Charleston, W.V. – The Wittenberg men's volleyball team closed out their Spring Break road trip with a matchup against Division II the University of Charleston (W.V.). The Tigers dropped a tough 3-1 contest (25-21, 24-26, 25-22, 25-19) to the Eagles from the University of Charleston. Wittenberg collected 39 kills on 99 attack attempts for a .192 attacking percentage on the evening. The Tiger offense was led by Jackson Tyler, logging 11 kills on 25 attacks for a .280 kill percentage. Tyler added five digs and a block to his total on the night.
Match Breakdown
Wittenberg was able to hang with Charleston through the opening set, recording a .455 attacking percentage in the first set. The Tigers landed 14 kills on 22 attack attempts with just four errors, outhitting the Charleston offense which recorded a .429 kill percentage. Wittenberg was forced to battle back in the first set, as Charleston jumped out to an early 10-5 lead, forcing the Tigers to chip away at the advantage. Wittenberg would bring the first set back to even at 21-21 before Charleston was able to record four straight points to take the first set. Wittenberg carried the momentum into the second set, knotting the game up at 1-1 with a 26-24 win. The Tigers would once again outswing Charleston, finishing with a .133 kill percentage, compared to a Charleston .125. Wittenberg took the early lead in the second set, fending off the Charleston comeback down the stretch. Charleston would find their offensive groove in the final two sets, holding the Tigers to under double-digits kills in each of the last two sets.
Who Stood Out
Ashton Sellers tallied a team-high .340 attacking percentage, planting 10 kills on 20 attack attempts with only three errors, adding a block and a dig to his total on the night. Gabriel Lamar recorded seven kills on 18 swings, finishing with four blocks and two digs. Ross Russell provided 34 of the 36 Wittenberg assists on the night, coming up with eight digs and an ace.
UP NEXT
Wittenberg will return home to host the Terriers of Hiram College and the Geneva Golden Tornados on Saturday, Mar. 23 at 11:00 AM from the newly renovated 1929 gymnasium.