Tigers Pick Up Two More Wins in Kickoff Classic to Start Season 3-0

Three matches mean three wins and a great way for Wittenberg's Men's Volleyball to start the season. A day after opening the 2025 season with a sweep of Roanoke, the Tigers built off that momentum by defeating both Concordia University Chicago and Thiel College on Saturday, Jan. 11, on the second day of the Wittenberg Kickoff Classic at the Health, Wellness & Athletics Complex.

Mixing and matching and getting a lot of players some playing time, 14 Tigers participated in each match. First up, Witt defeated Concordia Chicago, 3-0, by set scores of 25-23, 25-14, and 25-17 at Pam Evans Smith Arena, then took Thiel in four sets by scores of 25-22, 19-25, 25-21 and 25-19 in the 1929 Gymnasium.

In the opener, the first set was nip and tuck as Wittenberg trailed most of the way before the Tigers clawed back to a 19-all tie. After three more ties, Witt finally secured a 25-23 comeback win then glided through the next two sets behind a potent offensive attack, holding Concordia to 14 and 17 points, respectively, in the final two sets for the 3-0 win.

Against Thiel, things were a little closer. There were 15 ties in the first set before the Tigers posted the win and they trailed the entire second set. After falling behind 7-4 in the third, Witt regrouped and mounted a comeback to tie things at nine-all on a kill by Eli Halverson (Hamilton, OH / Badin). After nine more ties, the Tigers would finally take a 20-19 lead and then outscore the Tomcats 5-2 for the win. Witt controlled set four, leading the entire way after going up 2-1 with its biggest lead being at 18-10.

Team Leaders vs. Concordia

• Eli Halverson  (Hamilton, OH / Badin) led the team with 16 points, 14 kills, 26 total attacks, eight digs, and one solo block.
• Michael Yurk  (Indianapolis, IN / Bishop Chatard) added 12.5 points, 12 kills, 20 total attacks, and five digs.
• Sam Richardson  (Akron, OH / Walsh Jesuit) led the team in assists with 19 and Gavin Hagerty (Fishers, IN / Fishers) added 14.   

Team Comparison vs. Concordia

• Team totals included 40 kills for Witt to just 19 for Concordia. 
• Wittenberg led in total attacks 83-79.
• Wittenberg led in assists 38-18 and in digs 34-28. 
• The Tigers also had 10 blocks with the Cougars registering just four.  
• Wittenberg is now 1-1 in the series against Concordia.

Team Leaders vs. Thiel

• Michael Yurk  (Indianapolis, IN / Bishop Chatard) led the team in kills with 13, in points with 15.5, and total attacks with 25. He also had four assists, five digs, and three block assists.
• Eli Halverson  (Hamilton, OH / Badin) tallied 11 kills, 22 total attacks, 12 points, five digs, and one solo block.
• Freshman Adam Blair (West Chester, OH / Lakota West) turned in a nice match with eight kills, 18 total attacks, one solo block, three block assists, and 10.5 points.
• Gavin Hagerty  (Fishers, IN / Fishers), also a freshman, registered a team-high 20 assists and added five digs.
• Jake Downs (Cincinnati, OH / Milford) led the team in digs, tallying 12.

 Team Comparison vs. Thiel

• Team totals for both teams were close with Thiel landing 49 kills to 43 for Wittenberg.  
• Thiel edged Witt in total attacks 109-104, led in assists 46-40, and in digs 40-34.
• The Tigers had 10 blocks with the Cougars registering just three.
• The win allows Wittenberg to even its series record against Thiel at 3-3.

Up Next

Wittenberg, 3-0, will travel to St. John Fisher for a 7:30 p.m. match on Friday, Jan. 17.