SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - It may be getting routine, but it never ceases to be exciting. For the eighth straight year and the 20th time since 1992, the Wittenberg Tigers captured the top spot in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament after a 3-1 win over DePauw in the championship match.
The win was Wittenberg's 21st straight win in the 2014 season and the Tigers' 19th consecutive NCAC Tournament victory, dating back to a 2006 loss to Hiram. It earned Wittenberg, ranked fourth in the nation with a 27-3 overall record, the NCAC's automatic berth into the 2014 NCAA Division III Tournament.
The win was anything but a sure thing for the Tigers, however, who were pushed to a fourth set by DePauw after beating Ohio Wesleyan by a 3-0 count in the semifinals earlier in the day. DePauw is likely a strong candidate for an at-large berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament with a 22-7 overall record and runner-up finishes in the NCAC's regular season and tournament.
The win over Ohio Wesleyan came by set scores of 25-8, 25-20, 25-14. Junior Kara Seidenstricker (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) led the Tigers with 13 kills and a .650 attack percentage to go along with 10 digs and two service aces. Junior Kristina Fultz (Batavia, Ohio/Glen Este) added nine kills and eight digs, while senior libero Kiah Murray (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) contributed 10 digs and sophomore Kendall Farmer (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) added five blocks to key the defense.
Against DePauw, the Tigers took the opening set in convincing fashion 25-16, but the visitors rallied in the second frame to even the score with a 25-23 decision. DePauw then jumped out to a lead by as many as five points midway through the third set before Wittenberg finally found its footing again to secure the match with sets of 25-19 and 25-19.
Seidenstricker was again outstanding with 15 kills and 22 digs, followed by sophomore Emily Kahlig (Coldwater, Ohio/Coldwater) with 11 kills and four blocks. For the second straight match, junior Bryanna Jay (Girard, Ohio/Girard) contributed five blocks, this time to go along with seven kills.
Also of note, sophomore setter Courtney Huck (Decatur, Ill./St. Teresa) dished out 25 assists, followed closely by senior setter Meghan Vodopich (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Perry) with 22 helpers, in addition to 13 digs. The defense was sparked by Murray with a career-best 34 digs and Farmer with another five blocks.
Vodopich and Murray earned spots on the all-tournament team, while Seidenstricker was named Tournament MVP just hours after picking up her second NCAC Player of the Year award in three years as a Tiger.
Written By: Ryan Maurer