Ada, OH – The Wittenberg women's volleyball team closed out day two of the ONU Invitational on Saturday, facing off against No. 13 Illinois Wesleyan and closing out the trip against host No. 23 Ohio Northern. The Tigers opened the day with a straight-set win over the Titans of Ill. Wesleyan 3-0 [25-18, 25-21, 25-17]. The Tigers kept the momentum rolling into the second match, taking down No. 23 Ohio Northern 3-2 [26-24, 15-25, 25-22, 25-15, 15-10].
No. 13 Illinois Wesleyan Recap
The Tigers logged a .221 kill percentage as a team on their way to the straight victory over No. 13 Ill. Wesleyan. Sophomore Sidney Reeder led the Tiger attack with seven kills on 20 attack attempts. Gabi Hancock tallied a team-high .750 kill-percentage, planting six kills on eight total attack attempts, adding three block assists. Katie Hiestand provided six kills with eight digs, while Ashley Brooks tallied five kills and 25 assists. Taylor Yontz posted 13 digs with three service aces to help facilitate the Wittenberg offense.
No.23 Ohio Northern Recap
It was a back and forth battle with host Ohio Northern, as Wittenberg took the 3-2 win from the Polar Bears on their home floor on the final day of the Invitational. The Red and White closed out the day hitting .236, collecting 62 kills on 155 total attack attempts. Paige Kucinic paced the Tiger attack with 15 kills on 29 swings, logging a team-high .379 attack percentage. Hiestand was the second Tiger hitter with double-digit kills, totaling 14 on the match and adding 15 digs. Brooks finished with 50 of the 60 Tiger assists in the match, adding six kills with four service aces and three blocks.
From The Bench: "We are pleased with how our team fought back after our loss to a very veteran Transylvania team. Their discipline block created many challenges for us and their quick offense made it difficult to adjust. Today, our team came out and played Wittenberg volleyball against Illinois Wesleyan and Ohio Northern. We fought hard with a lot of energy and grew in many aspects. We are excited for another test this upcoming weekend at our MIAA/NCAC Crossover in Lansing, Mich.," said Head Coach Evelyn Carus.
UP NEXT: Wittenberg will be tested once again with another tough road contest, as the Red and White travel to Lansing, Mich. to take on No. 2 Calvin in the MIAA/NCAC Crossover on Friday, Sept. 6 at 7:00 PM. This matchup is a rematch of the 2018 NCAA Division III Regional Final. The Tigers will return to action again on Saturday, Sept. 7, taking on Hope 12:00 PM and Albion at 4:00 PM.