UW-Oshkosh Closes in on Seventh Straight WVC Regular Season Title (3-5-15)
In a battle for first place in the Wisconsin Volleyball Conference, the UW-Oshkosh men's volleyball team pulled out a close 25-23, 25-23, 25-18 victory over Marquette University in a match held on Wednesday (March 4) in Kolf Sports Center. UW-Oshkosh (27-2/8-0 WVC) now has a 1.5 match lead over Marquette University in their bid for their seventh straight WVC regular season conference crown. UW-Oshkosh entered the match ranked #1 in the latest National Collegiate Volleyball Federation Division I poll, while Marquette University sat at #13.
The first set was a see-saw affair as neither team could gain more than a three-point advantage. The opening frame was tied six times, including as late as 18-18. After a four-point run gave the Golden Eagles a 23-21 advantage, Tyler Wiedenhoeft (Sr. - Mequon) came up big from the service line by hammering home two service aces in the Titans four-point flurry to end the set.
The Titans broke out to an 11-4 cushion in set two as they scored one point on their serve on five consecutive occasions. The Golden Eagles responded with a four-point outburst to inch to within 11-8 before the Titans sided out for a 12-8 advantage. UW-Oshkosh held a slim lead the remainder of the set to pull out the two-point victory.
The third set was also close until a four-point run by Erik Harke (Sr. - Kimberly) put the Titans in command at 19-12. The Golden Eagles came back to within 19-16 before the Titans put together a three-point string to take a 23-17 lead late in the set. The Titans closed out the match after a side-out and a serve by Travis Hudson (Jr. - Wauwatosa).
UW-Oshkosh was led by Wesley Morioka (Jr. - Chicago) with 10 kills on 20 attempts. Jake Ahnert (Sr. - Burlington) added eight kills on 12 attempts and Allen Grunert (So. - Muskego), Tony Mack (So. - Muskego) and Tyler Range (Jr. - Kenosha) each had seven kills. Grunert finished the night with a .600 hitting percentage.
Hudson dished out 37 assists and added seven digs, Wiedenhoeft scooped up six digs and added three service aces and Ahnert finished with three service aces. The Titans did not have a receiving error in the match, but were hampered with 15 service errors.
"Winning seven consecutive WVC regular season titles would be an impressive feat for our program," said head coach Brian Schaefer. "It says a lot about the consistency of our players and the sacrifices they make to keep us running at an elite level. Was it our best performance, no, but when the match is on the line we continue to make plays to pull out close victories."
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