SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - After another outstanding season, Wittenberg University volleyball team members added more hardware to their trophy cases as the 2003 NCAA Division III All-America teams were announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The Tigers finished 28-7 overall in 2003 and won the NCAC regular season and tournament titles for a seventh straight year without a loss. The season came to an end in the NCAA Division III Tournament Great Lakes Regional championship game on Nov. 15.
Setter Sarah Yuskewich, a junior from Columbus, Ohio, was the biggest winner for a second straight year. A year after claiming North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors and first-team all-conference, All-Great Lakes Region and All-America, Yuskewich duplicated the feat with the same string of awards. She finished 2003 with 1,408 assists, tops in the NCAC and fifth in the nation, and she moved into first place on the Wittenberg career assists list. In addition, Yuskewich also had team-highs of 111 blocks and 41 service aces. Yuskewich is the third Wittenberg player to garner All-America honors in two different seasons and only the fourth player in school history to attain such national recognition.
Outside hitter Kristin Fox, a junior from Galion, Ohio, was decorated for her play this year as well, and she capped her breakout season with third-team All-America honors. A middle hitter her first two seasons in the program, Fox moved to outside hitter early in the season after injuries left the team shorthanded. She responded by leading Wittenberg in kills with 421 and setting a school record with a hitting percentage of .350, both of which ranked among the best in the NCAC. She was also a first-team all-conference and first-team All-Great Lakes Region.
Libero Emilie Schmid, a junior from Canton, Ohio, was named Honorable Mention All-America after earning NCAC Libero of the Year and first-team All-Great Lakes Region honors. Her dig total of 814 in 2003 ranks No. 2 in school history, and it easily led the conference while ranking second nationally.
Outside hitter Lindsay Nelson, a senior from Massillon, Ohio, was named Honorable Mention All-America after earning second-team All-NCAC and first-team All-Great Lakes Region honors. She was second on the team with 357 kills and a .292 hitting percentage.
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