TIFFIN, Ohio— #4 Wittenberg only need an hour to defeat Bluffton inside Seiberling Gymnasium at Heidelberg University on Friday night. Bluffton dropped to 4-2 on the year, while the Tigers improved to 4-0 overall on the young season. Wittenberg came out on top 25-15, 25-14 and 25-11 in the Friday night match. The Tigers evenly distributed all night on the attack, as five Tigers recorded at least six kills in the match.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Wittenberg came out swinging, jumping out to a 19-12 lead in the first set against Bluffton. The combination of Aubrey Cox and Haley Horner would combine for the next five points, until Bluffton gave up the final point of the set on an attack air, as the Tigers took the opening set 25-15. The second set was more of the same for Wittenberg, jumping out to a 19-9 lead, as Maddie Fischer recorded back-to-back kills in the set. In the final set, Wittenberg commanded a 20-8 lead before winning the set and the match 3-0.
WHO STOOD OUT: Taylor Brown continued to shine for the Tigers attack in 2017, as the junior recorded eight kills and seven digs in the hour-long affair. Fischer paced the Tigers with nine kills, while Cox recorded eight, Horner seven, and Kennedey Schmidt, six. Karen Wildemann, the reigning NCAC player of the week, tallied 34 assists and ten digs in the match for Wittenberg.
WHAT IT MEANS: The Tigers win moves the program 8-6 all-time against the Beavers, while the win also puts the youthful Tiger squad at an unblemished 4-0 to start 2017. The Tigers 4-0 start is the programs first since 2012, when the Tigers got off to a 6-0 start before falling to Washington University-St. Louis.
NOTABLE: The Tigers held Bluffton to a K% of .021 in the match, recording 24 kills, while the Tigers tallied 42 kills as a team, with a K% of .367.
QUOTABLE: "I am happy to see this team find an offensive rhythm tonight. Playing in an unfamiliar gym after a two-hour bus ride can lead to a slow start, but credit our ball control players for being mentally and physically ready to play form the start. They really sparked our offense. We will have to find endurance tomorrow with back to back matches versus tough Heidelberg and Thomas More squads," said Coach Labrador.