#7 Titans edge Pioneers in five-set thriller

UW-Platteville gave seventh-ranked UW-Oshkosh all it could handle before the Titans prevailed in five tight sets before a wild Williams Fieldhouse crowd.

UW-Oshkosh downed the Pioneers 25-23, 12-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12 in front on 716 fans. The Titans improved to 13-2 overall and 1-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while the Pioneers fell to 7-2, 3-1. UWP's only other loss was to top-ranked Wash. U.

"You definitely have to take the positives out of this match," Coach Deb Schulman said. "It hurts that we lost, but it was a typical WIAC match between two good teams. The stats are almost even, and we even out-hit them (.203 to .166), but it came down to a few crucial errors. Overall, I was pleased. It was a great atmosphere, and we appreciate and enjoyed the crowd. I hope they keep coming back."

Freshman Stephanie Kirchner led the Pioneers with 21 kills, while Melissa Hillebrand had 13. Ali Sikic totaled 51 assists, and Leslie White dug 27 balls.

Aleisha Bagin recorded 20 kills, and Andrea Felton 12 for the Titans, who scored the last three points of the match. The Pioneers had rallied from an 11-7 deficit to tie the exciting fifth set.

"I'm very happy with where we are right now," Schulman said. "We still have room to grow and improve."

The Pioneers play host to the UW-Platteville Invitational this weekend, beginning at 4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday.