SALEM, Va. - The Wittenberg Tigers were firing on nearly all cylinders Friday in the Salem Civic Center, but in the end they just didn't have enough power in the engine. Like the other 37 NCAA Division III opponents to face No. 1-ranked Juniata during the 2006 season, the Tigers were overwhelmed in a 3-0 NCAA Division III Tournament semifinal loss.
For the second straight year, Wittenberg's season ended a tantalizing two matches short of every team's ultimate goal - a national championship. And for the second straight year, the defeat came at the hands of Juniata in the national semifinals in Salem, Va., about seven hours away from Wittenberg's Springfield, Ohio campus.
It didn't start out badly for the Tigers, who matched the school record for wins in a season with 35 after defeating Trinity in Thursday's quarterfinal match. Wittenberg led about two-thirds of the first game before Juniata pulled away late. The Eagles trailed by as many as three before taking a 17-16 lead with a three-point run. The lead then see-sawed back and forth the rest of the game, but the Eagles answered every Tigers' rally attempt in claiming a 30-28 victory.
Juniata didn't allow the Tigers up for air after that, taking early leads in Games 2 and 3 and fending off every Wittenberg challenge. The difference was a stellar defensive effort by the Eagles, who held a commanding 72-43 advantage in digs by the end of the match, including 20 by sophomore All-American Amber Thomas, who also led all players with 19 kills. In addition, Juniata picked up 11 team blocks, compared to six for Wittenberg.
But nothing came easy for Juniata, a credit to the scrappy, tenacious play put forth by the Tigers, who are without a senior on the 2006 roster. Junior outside hitter Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance) led the way with 15 digs and junior middle hitterCaitlin Augustus (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) added four blocks to spearhead the defensive effort. But Juniata kept pounding away, putting four players in double figures in kills en route to a 23-kill edge in the final statistics.
Offensively, Wittenberg's best performances were turned in by junior outside hitterEmily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) with 12 kills and a .321 attack percentage and Augustus, who added eight kills and a .333 attack percentage. Between the two players, a total of 49 attack attempts were credited, with just four errors between them. Bell added eight digs and a match-high four service aces.
Juniata advanced with a 40-1 overall record to take on second-ranked Washington University, a 3-0 winner over defending national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater in the first semifinal match on Friday. The Bears sport a 38-1 overall record, with the only loss coming against Juniata.