SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The postseason started much like the regular season ended - with a dominating Wittenberg victory. The Tigers, hosting their first NCAA Division III Tournament regional in four years, entertained a raucous home crowd with a 3-0 sweep of Cabrini in a first round match.
The win was Wittenberg's 22nd in a row in the 2014, and it marked the fifth consecutive year that the Tigers have opened the NCAA Division III Tournament with a victory. The Tigers improved to 28-3 overall and advanced to a second-round match-up with 12th-ranked Mount Union at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, also at Pam Evans Smith Arena.
The Tigers will head into that match-up with plenty of momentum, thanks to an efficient offensive performance. Wittenberg attacked at a .343 percentage, knocking down 44 kills against just seven errors on 108 attempts in the match.
As usual, the leader in kills for Wittenberg was junior right-side hitter Kara Seidenstricker (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) with 12 kills and a .400 attack percentage. Sophomore middle hitter Kendall Farmer (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) added eight kills, sophomore outside hitter Camila Quinones (Sunbury, Ohio/Worthington Christian) contributed seven kills, and junior outside hitter Kristina Fultz (Batavia, Ohio/Glen Este) chipped in with six kills.
Fultz led the defense with 18 digs, followed by senior libero Kiah Murray (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) with 17 and Meghan Vodopich (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Perry) with 10, part of an outstanding all-around performance for the senior setter. She also finished with three kills on just four attempts and a match-best 21 assists.
The match was the first-ever between Wittenberg and Cabrini, which reached the NCAA Division III Tournament for the fifth time in program history after winning the Colonial States Athletic Conference title. The Cavaliers saw their season come to a close with a 26-7 overall record.
Their second round opponent, Mount Union, is much more familiar to the Tigers. Wittenberg holds a 20-2 advantage in the all-time series, including a 3-1 road win earlier in the 2014 season. The match will be the second of the day at the Springfield Regional, coming on the heels of a clash between second-ranked Hope and 10th-ranked Juniata, which starts at 3:30 p.m.
Written By: Ryan Maurer