ATLANTA, Ga. - The Wittenberg Tigers won the match they were expected to win and lost the match they were not favored to win on Day 1 of the Emory Invitational. A 3-0 win over Macalester (Minn.) and a 3-0 loss to second-ranked Emory, the host team, left the seventh-ranked Tigers with a 9-2 overall record heading into two matches on Saturday, also at Emory.
The Tigers started off well enough, picking up 24 digs from senior libero Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula) in her first match of the season due to injury. She sparked Wittenberg to a 27-25, 25-12, 25-18 victory over Macalester.
Fender was aided by the big block put up by freshman middle hitter Katie Sumner (Dublin, Ohio/Watterson), who finished with six. Sumner added eight kills and a .375 attack percentage to an offense that was paced by junior middle hitter Kate Snead (Westerville, Ohio/South) with nine kills and a .529 attack percentage. In addition, junior outside hitter Katherine Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson)and senior right-side hitter Jackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat) added six kills each, and junior setter Erin Slattery (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) dished out 28 assists.
The nightcap didn't go as well as the Tigers dropped a 26-24, 25-15, 25-16 decision to the host Eagles. Senior middle hitter Jessica Kimble (Dennison, Ohio/Claymont) led the offense with seven kills and an attack percentage of .308, while Slattery contributed 16 assists.
Play resumes Saturday with matches against Washington and Lee at 11:30 a.m. and Maryville (Tenn.) at 2 p.m.