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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - After dropping the first set and fending off an energetic Hiram squad in the second, the Wittenberg volleyball team put together a furious comeback in the third frame and slammed the door shut with an overwhelming fourth to take home their 15th overall North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Championship and their 12th in the last 13 years.
The Tigers dispatched the upstart Terriers 3-1 by scores of 24-26, 25-22, 26-24 and 25-12 to improve to 24-7 overall heading into their 14th straight NCAA Div. III Tournament. The victory also represents Wittenberg's third straight conference tournament crown, and it came for the seventh time in eight years over perennial challenger Hiram.
Hiram started quickly out of the gate, surprising the 11th-ranked Tigers by returning from a 24-19 deficit, staving off four Wittenberg set-points to win by a 26-24 margin. In the second set, the Tigers led by as many as eight points but ultimately allowed Hiram another late push, though this time Wittenberg put a cap on it before Hiram could come all the way back. The Tigers won the set 25-22, the final point coming on a kill from sophomore hitter Kimmie Dyer (Copley, Ohio/Copley) off an assist by senior setter Erin Slattery (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston).
Dyer, with 14 kills, was second only to junior hitter Amy Cox (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) who amassed 17 throughout the night on .316 hitting in 38 attempts. Slattery provided the sets on 37 of her teammates kills on her way to Tournament MVP honors.
The third set saw the Tigers break out of the sluggishness that had made the first two sets difficult. Facing the same 24-19 deficit the Terriers faced, and overcame, in the first set, the Tigers mounted an equally improbable and impressive comeback to take the set 26-24. Dyer swatted the first kill to spark the rally, then served for each successive rally as sophomore teammate Katie Sumner (Dublin, Ohio/Watterson) hit for three of the team's five kills in the next six points.
Sumner finished the match with 11 kills and no errors in 18 attempts for a match-high .611 hitting percentage. Sophomore hitter Christine Simpson (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto) was the fourth and final Tiger to total double-digit kills with 12 in 19 attempts on just two errors for a .526 attack percentage. She also added a team-best three block assists.
The Tigers, fresh off the comeback victory in the third set, made quick work of Hiram in the fourth set with a decisive 25-12 victory. Freshman setter Jordan Mungovan (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) picked up seven of her 20 assists in the final frame, and throughout the entire match struck for four service aces. Freshman libero Christina Gilene (Milford, Ohio/McNicholas) notched six of her team- and match-leading 23 digs in the fourth set.
Hiram received strong performances on the attack from Shaina Bryan and Kristi Opfer. Opfer tallied 12 kills on three errors in 30 attempts for a .300 hitting percentage, while Bryan struck for 11 kills. Standout setter Brittany Mayle set up 27 successful attacks for her teammates, while Charley McQueary led the Terriers in digs with 21.
The NCAC All-Tournament Team featured five players from the two teams in the title match. Hiram's McQueary and Mayle were recognized for their outstanding contributions to Hiram's effort. For the Tigers, Simpson's sizzling .441 attack percentage throughout the tournament earned her a spot, while Kimme Dyer made her case with 24 kills and 31 digs. Erin Slattery walked away with tournament MVP honors thanks to her 55 assists and 15 digs.
Representing the tournament's other two teams on the all-tournament squad were Caitlin Solan from Allegheny and KateLynn Riley from Wooster.
Written by: John Strawn '07