she was served to almost every time and the Blugold points came in bunches, especially when a tough server like Lindsey Smith was rushing them over. Smisek in the front row? Totally different story. • Eau Claire played much better back-row D and simply had more options on O.

#1 UW Oshkosh 3, #8 St. Norbert 0 • Oshkosh was, in one word, efficient. • St. Norbert scored 28 points. Oshkosh gave away 15 points on errors. • I had not seen Oshkosh’s Andrea Smith swing like she did tonight in a long time. • Titan starters hit .543. The team hit .462 and allowed 11 kills. Their amps were set at 11 tonight. • UWO setter Katelyn Vara was outstanding, probably the best performance by anyone today.

-Ricky Nelson