Cox & Wildemann Headline Witt Volleyball All-American Honorees

Cox & Wildemann Headline Witt Volleyball All-American Honorees
Posted: Nov 13, 2018

Springfield, Ohio – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced the 38th annual AVCA All-America teams for NCAA Division III women's volleyball on November 13th. Aubrey Cox and Karen Wildemann represented Wittenberg as Second Team All-America Honorees. In total, 15 student-athletes in this year's class are multiple AVCA All-American award winners, including Wildemann who was named to the AVCA All-America First Team list in 2017. Senior Kennedey Schmidt and junior Taylor Yontz rounded out the Wittenberg All-American award recipients. This is the 17th consecutive season the Wittenberg volleyball program has produced an AVCA All-American award winner, and the ninth-straight year the Tigers have placed multiple award winners on the All-American Second Team or above.

Concluding what has been a spectacular run in the Red and White, Wildemann earned her second-straight All-American award with a Second Team nod this season. A setter from Columbus, Indiana, Wildemann appeared in 114 matches for the Tigers, recording 3,121 total assists, placing her fourth all-time in the Wittenberg record books. Wildemann closed out the 2018 season with 893 assists, averaging 9.92 assists per set, while also adding 108 kills on 294 attempts. Throughout her successful career, Wildemann has been named an AVCA All-Great Lakes Region award winner and a three-time All-NCAC honoree. During the Tigers' 2017 NCAA Tournament run, Wildemann was named the NCAA DIII Women's Volleyball Elite 90 winner. 

The Tigers had their 18th different All-American named with junior middle blocker Aubrey Cox earning her Second Team award this season. No stranger to the All-America spotlight, Cox earned All-America Honorable Mention accolades during her freshman campaign, along with being named the Great Lakes Region Freshman of the Year. A three-time All-Great Lakes Region award winner and All-NCAC honoree, Cox has logged 640 total kills and 278 total blocks during her time donning the Red and White.

Schmidt collected All-American Honorable Mention honors after playing in 96 sets throughout Wittenberg's 28 matches this season. The senior middle hitter was named to the All-NCAC Second Team and the All-Great Lakes Region Team for the first time in her career. During her final season in Springfield, Schmidt tallied 226 kills on 536 attempts for a .312 hitting percentage. The Englewood, Ohio native closes out her career with 438 total kills and 175 blocks, along with a .292 attacking percentage.

Earning the 2018 NCAC Libero of the Year award, Taylor Yontz garnered All-NCAC honorable mention and All-Great Lakes Region accolades for the first time during her 2018 campaign. The Springfield native appeared in 97 sets throughout 28 matches en route to earning the Honorable Mention All-American award this season. Yontz tallied her second-straight 500+ dig season, leading the team with 564 digs and averaging 5.81 digs per set. In 293 career sets played, Yontz has tallied over 1200 digs for the and is on pace to complete her senior season among the top-10 in program history for all-time career digs. 

The Wittenberg women's volleyball team closed out their 2018 season in the Grand Rapids Regional Final, where they fell to the host and No. 1 team Calvin College, dropping a hard-fought 3-2 decision (22-25, 25-22, 25-23, 15-25, 16-14) against the Knights. The Tigers concluded the season with an overall record of 25-3, including going 8-0 in NCAC action and collecting the programs 24th conference title.