Tigers Sweep A Pair In Tri-Match With W&L, John Carroll

Kendall Farmer and the Tigers raced past John Carroll and Washington & Lee without dropping a set. File Photo | Erin Pence
Kendall Farmer and the Tigers raced past John Carroll and Washington & Lee without dropping a set. File Photo | Erin Pence

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Washington & Lee and John Carroll came into a tri-match at Wittenberg with a combined total of 34 victories, but the Tigers defeated both challengers by matching 3-0 scores.

The wins improved the fifth-ranked Tigers to 16-3 overall, heading into a six-day break from competition before a road trip to Mount Union, also a top-10 team in the current rankings, on Friday, Oct. 17. The Tigers will return to North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) action the following day at Oberlin.

Wittenberg started off with a dominating performance against Washington & Lee, which came into the weekend with just one loss on the season. The Tigers won by set scores of 25-18, 25-17 and 25-14.

Juniors Kara Seidenstricker (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) and Kristina Fultz (Batavia, Ohio/Glen Este) led the offense with eight kills apiece, while junior Melissa Emming (West Chester, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) added seven kills and junior Bryanna Jay (Girard, Ohio/Girard) finished with six kills. Senior setter Meghan Vodopich (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Perry) dished out 18 assists.

Defensively, Seidenstricker was tops with 12 digs. Senior libero Kiah Murray (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) added eight digs, and sophomore middle hitter Emily Kahlig (Coldwater, Ohio/Coldwater) did the job at the net with four blocks.

Against John Carroll, Wittenberg was equally overwhelming, finishing the match in three sets by scores of 25-11, 25-20, 25-16.

Seidenstricker posted yet another double-double, this time displaying her All-American form with 11 kills (.385 attack percentage), 19 digs and three blocks. Fultz added 10 kills and 13 digs.

Murray contributed 16 digs and Vodopich steered the offense with a team-best 23 assists.

Written By: Ryan Maurer