Tigers Lose Out in the NCAA Tournament
The Tigers' dreams of a national championship will once again have to wait a year after Ohio Athletic Conference champion Ohio Northern Polar Bears knocked Wittenberg out of the 2001 NCAA Division III Tournament. The Great Lakes Region's No. 2 seed, Wittenberg struggled defensively against the Polar Bears, falling 3-1 in a hard-fought match.
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| McDonald | Yuskewich | Murphy |
The Tigers' dreams of a national championship will once again have to wait a year after Ohio Athletic Conference champion Ohio Northern Polar Bears knocked Wittenberg out of the 2001 NCAA Division III Tournament. The Great Lakes Region's No. 2 seed, Wittenberg struggled defensively against the Polar Bears, falling 3-1 in a hard-fought match.
The Tigers, who were making their sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament and seventh since 1993, received a first-round bye and played ONU on Friday night at Mt. St. Joseph in Cincinnati. Wittenberg got 25 kills from freshman Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic), 55 assists from freshmanSarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) and 12 kills and 13 digs from junior Teresa Murphy (Blacklick, Ohio/Newark Catholic) in the loss.
Despite the loss and another failed attempt to advance beyond the regional competition, the future continues to be bright for the NCAC champions. Wittenberg did not have a senior on the roster in 2001, meaning that all six starters - including three freshmen - will return in 2002.