BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - It wasn't the clean, crisp performance Tiger fans had come to expect from the Wittenberg volleyball team in 2007, but the final score was the same as so many others during this dream season. By scores of 30-14, 30-26, 30-19, Wittenberg moved into the NCAA Division III Tournament semifinals for the third straight year with a 3-0 victory over Stevens Institute of Technology in a national quarterfinal match at Illinois Wesleyan University.
The top-ranked Tigers improved to 38-0 on the season, while Stevens Tech, champion of the New York Region of the 2007 NCAA Division III Tournament, bowed out with a 36-5 overall mark. Wittenberg now holds a whopping 114-6 advantage in games on the 2007 season, heading into a semifinal match-up with fourth-ranked Washington University at 7 p.m. (CST) Friday, also at Illinois Wesleyan.
After a solid Game 1, the Tigers couldn't find the range with their normally steady service return game, leading to a sloppy Game 2 in which they actually had to rally. The problems continued in Game 3 as the Tigers were forced to consistently scramble for loose balls, often as a result of errant passes.
Good teams find a way to win, however, and the Tigers fought their way through it. Senior outside hitter Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance) was the team leader on offense with 14 kills against just one error on 38 swings, good for a .342 attack percentage. She was just as good on defense with 15 digs.
Junior libero Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula) was the Tigers' leader on defense with 19 digs, while senior middle hitter Caitlin Augustus (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) was solid with a team-best four blocks. Augustus turned around and contributed eight kills against just one error on 13 swings for a team-best .538 attack percentage.
As a team, the Tigers were efficient with their offensive attack, finishing with a team attack percentage of .299, compared to .076 for Stevens Tech. Senior outside hitterEmily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) added 12 kills and junior outside hitter Jackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat) chipped in with eight kills and no errors on 17 attacks, good for a .471 percentage. In addition, senior setter Sarah Matesich (Granville, Ohio/Newark Catholic) dished out 24 assists.
Stevens was paced by Melanie Volk and Dawn Herring with eight kills apiece and Melissa Rhode with 29 assists. Julia Reilly was the top player for the Ducks' defense with a match-best 23 digs.
The Tigers, who lost in the national semifinals each of the last two years, now turn their attention to Washington University, owner of the most national championships in NCAA Division III Volleyball history. Wittenberg defeated the Bears, the 2006 national runner-up, on their home court on Sept. 7, 3-1. Washington University is one of just five teams to win even a game off the Tigers in 2007.