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WHITEWATER, Wisc. — For the first time in more than a year, the Wittenberg Tigers were shut out, losing 3-0 to perennial powerhouse Wisconsin-Whitewater on the opening day of the Warhawks' Invitational.
The loss, by set scores of 25-22, 25-17, 27-25, dropped the fourth-ranked Tigers to 25-3, while 22nd-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater reached the 20-win plateau at 20-6 overall.
The two teams battled through a very even opening set before the Warhawks scored seven of the last 10 points to pull away from an 18-18 tie. The momentum carried over into the second set as Wisconsin-Whitewater jumped on top early and stayed there throughout.
The Tigers fell behind by five points midway through the third set, but they showed some life, rallying to tie it at 25-25. However, the Warhawks were up to the challenge again, closing the match out on the next two points.
The Tigers managed just a .151 attack percentage, compared to .231 for the Warhawks. Senior Kimmie Dyer (Copley, Ohio/Copley) led the offense with 11 kills, while senior Katie Sumner (Dublin, Ohio/Watterson) turned in the most efficient offensive performance with seven kills and a .400 attack percentage.
The defense was sparked by junior Christina Gilene (Milford, Ohio/McNicholas) with 26 digs and senior Miranda Sagle (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) with three blocks.