2000 North Coast Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament
Hosted by Wittenberg University

2000 Schedule

Tuesday, October 31, 2000Quarterfinals
#1 Wittenberg vs. #8 HiramWittenberg defeats Hiram, 3-0 (15-2, 15-6, 15-1)

#2 Denison vs. #7 KenyonDenison defeats Kenyon, 3-0 (15-3, 15-4, 15-7)

#3 Allegheny vs. #6 EarlhamAllegheny defeats Earlham, 3-1 (16-14, 14-16, 15-11, 15-3)

#4 Ohio Wesleyan vs. #5 WoosterOhio Wesleyan defeats Wooster, 3-2 (15-8, 15-10, 11-15, 15-17, 15-12)



Friday, November 3, 2000Semifinals5:30 p.m.#1 Wittenberg vs. #4 Ohio WesleyanWittenberg defeats Ohio Wesleyan, 3-0 (15-11, 15-5, 15-1)

After a close first game, the top-seeded and host Wittenberg University Tigers overwhelmed No. 4 seed Ohio Wesleyan to win the first semifinal match tonight at the HPER Center. Sophomore Teresa Murphy led the Tigers with 11 kills, while sophomores Brittany Baume and Tiffany Keller chipped in with 10 each. Defensively, senior Melodi Mann added 13 digs, while sophomore setter Shelli Habegger, the conference's and nation's leader in assist at more than 14 per game, dished out 40 assists.

The Tigers now advance to the championship match, which is slated for 2 p.m. on Saturday at the HPER Center. The Tigers, who are now 29-8 overall and went a perfect 8-0 in the NCAC regular season, are looking for their fifth straight tournament title and NCAA Division III Tournament bid.

Ohio Wesleyan, which finishes 13-20 on the season after a fourth-place regular season finish in the NCAC regular season, was paced by senior Leslie Welsh with 10 kills and 12 digs. Junior Heather White and junior Adrienne Knox added six kills each, while sophomore Emily Thornton chipped in with 11 digs and junior Shana Heilbron recorded 21 assists.

8 p.m.#2 Denison vs. #3 AlleghenyDenison defeats Allegheny, 3-0 (15-5, 15-13, 15-12)

In each game, No. 3 seed Allegheny started out hot and took early leads. In each game, the second-seeded Denison Big Red rallied and stormed past the Gators. The final was 3-0 in favor of the Big Red, who now move into the NCAC tournament championship match against the host Wittenberg Tigers.

In the first game, Denison fell behind early before reeling off 12 straight service points by sophomore Danielle D'Orazio, including two aces. In each of the next two games, play was tight throughout, but the Big Red had all the answers. Sophomore Heather Guthrie recorded 13 kills and sophomore Regann Goodwin dished out 42 assists.

Denison improved to 21-10 overall after going 7-1 in the NCAC regular season. The Big Red's only loss in conference action was to Wittenberg.

Allegheny concludes its season with a 15-21 overall record after winding up 5-3 in the NCAC regular season. Freshman setter Vicki Kajder distributed 37 assists, while junior Meghan Radkowski recorded a tournament-best 24 digs in the loss. Offensively, freshman Dhira Dale pounded 14 kills to lead the Gators, while senior Tonya Andrews finished with 12 kills in her final collegiate match.

Saturday, November 4, 2000 Championship game2 p.m.#1 Wittenberg vs. #2 DenisonWittenberg defeats Denison, 3-0 (15-8, 15-10, 15-9)

The Wittenberg University Tigers captured their fifth consecutive North Coast Athletic Conference tournament championship today, defeating the second-seeded Denison Big Red by a score of 3-0 (15-8, 15-10, 15-9). Wittenberg, which improved to 30-8, had earlier won the NCAC regular season title with a perfect 8-0 record.

Sophomore Teresa Murphy was the driving force in this one, pounding a team-high 20 kills and also recording 14 digs. She was named Tournament MVP for her performance. Sophomore Brittany Baume added 19 kills, freshman Michelle Emming had 14 digs and senior Kelly Zander also contributed 14 digs to the balanced team effort.

Making the all-tournament team were Zander and sophomore outside hitter Tiffany Keller, another key offensive player as the Tigers did not drop a game in winning three matches and the tournament title

Denison finishes its season with a 21-11 overall record after winding up 7-1 in the NCAC regular season. The Big Red, with just one senior on the roster, got 40 assists from sophomore Regann Goodwin, 13 kills from sophomore Becky Turk and 22 digs from sophomore Heather Guthrie. Turk and Guthrie were named to the all-tournament in recognition of their efforts.

Wittenberg earns the NCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament, which begins next weekend. The Tigers, who are ranked 12th in the country by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, lost in the first round a year ago to Thomas More.

2000 NCAC All-Tournament Team Teresa Murphy, So., Wittenberg - MVPKelly Zander, Sr., WittenbergTiffany Keller, So., WittenbergHeather Guthrie, So., DenisonBecky Turk, So., DenisonLeslie Welsh, Sr., Ohio WesleyanVicki Kajder, Fr., Allegheny