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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Few teams can boast an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Preseason Top 25 ranking, and as rare as it is that two ranked teams open the season against one another, rarer yet is an upset in Game One.
The preseason No. 11 Wittenberg volleyball team capitalized on that opportunity with a statement win, sweeping No. 8 St. Thomas in straight sets by scores of 25-17, 25-19 and 28-26 on the opening day of the Wittenberg University National Invitational.
The Tigers moved to 1-0 on the young season in the tournament's second match, while Wisconsin-Whitewater, 3-1 winners of the day's first match against California Lutheran by scores of 16-25, 25-22, 25-19 and 26-24, improved to 3-0. Cal Lutheran dropped to 0-1 following the loss.
Wisconsin-Whitewater and California Lutheran traded blows throughout the first three frames, setting the stage for a duel to remember in the fourth set. Whitewater rallied late, holding off a Lutheran comeback bid to take home the win.
Whitewater opens the second and final day of the Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 4, with a 10 a.m. match against host Wittenberg, while California Lutheran and St. Thomas square off 12:30 p.m. St. Thomas and Wisconsin-Whitewater meet up at 3 p.m. before Wittenberg closes out the event against Cal Lutheran at 7:30 p.m. in Pam Evans Smith Arena.
The underdog Tigers stunned the Tommies with a decisive 25-17 defeat in the first set, which also marked the home debut of senior Amy Cox (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) as the team's full-time setter. She would finish the match with 37 total assists.
The second set followed a similar script as Wittenberg cruised to a 25-19 win. St. Thomas regrouped and forced extra points in the closely contested third set, leading the Tigers through much of the frame. The Wittenberg front line finished off the win with a late push, led by junior middle hitter Miranda Sagle (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee), who finished the match with an attack percentage of .900 with nine kills in 10 attempts.
Junior middle hitter Katie Sumner (Dublin, Ohio/Watterson) led the team in total kills with 11 on .500 hitting, while sophomore libero Christina Gilene (Milford, Ohio/McNicholas) paced the defense with 15 digs.
John Strawn '07