SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg University volleyball program returned to the top of the North Coast Athletic Conference heap Saturday, completing the 2006 regular season in style with a pair of convincing victories in the Wittenberg Fall Classic.
The first match of the day was the big one for the Tigers, who rounded NCAC regular season play with a perfect 16-0 record by dismantling visiting Hiram College, 3-1. Wittenberg's 10-year run atop the conference standings came to an end a year ago with a loss at Hiram, although Wittenberg rebounded to capture a ninth consecutive NCAC Tournament title on the Terriers' home floor less than one month later.
Just 30 minutes after that emotional victory, earned by game scores of 30-25, 30-17, 25-30, 30-19, Wittenberg won its 12th straight match - including a fourth consecutive in the two-day Wittenberg Fall Classic - with a 3-0 thumping of Mount Union. The victory pushed the Tigers' overall record to 30-6, including a perfect 16-0 NCAC record. It was the third straight 30-win season for the Tigers and their fourth in the last five years.
Against Hiram, it was the Tigers' trademark defense that was a key again. Sophomore Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula) led with 33 digs, while juniorEmily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) added 30 and junior Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance) chipped in with 20. Offensively, sophomoreJackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat) led with 19 kills, while Bell and Kehres combined for 36. All three had hitting percentages above .200. JuniorSarah Matesich (Granville, Ohio/Newark Catholic) distributed 35 assists to lead the Tigers in that area.
Against Mount Union, the red-hot Tigers kept up the pace with a dominating 30-21, 30-18, 30-15 performance. Fender again led in digs, this time with 24. Bell and Kehres added 18 each. Bell was tops offensively with 12 kills, followed closely by Williams with 10. Williams also had four blocks, while Matesich was solid with 24 assists.
Wittenberg will host the NCAC Tournament Friday and Saturday in the HPER Center. The top-seeded Tigers will host fourth-seeded Ohio Wesleyan in a match that starts at 5:30 p.m., followed by an 8 p.m. match between second-seeded Hiram and third-seeded Denison. Seedings are based on the final regular season standings. The championship match, also at Wittenberg, is set for 2 p.m. Saturday.