Regular Season Concludes With Win Over Northwestern Ohio

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Wittenberg volleyball team put the final touches on another sparking regular season with a 3-1 defeat of the University of Northwestern Ohio. The victory came by set scores of 25-16, 23-25, 25-19, and 25-17.

The Tigers worked hard en route to improving their overall record to 20-8 and securing their 22^nd consecutive season with at least 20 victories, a streak that stretches back to 1991.

Junior setter Meghan Vodopich (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Perry) made the most of the match, hitting for 10 kills, dishing out 39 assists, and passing 16 digs on her way to the first triple-double in Paco Labrador's 10-year tenure as head coach of the Tigers. Records further back were not immediately available.

The Tigers leapt off to an 8-3 start in the first set as senior Andrea Behling (Columbus, Ind./North) picked up a kill on her own Senior Recognition Night, joined by successful attacks by sophomore Kara Seidenstricker (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder), Vodopich, and freshman Camila Quiñones (Sunbury, Ohio/Worthington Christian) along with a block by Quiñones and freshman Emily Kahlig (Coldwater, Ohio/Coldwater).

The strong opening run set the pace for the rest of the set. The Tigers finished on top 25-16 and owners of a .293 hitting percentage against the Racers' .045. Kahlig finished the first frame with one solo block and two assists, while Behling scored on 4-of-5 attacks with no errors.

The second set went different, as the Racers won 25-23 and raised their team hitting percentage to .158. The Tigers, who ran into a refocused UNOH passing game, recovered from an 18-11 deficit to close within one point at 24-23, but the Racers recovered and mashed the final point to even things at 1-1.

The third set found Northwestern Ohio losing focus on the attack. The Racers posted five of the Tigers' first eight points with attack errors, leading to a 9-4 lead to start things off. Northwestern Ohio fought back within two points several times, but in each case the Tigers answered with two points of their own, eventually sealing a 25-19 set win.

The Tigers were determined to take the match in the fourth set, and it was apparent from the start as sophomore Katie Zito (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) served the first six points of the set, including two service aces. Northwestern Ohio fought back within range at 12-10, but the Tigers executed a 13-7 run over the final stretch to finish off the victory.

Behling finished 11-3-28 (.286) while Seidenstricker posted a line of 19-2-45, enough kills to tie herself for second in the school's 25-point format four-set match records, matching her output of 19 kills against Hope on Sept. 14, 2012. She also holds the record, which includes matches since 2008, with 20 against Trinity (Tex.) on Sept. 1, 2012.

Vodopich finished the outing with an attack line of 10-1-20 (.450) and 39 assists, while junior libero Kiah Murray (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) led the defense with 25 digs.

With the regular season concluded, the Tigers will rest and plan for the 2013 North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, to be hosted in Springfield at Pam Evans Smith Arena on Friday, Nov. 8, and Saturday, Nov. 9. Top-seeded Wittenberg opens the event with a quarterfinal match against eighth-seeded Allegheny at 7 p.m. on Friday.

John Strawn '07