Tigers Fall To Juniata In Wittenberg Fall Classic

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers continued to search for a winning combination against nationally ranked teams as they dropped a 3-0 decision to Juniata to cap the opening day of the Wittenberg Fall Classic.

The loss dropped Wittenberg to 2-5 on the season, with all five defeats coming against teams ranked in the top 20 currently. Ranked 16th in the latest poll, Juniata is unbeaten at 10-0 after beating Ohio Northern and Wittenberg, both in straight sets.

The road doesn't get any easier on the second day of the Wittenberg Fall Classic, however. Wittenberg will face eighth-ranked Otterbein at 2 p.m. and Mount St. Joseph at 6 p.m.

The win was Juniata's first against Wittenberg since 2009, breaking a three-match winning streak in the series for the Tigers. Overall, the Eagles hold a slim 11-9 advantage in the series.

The key to the match was the first set, and a stunning rally for Juniata that netted the Eagles a 25-23 win. Wittenberg led 22-19 before the Eagles rattled off six of the last seven points, and Juniata carried the momentum through the second and third sets for comfortable margins of 25-16 and 25-19.

Wittenberg did get a strong performance from senior Andrea Behling (Columbus, Ind./North), who led the Tigers with nine kills and a .444 attack percentage. She also finished with eight digs and three blocks.

In addition, junior Meghan Vodopich (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) continued to play at a high level, dishing out 20 assists to go along with 13 digs, six kills (and a .600 attack percentage) and two blocks. Also of note, junior libero Kiah Murray (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) contributed 16 digs.