Huntingdon, Pa. – The Wittenberg volleyball team may have a host of new faces in the line-up in 2012, but the results have been as familiar as ever through the first two weekends. For the second straight week, the Tigers toppled three teams getting recognition in national polls to improve to 6-0.
Winning three matches at the Juniata Asics Invitational, however, has a different feel than the opening weekend. The Tigers beat Wartburg and Whitworth, two teams receiving votes in the preseason American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, and then-24th ranked Trinity (Texas) on their home floor to start the season. Then Wittenberg travelled to the home of one of the most storied NCAA Division III programs in history and knocked off three nationally ranked foes in two days.
It started with a rally against the ninth-ranked host Eagles on Friday night. The momentum carried over to Saturday, when the Tigers toppled preseason No. 1 Christopher Newport in a re-match of the 2011 NCAA Division III Championship won by Wittenberg and then vanquished 16th ranked Puget Sound to extend their winning streak to 18 in a row, dating back to October 2011.
Along the way, Head Coach Paco Labrador picked up win No. 300 of his illustrious 10-year career at the helm of the program. His career record now stands at a phenomenal 302-41.
Against Christopher Newport, the Tigers put together a tremendous start with wins in the first two sets by scores of 25-19 and 25-16. After the Captains bounced back in the third set to win 25-19, Wittenberg rose to the challenge again to pick up a 25-23 win in the fourth and final frame.
The Tigers attacked at a .233 percentage, led by red-hot junior middle hitter Andrea Behling (Columbus, Ind./North). She pounded a career-high 17 kills on just 28 attempts without an error for an astounding .607 attack percentage, in addition to her team-best three blocks.
Freshman Kara Seidenstricker (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) added 14 kills, 12 digs and two blocks, while freshman Bryanna Jay (Girard, Ohio/Girard) had perhaps her finest day as a collegian with eight kills and a .389 attack percentage. Sophomore Meghan Vodopich (Canton, Ohio/Perry) led the way with 26 assists, while senior Hallie Donathan (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) added 20 helpers.
Defensively, senior libero Christina Gilene (Milford, Ohio/McNicholas) led both teams with 30 digs.
The Tigers started fast against Puget Sound as well, winning the first two sets before losing the third. Again, Wittenberg proved its mettle, thwarting the rally of a ranked opponent to comfortably capture the fourth frame 25-18.
Seidenstricker and senior Jessica Batanian (Sylvania, Ohio/Notre Dame) both finished with 14 kills on 37 swings in the match, while Donathan and Vodopich split 44 assists almost evenly. Seidenstricker topped both teams with a career-best 23 digs as well, while Batanian and Gilene each finished with 11.
Gilene was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Seidenstricker and Behling joined her on the all-tournament team.