No. 11 UW-Oshkosh overwhelms UW-La Crosse

No. 11 UW-Oshkosh kept applying pressure and defeated UW-La Crosse in a convincing four-setter on “Dig for the Cure” night tonight in Oshkosh.

Clad in pink unis and matching black headbands in support of breast cancer awareness, the Titans applied pressure in all phases of the game, from their always strong service to their swings, especially from outside Ashley Sullivan. Oshkosh also pressured La Crosse by keeping the floor relatively clean, excepting the occasional Amber Schoonover bomb. Credit the clean floor to the blocking of Titan middles Val Yost, Jacque Ray and Kelsey Mauer, setter Kaitlyn Vara and outside Andrea Smith, and the digging of libero Christina Cahoon, and outsides Katie Beining and Steph Magnuson.

But it’s clear the Titans’ main weapon this season is their serving, especially Smith, Cahoon, Beining and setters Vara and Katie Reimer. When they get it going, the free balls, aces and runs are hard to stop. For all of these reasons, La Crosse (18-7, 3-2) had very little tempo and rhythm tonight. Save for the set-two stinker and a few hiccups on the short serve, it was all Oshkosh.

UWO once again played without injured kills leader Megan Fischer, MB Kelly Ketterhagen and DS Kaitlynn Snyder. Oshkosh’s lone senior, Val Yost, was honored before the match.

Besides wearing special uniforms for “Dig for the Cure” night, UWO also hosted several Wisconsin high school teams, had set-break entertainment, accepted pledges for digs, allowed dogs into Kolf Sports Center and conducted a serving contest for prizes.

In the other key Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup tonight, UW-Eau Claire (12-9, 4-0 WIAC) eked out a five-set road win, 16-14, over UW-River Falls (9-12, 1-4) to maintain its one-game edge in the loss column over Oshkosh (21-2, 6-1).

Oshkosh hosts a tournament Friday and Saturday before finishing WIAC play at UW-Platteville (12-11, 2-2), a team that’s been a thorn in the Titans’ side for years, on Oct. 22.

-Ricky Nelson