Kate Snead
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Perhaps looking ahead to Friday's match-up of No. 1 vs. No. 2 in NCAA Division III, the Wittenberg Tigers struggled through a 3-1 win over visiting Earlham.
After a ho-hum 30-16 win in the first game, the Tigers were stunned 30-28 in Game 2. After falling behind 25-18, Wittenberg rallied to tie the game before two key passing errors in the late going ended the Tigers' school- and North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)-record 54-game win streak. The streak - spanning nearly six weeks and 17 straight 3-0 matches (in addition to the last two games of a 3-2 win over Hope and the first game against Earlham) - was three short of the new mark established by Wisconsin-Oshkosh earlier this season. The previous record of 49 was set by Washington University more than a decade ago.
After a sluggish start to the third game, the Tigers kicked it into gear late to pull out a 30-24 win. Game 4 was more of what the home crowd expected as Wittenberg emptied the bench and won going away, 30-19.
The win, keyed by senior outside hitter Emily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) with 18 kills and junior libero Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula)with 27 digs, moved the Tigers to 30-0 overall and 13-0 in the NCAC. Wittenberg, the lone unbeaten team in all of NCAA Division III, clinched the NCAC regular season title for the 12th time in the last 13 years.
Also of statistical note, sophomore middle hitter Kate Snead (Westerville, Ohio/South) and junior outside hitter Jackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat) each recorded four blocks in the match. Snead added 10 kills.
One more NCAC match stands between the Tigers and a shot at 2006 NCAA Division III national champion Juniata at 8 p.m. Friday in the HPER Center. Wittenberg hosts Denison at 4 p.m. Friday before the Fall Classic gets underway at 6 p.m. with matches on two courts.