SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers passed another important test in what is turning into a record-shattering season Saturday with a pair of 3-0 wins over nationally ranked Hiram and Capital in the HPER Center.
The wins improved Wittenberg to 21-0 overall, pushing the Tigers' season-opening win streak 11 matches past the program's previous best. The win over Hiram gave Wittenberg a 5-0 mark in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and pushed the Tigers' win streak against conference opponents to 26 straight over almost two years. The two wins moved the Tigers' regular season win streak to 34 in a row.
The Tigers' last regular season loss came last October against Capital, also in the HPER Center. By scores of 30-27, 30-13, 30-25, Wittenberg exacted a measure of revenge against the Crusaders, who have been ranked in the top 25 all season after winning the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament a year ago.
Wittenberg's offense was solid against Capital, led by senior outside hitter Emily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) with 13 kills. Senior outside hitter Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance) and junior outside hitter Jackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat) added 12 kills apiece, and senior middle hitter Caitlin Augustus (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) contributed six kills on a .600 attack percentage.
The exclamation point was provided by Kehres, whose 12th kill came on match point. It was the 1,000th of her tremendous collegiate career, making her just the 11th Wittenberg player in school history to reach that figure.
Defensively, the Tigers picked up 20 digs from junior libero Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula). The setting duo of sophomores Erin Slattery (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) and Kendall Obreza (Gainesville, Fla./Oak Hall) combined for 54 assists in the match.
The win over Hiram also provided a bit of payback. The last time the two teams played at Wittenberg, the Terriers shocked the Tigers in the NCAC Tournament championship match. Overall in 2006, the Tigers held a 3-1 advantage in the series, including a 3-2 win in the NCAA Division III Tournament regional semifinals.
On this day, it was all Wittenberg by scores of 30-17, 30-10 and 30-24. Kehres was tremendous with 13 kills and 13 digs, while Williams added 10 kills and Bell chipped in with seven kills and a .700 attack percentage. Fender was stellar on defense with 15 digs and Slattery led the way on offense with 25 assists.