Roundup: Tigers Lose in Second Appearance In the National Quarterfinals
The Wittenberg volleyball team concluded its season in disappointing fashion, travelling all the way to southern California for an NCAA Division III Tournament quarterfinal match only to be swept by third-ranked La Verne, 3-0.
The Wittenberg volleyball team concluded its season in disappointing fashion, travelling all the way to southern California for an NCAA Division III Tournament quarterfinal match only to be swept by third-ranked La Verne, 3-0. It was the Tigers' second appearance in the national quarterfinals in the last three years, but second-ranked Wittenberg didn't bring its "A" game with it to California. The loss capped the best season in Wittenberg history three wins shy of the ultimate goal of a national championship. The Tigers, champions of the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament for the eighth straight year, had no answers for an outstanding La Verne team that wound up third in the nation for a second straight year. Wittenberg's final record stands at 35-3.
Playing before a packed house, the Tigers looked disjointed from the outset. La Verne took control with the match tied at 4-4 in the first game, winning several points in a row with a blocking and defensive scheme that threw the Tigers completely off their game. Wittenberg made a stunning 12 attack errors in 41 chances in the first game, and La Verne's blockers were outstanding in spearheading a dominating 30-16 win.
In the second game, Wittenberg started out better, but a big La Verne run provided the necessary momentum. While Wittenberg fought its way through the Leopards' blocking schemes better, the Tigers still couldn't attack with enough efficiency or defend La Verne's many offensive weapons. The Leopards seized a demoralizing 2-0 lead with a 30-25 game victory.
Wittenberg seemed to regain its composure in Game 3, pulling out to leads as large as six points. But everything disintegrated suddenly as La Verne won 11 of 12 points to turn a 20-16 deficit into a commanding 27-21 advantage. Wittenberg rallied to within 28-26 before La Verne scored the final two points on kills to advance to the Final Four.
Senior outside hitter Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) was high in kills with 12, the only Tiger in double figures. Senior setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) distributed 30 assists, and senior libero Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) led with 21 digs.