SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - One would expect a match-up of No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the nation to be close. But this close?
Top-ranked Washington University and second-ranked Wittenberg University split the first four sets of their showdown on opening day of the Wittenberg Fall Classic, sharing the first 184 points evenly. The fifth set wasn't decided until the Bears' Drew Hargrave saw her attack attempt trickle along the top of the net and land softly on the Tigers' side. That final swing secured Washignton University a hard-fought 16-14 fifth-set win and a most dramatic 3-2 overall victory.
It was a battle of two of the last three NCAA Division III national champions and it lived up to the billing. Washington University, winners of 10 national titles in its illustrious volleyball history, improved to 11-0 on the season, while Wittenberg, which won its first national title in 2011, dropped to 6-1.
The match was marked by wild swings of momentum, keyed largely by the phenomenal defensive play of each team's libero. For Washington University, that meant building attacks off the pinpoint passing of Kelly Pang, who became the school's career digs leader during the match, and for Wittenberg, that meant counter-punching time and again behind Christina Gilene (Milford, Ohio/McNicholas.
Gilene finished with a match-high 34 digs. Her acrobatics repeatedly set the Tigers up for unlikely offensive opportunities that put four players in double figures for kills, including a trio of freshmen.
Freshman Kara Seidenstricker (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) led the Tigers with 13 kills, which filled the stats sheet nicely alongside her four aces and the returns for her defensive play: 23 digs and five blocks. Senior Jessica Batanian (Sylvania, Ohio/Notre Dame) added 12 kills, while freshmen Bryanna Jay (Girard, Ohio/Girard) and Melissa Emming (West Chester, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) each chipped in with 10 kills.
Head Coach Paco Labrador, who saw his team lose its first match since October 2011, employed the services of three different setters in the match. Senior Hallie Donathan (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) led with 23 assists, followed by senior Jordan Mungovan (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) with 16 and sophomore Meghan Vodopich (Canton, Ohio/Perry) with eight.