OSHKOSH, Wis. – Entering Saturday on a four-game losing streak, it was time for the University of Northwestern Volleyball team to dig deep and figure out its identity. It wouldn't come easy, however, as St. Catherine University and No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh awaited the Eagles at the UW-Oshkosh Triangular on Saturday afternoon. UNW rose to the occasion, sweeping St. Catherine before toppling UW-Oshkosh in a five-set thriller to pick up its first top 25 win of the season and return to St. Paul with a two-game winning streak in hand.
Match One: St. Catherine University Wildcats
Despite
Mikayla Wilber (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids) starting the match with an ace, St. Catherine led early in set one…then
Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy) took over. The senior put up three kills and an ace during a 5-1 run that put Northwestern ahead, 8-5. The Wildcats pulled within one, but the Eagles went on a 9-1 surge that featured five kills from
Anna Olsen (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) to seize control for good. St. Kate's was able to make a nice run itself to trim the deficit to four, but Aune, Olsen and
Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian) closed the set out at 25-19.
The two teams traded points early in set two as well before a 4-0 run gave UNW a 14-11 edge. SCU scored three-in-a-row tie, but Northwestern went streaking once again, using two Aune kills and a
Hannah Rich (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) ace to score six straight and eight out of 10 points to take a 23-16 lead. A block from the
Miranda Wyatt (Manhattan, Mont./Manhattan Christian)-
Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian) tandem ended the set with the Eagles in front, 25-17.
The third and final set was all Northwestern. Wyatt, Aune and
Anja Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) were cooking early as UNW opened up a 13-5 advantage thanks to a 7-0 spurt. A 7-1 run moments later made it 20-8, and three more Wyatt kills down the stretch finally put the Wildcats out of their misery as the Eagles finished off the sweep with a 25-11 victory.
Aune finished with a match-high 12 kills on an absurd .435 hitting percentage and added two blocks and an ace. Wyatt hit .381 andtallied nine kills and two blocks, while Olsen chipped in eight kills on .429 hitting and Egge seven.
Grace Moravchik (Mason, Wis./Ashland) logged 13 digs and Wilber 11, to go along with three aces. Rich finished with 10 digs and an ace, and reigning UMAC Setter of the Week
Addeson Jenniges (Walnut Grove, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove) distributed 32 assists and an ace.
Elese Paplow (Lakefield, Minn./Jackson County Central) added an ace as well, giving the Eagles seven in the match. For the match, UNW hit an impressive .269 as a team, including .448 in the third set.
Match Two: #3 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Titans
All eyes were on Northwestern's second match of the day, which featured two Division III volleyball heavyweights. They certainly played like it as well. UNW held an early 7-5 edge in the opening set before a 6-2 sequence put the hosts in front by two. A Jarchow kill and an
Ella Bourne (Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY) ace tied it, then a 5-1 spurt featuring a pair of Egge kills put the Eagles ahead 16-13. The Titans were able to even things up at 18, but kills from Wyatt and Aune, plus a Paplow ace, put Northwestern back in front, 21-18. An ace from Rich brought it to set point, and Aune finished the job with a solo block to give the Eagles a 25-21 win to steal the first set on the road.
UNW continued to ride its momentum into the second set, as a block and a kill from Aune helped her squad open up a 6-2 lead. Oshkosh was able to pull within one at 9-8, but a 3-0 sequence including a Jenniges ace stretched the lead back to four. Northwestern stayed in front until UWO scored five out of six points to edge in front, 15-14, but Egge and Aune would swing the lead back to the Eagles. The margin stayed within a point on either side until the hosts went on a 5-1 run to lead 23-20. UNW got within one on two occasions after, but UW-Oshkosh ultimately won it, 25-23.
True to form, the third set was tight throughout. Aune logged a couple of kills and an ace, while two kills apiece from Egge and Jarchow helped Northwestern sneak in front, 13-11. The Titans seemed to take command when they went ahead 19-16, but a 4-0 run featuring another Paplow ace suddenly put UNW in the driver's seat. Oshkosh answered back and regained the lead at 22-21, but a Jarchow kill was followed by two straight from Egge and gave the Eagles match point at 24-22. UWO would not go away, tying the set at 24 and then again at 25, but a Wyatt kill and a setting error by the Titans gave Northwestern a 27-25 win and put it one set away from pulling off the upset.
UW-Oshkosh seemed determined to not let that happen, taking an early 5-2 lead. Strong play from Jarchow and another Rich ace tied it at five, but before you knew it, an 11-2 blitz had the Titans ahead, 19-10. UNW tried to make a push, scoring seven of nine points to pull within four, but it was all for naught as the hosts won 25-18 to force a decisive fifth set.
Oshkosh looked to be in its element early in the final set as it took a 4-2 advantage, but the pesky Eagles would not go away, scoring six of seven, including four Egge kills, to storm ahead, 8-5. The lead grew to 13-8 as Egge, Wyatt, Aune and Jarchow all took turns pounding the ball into the Kolf Sports Center floor, and two errors from the opposition slammed the door shut and gave UNW its most impressive win of the year after a 15-9 win in set five.
Egge led the Eagles with 16 kills (five of which were in the fifth set), while Aune added 14, eight blocks and an ace. Jarchow finished with 12 kills and Wyatt 11, while Jenniges dished out a career and game-high 52 assists to go along with her ace. Wilber led UNW in digs with 14, with Rich adding 13 and three aces. Moravchik and Bourne each tallied 11 digs, with the later contributing a pair of aces as well. Paplow also logged two aces.
Up Next
That concludes Northwestern's regular season multi-team events for 2025. The Eagles will open up conference play on Friday, September 26
th at home against UW-Superior, who was picked just behind UNW in second place in the preseason UMAC coaches poll. First serve in the Ericksen Center is slated for 7:00 PM.
