UW-Platteville proved it belonged with the best in the nation, as the Pioneers battled #14 UW-Oshkosh to the limit before falling in five games in the NCAA III playoffs Thursday at Carthage College in Kenosha.
The Titans, who were upset by the Pioneers last Tuesday in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoffs, prevailed 26-30, 30-22, 30-32, 30-26, 15-13. The Titans will take a 32-5 record into Friday's match with Wash. U., while the Pioneers finished the season at 24-13.
"I thought we played well and they played well," Pioneer Coach Deb Schulman said. "When it's a five-game match, it just comes down to a play here or a play there. It was just a hard-fought, well-played match."
The first game featured a close battle with UWP gaining a four-point lead early and then withstanding a Titan rally. In the second game, the Titans broke a 10-10 tie with a 15-3 run. Game three featured a Pioneer comeback, as UWP rallied from a 26-23 deficit to tie the match at 26-26 and eventually win 32-30. Game four saw the Titans hold a 24-15 lead before the Pioneers closed within 26-24 but could not quite get over the hump. Game five was a one- or two-point contest all the way, with UW-Oshkosh breaking a 13-13 tie with the final two points to advance.
All-region selection Lisa Bell led the Pioneers with a career-best 22 kills while hitting .498, and all-conference selection Rachel Chapman had 15. First team all-Midwest Region setter Kelly Laschinger had 56 assists, while Emily Walker had 20 digs.
Thursday was the Pioneers' fifth NCAA III appearance, and the second national playoff game with UW-Oshkosh. Ironically, the other previous meeting ended with a 15-13 loss to the Titans in the fifth game, 10 years ago.
The Pioneers earned the NCAA III playoff berth by playing a strong schedule and beating several ranked teams throughout the year. The Pioneers, who finished seventh in the WIAC, beat second-seeded UW-Oshkosh and third-seeded UW-Eau Claire in last week's conference tournament to secure their at-large bid. UWP then validated its bid with the strong showing Thursday.
"No question," Schulman said. "Everyone who watched the match commented on how well we played. It was a great experience, and hopefully we'll be back next year."
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