LEXINGTON, Kentucky—The AVCA announced the 2017 AVCA Division III All-Region Teams on Thursday morning, as three Tigers graced the Great Lakes All-Region team.
Maddie Fischer (First Team), Karen Wildemann (First Team) and Aubrey Cox (Honorable Mention) all earned Great Lakes All-Region recognition, after having helped lead the Tigers to a 22-2 record thus far in 2017.
Fischer lands on the All-Region First Team for the second time in as many years, as the 2017 NCAC Conference Player of the Year serves as the Tigers' lone senior. Fischer has recorded 310 kills, and 270 digs in 2017, as the outside-hitter's next kill will serve as her 800th in a Tiger uniform. A Minerva, Ohio native, Fischer recorded matches of 18, 19 and 21 kills in 2017.
Wildemann's breakout 2017 campaign came as no surprise to Tiger fans, as the Columbus, Indiana native graces the Great Lakes All-Region team for the first time in her career. A junior setter, Wildemann tallied matches of 45, 47, and 51 assists in 2017, including two triple-doubles. Wildemann's first triple-double came against then #3 Emory on September 2, (11-41-10), and then completed the feat again against Denison on October 11 (10-47-12).
Cox, the reigning AVCA Freshman of the Year, and 2017 NCAC Women's Volleyball Tournament MVP earned honorable mention Great Lakes All-Region this year, after helping guide the Tiger's to a perfect NCAC conference record for the seventh straight season. Cox has recorded nine solo blocks and 70 block-assists thus far in 2017, while the sophomore has also recorded 171 kills and 30 digs for the Tigers.
After winning their 11th straight NCAC title, Wittenberg is set to travel to Otterbein University and compete November 10-12. Wittenberg joins #22 Juniata, Brockport, Penn State-Behrend, #18 Ohio Northern, DePauw, Cabrini and host, Otterbein, in NCAA regional action.
Wittenberg opens on Friday against Penn State-Behrend at 3:00PM, with the winner of that match earning spot in the second round of play on Saturday. The Tigers would then play at 2:30PM on Saturday against the winner of #22 Juniata and Brockport. The Championship match is set to tip off on November 12 at 2:30PM. All live stats and video will be provided by Otterbein University throughout the weekend, but can also be found on Wittenbergtigers.com.
About AVCA
The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by Associations International. The mission of the AVCA is to advance the sport of volleyball with AVCA coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy and professional development. With a membership of over 7,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and promoting the sport. Members include collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as volleyball club directors. The AVCA provides education to volleyball coaches, recognition of elite players and coaches, promotion of volleyball competitions throughout the world, and networking opportunities for volleyball products and services providers. Further information is available at www.avca.org.