Volleyball victorious on Senior Night beating UW-Oshkosh

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville volleyball team sent the Pioneer three seniors out on a high note, defeating UW-Oshkosh 3-2 (19-25, 25-20, 25-14, 21-25, 15-12) on Wednesday at Williams Fieldhouse on Senior Night. 

The Pioneers tallied four players with double-digit kills to UWO's two. Sophomore Lidia Frias led the Pioneers with 14 kills, posting a .429 hitting percentage and totaled seven blocks. Junior Jennifer Schmidt registered a double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs. Freshman Merritt Johnson tallied 12 kills, while junior Lauren Grady recorded 10 kills. Junior setter Katie O'Malley also recorded a double-double with 30 assists and 13 digs. 

UW-Platteville started out slow, falling behind 4-1, but managed to make it a one-point game 6-5. The Titans went on to score five on the next six points, extending their lead to 11-6. The Pioneers were able to cut their deficit down to two points twice, but couldn't seem to get over the hump, as UWO took the opening set 25-19. 

The Titans scored the first five points of the second set, but the Pioneers clawed back, tying it up 10-10.  A block assist by Frias and Amber Williams gave the Pioneers their first lead of the match, 11-10. UW-Platteville kept pushing and managed to take a 22-18 lead. Another block assist, this time by Grady and Johnson, scored the set-winning point, 25-20. 

Once the Pioneers took a 3-2 lead in the third set they never looked back, and cruised to 25-14 victory. UW-Platteville registered 16 kills and just one error for a .625 hitting percentage in the third set. 

The Titans never trailed in the fourth set and used a 9-2 run to take a 16-9 lead. UWO went on to force a fifth set, winning 25-21. 

With the fifth set tied a 10-10 a kill by Schmidt and then a UWO error gave the Pioneers a 12-10 lead. The Titans came right of their timeout and put it back to a one-point game 12-11. UW-Platteville's Williams answered with a big kill and then with another UWO error gave the Pioneers set point, 14-11. Frias came up with the final point, giving the Pioneers the 15-12 win. 

UW-Platteville will play four games over the weekend at the Millikin Tournament in Decatur, Illinois.