SPRINGFIELD, OHIO—After defeating #2 Emory earlier in the day on Saturday, #11 Wittenberg was not done yet, as the Tigers squared off against Johns Hopkins University in the final contest of the 2017 Courtyard Marriott National Invitational. Wittenberg only need four sets to drop the Blue Jays, 21-25, 25-17, 31-29 and 25-17, capping off a perfect weekend at 3-0.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Wittenberg came out a bit sluggish in the first set against the Blue Jays of Johns Hopkins, but after mounting a comeback effort that came up short at the end of set number one, Wittenberg found the weak spots in the Blue Jays defense and never looked back. The Tigers recorded 11, 12 and 10 kills in the second, third and fourth set, and recorded a K% of .127 in the match. The third set proved to be the most dramatic, as John Hopkins held on to a 29-28 lead. After an error by the Blue Jays attacker, freshman Haley Horner sent home the game winning kill, as the Tigers took the lead in the match. The Tigers led 20-14 in set number four before eventually downing Johns Hopkins 25-17.
WHO STOOD OUT: Horner and Maddie Fischer each contributed nine kills for the Tigers, as Wittenberg tallied 40 as a team in the match. Karen Wildemann missed out on her second consecutive triple-double by three kills, as the junior recorded seven kills, 27 assists, and 10 digs in the Tiger's 3-1 victory. Reigning AVCA freshman of the year Aubrey Cox found her stride in the Tigers final match of the weekend, as the sophomore middle recorded eight kills in the teams winning efforts.
WHAT IT MEANS: Wittenberg moves to 3-0 to open the season against national competition, making it the Tigers first 3-0 start since 2015. The 2015 campaign saw the Tigers start 3-0 against Otterbein, St. Thomas (Minn.) and Johns Hopkins, before making it all the way to the Division III National Title game, while finishing the campaign with a 29-3 mark overall.
NOTABLE: Horner and Wildemann were named to the 2017 Courtyard Marriott National Invitaional All-Tournament team upon the completion of Friday and Saturday's action. Horner, a freshman from Wheaton, Illinois tallied 2.46 kills per-set, .85 blocks per-set, 32 kills and a hitting percentage of .159 on the weekend. Wildemann totaled 106 assists, 29 digs, and 23 kills in the Tiger's 3-0 start. Wildemann also recorded a rare triple-double in the five-set thriller against Emory, notching 11 kills, 41 assists, and 10 digs in the win.
QUOATABLE: "This was a fun weekend of volleyball. All three of our opponents played tough defense and physical offense. We really had to find a way to win in each match. I'm proud of this team and the effort they put forth this weekend," said Coach Labrador.
UP NEXT: #11 Wittenberg is back in action against Bluffton University on Friday September 8, followed by a double-date on Saturday September 9 with Heidelberg and Thomas More. All matches will be played at Heidelberg University on September 8 and 9.