SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers put the finishing touches on a tremendous opening weekend to the 2007 season with two more 3-0 wins in the Wittenberg Invitational.
The Tigers are now 4-0 on the young season after sweeping all 12 games over the weekend. The closest game was 30-26, and none of the games on Saturday were any closer than 30-20. Wittenberg topped Defiance by scores of 30-12, 30-17, 30-16 in the first match of the day and then thumped previously unbeaten Thomas More 30-20, 30-17, 30-18 in the final match.
In the first match, senior outside hitter Emily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) and freshman outside hitter Amy Cox (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) led with seven kills apiece. Bell finished with an attack percentage of .412, while Cox came off the bench to post an even more efficient .727 attack percentage.
Defensively, junior libero Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula) was tops with 16 digs. Also key was a pair of aces from senior outside hitter Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance).
Against Thomas More, the biggest offensive numbers were provided by junior middle hitter Jessica Kimble (Dennison, Ohio/Claymont) and junior outside hitterJackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat), who each finished with 13 kills. Kimble attacked at a strong .650 clip, while Williams was even better with a .765 attack percentage.
Fender rounded out a stellar weekend with her fourth straight team-leading dig total, this time checking in with 21. Kehres chipped in with three more aces.