GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Wittenberg Tigers opened NCAA Division III Tournament play with an first-match victory for the fifth straight year as they topped Brockport State, 3-1, Thursday in the Great Lakes Regional at Calvin College.
Against Brockport State, the Tigers got off to relatively slow starts in each of the first three games, but they rallied quickly in each case. In the first two games, Wittenberg used big scoring runs midway through to take control and cruise to 30-17 and 30-25 victories. However, in Game 3, Brockport State used a timeout with its season on the brink at 28-26 down, and the Eagles responded with four straight points to stun the Tigers and force a fourth game.
With junior setter Sarah Matesich (Granville, Ohio/Newark Catholic) in the game to provide some stability, the Tigers rebounded well. Finally off to a fast start, the Tigers blew the game open early and cruised to a 30-17 victory. Matesich, who was held out of the first three games to rest a sore foot, sparked the offense with six assists.
The Tigers were paced by sophomore Jackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat) with 17 kills and a phenomenal .529 attack percentage, while junior Emily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) added 10 kills and sophomore Brittany Steinbrecher (Delaware, Ohio/Hayes) chipped in with eight kills in 19 attempts. Steinbrecher added five blocks, part of a 14-block effort for the Tigers as a team.
Defensively, junior outside hitter Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance) led the way with 20 digs, while sophomore libero Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula)added 19 and Bell finished with 14. Junior middle hitter Caitlin Augustus (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) led the way in blocks with seven, including two solos.