Senior setter Kendall Obreza and her teammates have high hopes again in 2009.

Springfield, Ohio — With a reputation as a perennial national title contender burnished by 14 straight NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, including three straight national semifinal berths between 2005 and 2007, the Wittenberg Tigers have once again earned the respect of voters in the 2009 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason poll. Wittenberg, which has finished the season ranked in the top seven each of the last five years, will start the 2009 campaign ranked No. 9.

The Tigers are coming off a 2008 season that included North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season and tournament championships. Without dropping a set in conference play, the Tigers extended their NCAC regular season domination to 112 wins in its last 113 matches, stretching back to the 1997 season. The 16-0 NCAC regular season record led to the Tigers' fifth title in Head Coach Paco Labrador's six years and the 11th title in the last 12 years for Wittenberg overall.

After capturing their 11th NCAC Tournament title in the last 12 years as well, the Tigers hosted their fifth NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Tournament in the last six years, bowing out to eventual national semifinalist Ohio Northern in a scintillating 3-2 second round defeat. Wittenberg finished 33-3 overall in 2008, running Labrador's record to a phenomenal 203-27.

Despite the loss of an outstanding four-person senior class, the Tigers have set their sights high again in 2009. The returning core of three starters - all-conference setter Erin Slattery, class of 2010 from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, all-region middle hitter Kate Snead, class of 2010 from Westerville, Ohio, and outside hitter Leslie Clark, class of 2010 from Marion, Ohio - have known nothing but astounding success in their collegiate careers, including a 9-3 NCAA Division III Tournament record. Their quest for more in 2009 starts with a road date against NAIA scholarship program Cedarville University at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Written by: Ryan Maurer
Photo by: Erin Pence

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