---

Kristin Fox

Last weekend, the Wittenberg volleyball team hosted a tournament that included one of the strongest fields in the nation in 2003, and the Tigers proved once again they belong among the elite of NCAA Division III. The Tigers finished second in the Wittenberg National Invitational II, losing only to second-ranked Washington University 3-1 in the championship match on Saturday.

Joining the sixth-ranked Tigers in the field were four other nationally ranked squads - Mount St. Joseph, Elmhurst, Washington University and St. Thomas - and three other perennial national powers with winning records currently - Baldwin-Wallace, Muskingum and Wartburg. In pool play, Wittenberg upended Baldwin-Wallace 3-1, Mt. St. Joseph 3-1 and Elmhurst 3-0 to advance to the championship match.

Junior setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) was up to her usual tricks over the weekend, distributing 207 assists, 41 digs, 13 blocks, including five solos, and 15 kills in the 16 games. Yuskewich ranks first in the NCAC and among the top 10 in the nation in assists per game with 12.80.

Yuskewich's favorite target for assists was junior Kristin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion), who pounded 63 kills and finished with an outstanding hitting percentage of .281. She was named NCAC Player of the Week for her outstanding performance. Fox ranks second in the NCAC in kills per game with 3.6.

Defensively, junior Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) was again outstanding with 137 digs. She leads the NCAC and ranks among the top five in the nation with 581 digs on the season, good for a 7.35 per game average. SeniorMichelle Emming (West Chester, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame), who had two double-doubles over the weekend in kills and digs, added 85 digs, a team-best 12 service aces, and 45 kills on the weekend, and senior Jennifer Emming (West Chester, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) added 62 digs and nine service aces.

Rounding things out, senior Lindsay Nelson (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) was second on the team for the weekend with 46 kills. She added 10 block assists.

This weekend the Tigers close out NCAC action on Oct. 18 in a tri-match that involves the top three teams in the conference, Hiram, Denison and Wittenberg. The Tigers, the six-time defending NCAC regular season and tournament champions, are currently tied atop the conference with a 6-0 record. The following weekend features a trip to Texas for a tournament hosted by nationally ranked Trinity.