By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
Box Score | Oshkosh, Wis. — The No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season in a five-setter at No. 5 UW-Oshkosh Wednesday. The Titans took the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener 25-18, 13-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-10.
The Warhawks had the opening serve and Alayna Jansky registered the first point of the contest with a kill. Her tip off the hands of the Titan blocks fell to the floor for a 1-0 UWW lead. The rest of the set belonged to UW-Oshkosh. The Titans continued to build a lead with scrappy play – extending rallies and eventually taking the set 25-18.
UW-Whitewater came out on fire in the second set. The Warhawks jumped out to an 8-2 lead bolstered by a pair of kills from Jansky and a huge block from Chloe Werner and Hannah Proctor.
After a pair of Jenna Weinfurt kills and another big block – this time from Proctor and Weinfurt – the Titans signaled for timeout, their second of the set, with UWW leading 12-4. UWO scored three straight out of the timeout until Weinfurt and Abbie Dix registered back-to-back kills to pull the momentum back to the Warhawks.
Later in the set, a pair of consecutive blocks had UW-Whitewater energized. Jansky, Dix and Krzus were a towering wall in the middle turning away an attack from a middle hitter. Dix and Krzus followed with another block on the very next play to make it 20-10. The Warhawks went on to even the match with a 25-13 set two victory capped by a Jansky ace.
The UWW offense hit their stride in the second set with a .333 attack percentage including 12 kills – 8 from Jansky. Meanwhile, the defense tallied five blocks including three from Dix.
Set three was much more like the top five matchup fans were expecting – a back-and-forth battle with the squads trading leads and momentum. With 17 ties and 7 lead changes, it was a hard cross from Jansky that just nicked the line and a block from Proctor and Werner that gave UWW set point. Werner found the deep corner on an attack for the kill and a 25-22 Warhawk win.
The Titans held the lead for the majority of set four. UW-Whitewater pulled to within one multiple times, but each time UWO had a response. Trailing 16-12, the Warhawks called timeout. Out of the break, the teams traded points with the long rallies continuing to favor the Titans.
Still, the Warhawks showcased their resilience. Trailing by five 21-16, Jansky sparked a run with back-to-back absolute smashes followed by a Werner and Proctor block to pull within two and force a UWO timeout.
A Titan attack error had the margin at one before consecutive kills pushed the lead back to three, 23-20. This time, it was UWW’s turn to call timeout.
The Warhawks went to Jansky on the other side of the break for a kill off the top of the block. A pair of UWO miscues knotted the game 23-23. A kill and UWW attack error sent the match into a decisive fifth set.
Early attack errors proved costly as the Warhawks trailed 8-5 at the side switch. UWW would pull to within one, 10-9, but the Titans went on to take the set 15-10.
Three Warhawks registered double digit kills led by Jansky’s 21. Weinfurt added 14 while Werner was the most efficient with 11 kills in 29 attempts with just 2 errors. Krzus posted 49 assists in the match.
Jaedynn Evans was stellar in the backcourt with 26 digs. Weinfurt joined her teammate in double figures with 15.
UW-Whitewater won the battle at the net with 15.5 blocks compared to Oshkosh’s 8.0. Proctor tallied nine with a solo and eight assisted. Opposite of Proctor in the middle, Dix added six including a solo and five assisted. Werner and Krzus registered five assist blocks each.
The Warhawks will head to Washington University in St. Louis this weekend for a pair of matches against ranked teams. UWW will face No. 7 La Verne Friday and No. 15 Gustavus Adolphus Saturday.
