Tigers Cruise Into NCAC Championship Past Wooster In NCAC Semifinals

Kimmie Dyer

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — For the 20th straight year, the Wittenberg Tigers have reached the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament championship match after a 3-0 victory over the College of Wooster.

The sweep, by set scores of 25-11, 25-11, 25-20, was the third of the 2011 season for No. 1 seed Wittenberg over the fourth-seeded Scots. The Tigers, ranked No. 5 nationally and second in the Great Lakes Region, improved to 30-3 on the season by defeating Wooster for the 23rd straight time, dating back to November 1994.

The Tigers reached the 30-win plateau for the seventh time in Head Coach Paco Labrador's nine seasons with an efficient offensive performance that featured a .321 attack percentage. Five different players finished with at least six kills in the match, led by senior outside hitter Kimmie Dyer (Copley, Ohio/Copley) with 15 kills and a .464 attack percentage on 28 swings.

Wittenberg jumped out to big leads in each of the first two sets before the Scots pushed the Tigers in the third set. Wooster led 15-13 and remained within one point at 18-17 before Wittenberg made its final push. Senior right-side hitter Christine Simpson (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto) collected three kills in a span of four points to give the Tigers some breathing room before Wittenberg reeled off five of the last seven points. Two of the points came off kills from senior middle hitter Miranda Sagle (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee).

Dyer was joined in double figures offensively by senior middle hitter Katie Sumner (Dublin, Ohio/Watterson) with 10 kills and a .409 attack percentage. Junior setter Hallie Donathan (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) dished out 25 assists to lead both teams in that category, while the defense was sparked by three players in double figures for digs: Dyer with 14, junior libero Christina Gilene (Milford, Ohio/McNicholas) with 13 and junior outside hitter Jessica Batanian (Sylvania, Ohio/Notre Dame) with 11.

Wooster saw its season come to an end with a record of 22-10 after finishing third in the NCAC regular season standings at 11-5. Melissa Morgan was tops for the Scots in kills with six, while Autumn Berry was tops in assist with seven. Kelley Johnson led both teams with 16 digs.

Wittenberg is bidding for its fifth straight NCAC Tournament title after winning its sixth consecutive regular season title with a perfect 16-0 record in 2011. The Tigers have won 16 NCAC Tournaments overall, including 13 of the last 14.