Tigers Clinch Share of NCAC Title

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tiger Volleyball team is beginning to make their claim as a Division III dynasty. With a seemingly easy win over North Coast Athletic Conference foe Ohio Wesleyan, the Tigers were guaranteed a share of their eighth straight NCAC regular season championship. A win tomorrow night at second-place Denison University will give Wittenberg sole possession of the NCAC regular season championship.

The Tigers hammered the Battling Bishops, 30-11, 30-11, 30-13. In winning their 56th straight NCAC regular season match (dating back to 1997), the Tigers were able to rest some of their senior leaders and showcase a little bit of their future. It is safe to say that the talent is there for the Tigers to remain a dominant force in Division III volleyball for years to come. Although there were some familiar names among the Tiger leaders - senior Emilie Schmid (19 digs) and junior Linda Young (11 kills) - a majority of the leaders were talented freshmen. Freshman Sarah Matesich worked the net, dishing out 21 assists, while freshman Lindsey Penrod hammered home five kills and classmate Caitlin Augustus chipped in with three blocks.

Wittenberg remained perfect in the NCAC at 7-0 and improved their near-perfect overall record to 19-1 with the victory. The Tigers will be back in action tomorrow night when they take on Denison University. The game will conclude the Tigers' regular season in the NCAC. A win will give the Tigers their eighth straight outright NCAC regular season championship and will guarantee them the No. 1 seed in the NCAC tournament, which is scheduled for Nov. 5-6.