La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse volleyball team, receiving votes on this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll, earned a 3-1 (25-13, 23-25, 26-15, 25-18) victory over UW-Oshkosh Thursday night in Mitchell Hall in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championships (Presented by Culver's).  With the win, UWL advances to the championship match Saturday, November 4 at 7 p.m. hosting ninth-ranked UW-Whitewater.  UWL improved to 20-6 with its win Thursday night while UW-Oshkosh drops to 20-15. 

UW-Whitewater advanced to Saturday's title match with a 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 23-25, 25-20) victory over UW-Eau Claire Thursday night.  The Warhawks defeated the Eagles 3-1 (25-21, 17-25, 25-22, 25-23) in last year's WIAC Championship match in Whitewater.  UWL won the regular season matchup this season 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-19) over UW-Whitewater on October 25 in La Crosse. 

UWL will be making its seventh appearance in the WIAC Championship match, capturing the 2003 title with a 3-1 (30-21, 30-17, 30-28) win at UW-River Falls.  
 
UWL took a 11-5 lead in the opening set Thursday night and later led 21-9 on a Stephanie Henk kill.  UW-Oshkosh scored four straight to cut it to 22-12, but the Eagles got the next three points, capped with another kill from Henk to take the first set 25-13. 
 
In the second set, UWL led by three points at 18-15 before UW-Oshkosh scored five straight points to take a 20-18 lead on a kill from Renee Rush.  UWL went back ahead by two at 23-21 on a service ace from Henk, but the Titans killed two straight points, and won 25-23 after an attack error from the Eagles. 
 
A five point rally put UWL ahead 7-2 early in the third set.  UW-Oshkosh cut the lead to four points at 9-5, but the Eagles pulled away, leading 21-9 after a Laine Hoeffel kill.  UWL closed out the set 25-15.
 
In the fourth, UWL again took an early lead, and a service ace from Halle Barnabo made it 10-4.  UW-Oshkosh scored the next three points, and it was 10-7, but the Titans got no closer the remainder of the set, and the Eagles closed out the match 25-18 with a kill from Jessica Jablonski.
 
Henk, named the WIAC Offensive Player of the Year Thursday for the second straight year, led UWL with 18 kills while hitting .275 (18-7-40).  Kathryn Maas had 10 kills while Hoeffel had eight.  Madison Entinger recorded 47 assists as the Eagles hit .276 (56-19-134).  
 
Barnabo and Marisa Johnson each had 13 digs for UWL while Entinger added 11 and Paige Schmidt had 10.  The Eagles finished with 11.0 total blocks with Maas recording one solo and seven block assists. 

Tina Elstner led UW-Oshkosh with 10 kills, while Samantha Jaeke added nine kills and 18 assists as the Titans hit .177 (39-17-124).  Rachel Gardner led UW-Oshkosh with 20 digs.

UWL returns to action Saturday, November 4 hosting UW-Whitewater in the WIAC Championship starting at 7 p.m. at Mitchell Hall.  The winner earns the league's automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships, which will be announced Monday, November 6 at 11:30 a.m.