Posted October 21, 2009
Top-ranked and undefeated UW-Oshkosh beat visiting UW-Platteville 25-18, 25-19, 25-19 in the final Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season volleyball match.
Despite the loss, the Pioneers still finished third--their best finish since a three-way tie for third in 2004--and will play host to a first-round WIAC playoff game. The Pioneers will face sixth-seeded UW-Stevens Point in Williams Fieldhouse Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. The winner will advance to the WIAC Final Four at UW-Oshkosh Nov. 6-7.
Coach Deb Schulman's team held early leads in each of the three sets, including 10-4 in the last, but the nation's top-ranked team proved to be too much. UW-Oshkosh improved to 28-0 overall and finished 8-0 in the WIAC, while the Pioneers dropped to 17-8, 5-3.
Melissa Hillebrand had nine kills for the Pioneers, while Lisa Bell had eight kills, and Briana Kaiser made seven kills and four blocks. Kate Beining had 13 kills for the Titans, who ran their home winning streak to 30.
The match was one of the WIAC's Dig for the Cure contests, and Pioneer players and coaches have raised almost $2,500 this season to combat breast cancer.
The Pioneers still have two regular-season tournaments to play prior to the conference playoffs, facing four Iowa schools at the UW-La Crosse Invitational Friday and Saturday and playing at the UW-Whitewater Invitational Oct. 30-31.
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